Don Brashear is a Canadian-American hockey player. He began his career in the National Hockey League in 1992 when he was drafted as a free agent by the Montreal Canadiens. He is primarily known as an enforcer and has one of the highest times spent in the penalty box of any NHL player. He played for the Canadiens from 1993 to 1997. He was then traded to Vancouver after becoming involved in a heated argument with the Canadiens head coach, Mario Tremblay.
Don played with the Vancouver Canucks from 1996 to 2002. During his time with Vancouver, during the Vancouver-Boston game, he was struck in the head with a hockey stick by Boston player Marty McSorley. Brashear fell to the ice, where his helmet came off and his head struck the ice. He suffered a grade three concussion and memory lapses, but returned to play after several weeks. In 2002, he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers after he returned to play.
Brashear spent four years with the Flyers, where he received the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Award, which is given to the most improved player. In 2006, the Flyers refused to re-sign him, opting for younger players. The Washington Capitols then signed him for a year. They have re-signed him on a yearly basis since then and he currently plays for them. He has served as one of the alternate captains for the Capitols for the last two years. Brashear is also a concert pianist and his father was the inspiration for the movie, “Men of Honor.”
