Donald Brashear was born on January 7, 1972 in Bedford, Indiana. Unfortunately, his parents divorced and Don lived with his Dad in Indiana. His father was an alcoholic and abusive, so his paternal grandmother sent Don to Canada to reside with his mother.
His Mother remarried and her husband was cruel to Don as well. He was then removed from the home and sent to foster care. It took three tries before he found a family that treated him well. Jean-Marie and Raymonde St-Pierre had four children of their own. Don fit in immediately with Benoit, Stephane, Guylaine and Mario. Don and Stephanie amused themselves by playing street hockey.
Don wanted to play hockey but couldn’t skate. His foster parents allowed him to take skating lessons and after two months he improved greatly. Don has fond memories of that first year playing hockey.
He made a mark on his career back when he began playing with the Quebec Midget AAA Hockey League with the Ste-Foy Gouverneurs. He then competed for three years in the QMJHL before signing as a free representative with the Montreal Canadian.
He played with the Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers and was first and foremost recognized as one of the NFL’s top enforcer’s. Don suffered a serious concussion after being smacked by Boston’s Marty McSorley. He went back to hockey after several weeks, completely recovered.
After playing with the Flyers for two years, Don was signed as a free agent with the Washington Capitals on July 14, 2006. Don is also a gifted concert pianist and an affiliate of the NHL Diversity Task Force.
