Michel Brière

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Position Centre
Shot Left
Height
Weight		 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
165 lb (75 kg/11 st 11 lb)
Pro clubs Pittsburgh Penguins
Nationality Flag of Canada Canada
Born October 21, 1949(1949-10-21),
Malartic, PQ, CAN
Died April 13, 1971 (aged 21),
Malartic, PQ, CAN
Pro career 1969 – 1970

Michel Brière (October 21, 1949—April 13, 1971) was an NHL hockey player whose NHL career was cut short due to an automobile accident in 1970.

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[edit] Career

Briere was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third round (#26 overall) in the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft. During his junior career with the Shawnigan Bruins, Briere was a dominant force, scoring 129 goals, 191 assists, and 320 points in 100 games.

During his first/only NHL season, Briere would be a core component to the Penguins as they went to the 2nd round of the playoffs in the 1969–70 season. He would score 12 goals and 44 points, making him third in team scoring. At this time, many scouts were predicting that the slightly-built but fast and nimble Briere would be a top NHL star for years to come. Briere was even being compared to the likes of Phil Esposito and Bobby Clarke, who were also young phenoms.

[edit] NHL Career Stats

    Regular Season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1969–70 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 76 12 32 44 20 10 5 3 8 17
NHL Totals 76 12 32 44 20 10 5 3 8 17

[edit] Death

Briere, who was in his hometown of Malartic, Quebec preparing for a wedding, was involved in a car accident on May 15, 1970 along with two of his friends. During the accident, Briere was thrown out of the car and suffered massive brain injuries, inducing a coma.

During his time in intensive care, Briere would be in a coma for almost seven weeks. After the coma, Briere would fade in and out of consciousness for almost a year. After this and four major operations to help recover from his injuries, Briere died in the hospital on April 13, 1971, aged only 21.

Briere had his number 21 retired by the Penguins. Briere's number was the only number the Penguins had retired until Mario Lemieux retired in 1997. The QMJHL renamed its MVP award the Michel Briere Memorial Trophy in 1972. The Pittsburgh Penguins also present the Michel Briere Rookie of the Year Award annually to the seasons' best rookie player.

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