Black History - Black Hockey Players #8 - Donald Brashear

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Oft asked, it's a question of genuine curiosity more than anything, as far as I see it. The answer is yes, there are black hockey players, and I am counting down ten guys. We are at #8: Donald Brashear. Donald Brashear is one big human being. And although, during a 13-year NHL career in which he appeared in 1,025 regular season games (and 60 post-season games) for five teams, he scored 85 goals and notched 120 assists (3/6 playoffs,) the bruising, hard-hitting forward was an enforcer. If the opposition started getting a little rough with the skill players, it was Brashear's job to put a stop to that ungentlemenly behavior. Basically, Donald Brashear fought a lot. During the 1997-1998 season, Brashear became the Vancouver Canucks' single season leader in penalty minutes, a record that still stands (he is currently ranked 15th all-time in NHL penalty minutes.) I'd be remiss not to mention that during the 1999-2000 season, Brashear was on the receiving end of a vicious slash to the head, baseball bat-style, from Boston Bruins enforcer Marty McSorley, who had lost a fight to Brashear earlier in the game (most brutal slash I've ever seen.) McSorley was convicted of assault with a weapon and sentenced to an 18-month conditional release. I have attached a really cool link, with both Brashear and Colorado Avalanche enforcer Scott Parker in the middle of a hell of a lot of on ice chaos (the Avalanche and the Canucks simply did not like each other, and Brashear and Parker had a good, healthy rivalry going!) I watched the game on television. Fun times! (Info verified by Wikipedia)