Rick Brebant

Rick Brebant
Born (1964-02-21) 21 February 1964 (age 60)
Elliot Lake, Ontario, Canada
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for Carolina Thunderbirds
Durham Wasps
Cardiff Devils
Nottingham Panthers
Newcastle Cobras
Manchester Storm
London Knights
Sheffield Steelers
Manchester Phoenix
Playing career 1987–2004

Richard Joseph "Rick" Brebant (born 21 February 1964) is a retired ice hockey player who played mainly in Great Britain. He is a member of the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.

Career

Club

Born in Elliot Lake, Ontario, Canada, Brebant started his professional career by playing the start of the 1987–88 season with the Carolina Thunderbirds in the All-American Hockey League (a predecessor of the East Coast Hockey League). However, he left the club part way through the season to join the Durham Wasps who were playing in the Premier Division of the British Hockey League (BHL). Brebant stayed with the Wasps for six seasons. During his time with the Wasps he helped them to win the Norwich Union Cup in 1988–89 and 1990–91, the Premier Division in 1988–89, 1990–91 and 1991–92, and the playoffs in 1988, 1991 and 1992.[1] Brebant, himself, was named to the All-star team three times during this period[2][3][4] as well as being named the British Ice Hockey Writers Association Player of the Year in 1990–91.[5]

In 1993, Brebant moved to the Cardiff Devils where he helped the team win the Premier Division and the playoffs in 1993–94.[1] Brebant, again, was named to the All-star team this season.[6] The following season, 1994–95, Brebant moved to the Nottingham Panthers where he helped the team win the Benson and Hedges Cup (B&H Cup)[1] and himself to his fifth time on the All-star team.[7]

Brebant returned to the Durham Wasps for the 1995–96 season before the team relocated to Newcastle for the 1996–97 season as the Newcastle Cobras in the newly formed Ice Hockey Superleague (ISL) and he became the team's player-coach. After only a few games at the beginning of the 1997–98 season, Brebant moved to the Manchester Storm. The following season, still with Manchester, Brebant helped the team to win the B&H Cup and the league.[1] Brebant stayed with Manchester for the beginning of the 1999–00 season before finishing the season with the London Knights.

For the 2000–01 season, Brebant moved to the Sheffield Steelers to play as an assistant coach under head coach, Mike Blaisdell, a friend from his time with the Durham Wasps. During the 2000–01 season, Brebant helped the team to a grand-slam by winning the B&H Cup, the Challenge Cup, the league, and the playoffs.[1] The following season he helped the team to win the playoffs and, in the 2002–03 season, to win the Challenge Cup and the league.[1]

In 2003, Brebant moved back to Manchester for his final season in ice hockey, this time with the Manchester Phoenix in the Elite Ice Hockey League and again as a player-coach.

International

Brebant was first selected to play for the Great Britain national ice hockey team in 1994 in Pool A of the Ice Hockey World Championships. Brebant's only point during the tournament was a shorthanded goal against his home country, Canada, which Brebant has described as his favourite goal.[8]

Brebant was a regular member of the GB team throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s making a total of 32 appearances and scoring ten goals and 26 points.[8]

Awards

Records

  • Highest BHL Premier Division points scorer in 1988–89, 1990–91 and 1991–92.[1]
  • All time goal, assist and point scorer for Durham Wasps.
  • Most assists in a single season for Durham Wasps.
  • Most points in a single season for Durham Wasps.

Career statistics

Club

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1987–88 Carolina Thunderbirds AAHL 14 25 24 49 40
1987–88 Durham Wasps BHL 25 77 75 152 18 6 14 13 27 14
1988–89 Durham Wasps BHL 36 99 119 219 67 5 12 10 22 6
1989–90 Durham Wasps BHL 31 64 70 134 44 4 4 8 12 6
1990–91 Durham Wasps BHL 35 93 116 209 72 8 18 34 52 16
1991–92 Durham Wasps BHL 34 78 82 160 99 8 17 16 33 26
1992–93 Durham Wasps BHL 34 59 62 121 84
1993–94 Cardiff Devils BHL 64 119 154 273 130 8 16 19 35 8
1994–95 Nottingham Panthers BHL 39 58 95 153 78 7 6 18 24 4
1995–96 Durham Wasps BHL 24 19 60 79 56 7 3 11 14 20
1996–97 Newcastle Cobras ISL 22 9 20 29 68
1997–98 Newcastle Cobras ISL 4 1 1 2 14
1997–98 Manchester Storm ISL 33 10 23 33 50 9 1 6 7 8
1998–99 Manchester Storm ISL 39 13 19 32 40 7 3 5 8 18
1999–00 Manchester Storm ISL 18 8 12 20 20
1999–00 London Knights ISL 19 9 14 23 32 8 3 8 11 10
2000–01 Sheffield Steelers ISL 45 10 32 42 94 8 3 4 7 8
2001–02 Sheffield Steelers ISL 42 13 30 43 36 8 1 8 9 13
2002–03 Sheffield Steelers ISL 23 6 9 15 24 17 1 7 8 46
2003–04 Manchester Phoenix EIHL 32 2 25 27 60 6 1 1 2 2

International

   
Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM
1994 Great Britain Ice Hockey World Championships 6 1 0 1 8
1995 Great Britain Olympic Qualifiers
1998 Great Britain World Championships Pool B
1999 Great Britain World Championships Pool A Qualifiers 3 0 1 1 4
2000 Great Britain World Championships Pool B 7 4 4 8 14
2000 Great Britain Olympic Qualifiers
2002 Great Britain World Championships Division 1 5 1 1 2 0

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "European Hockey.net entry". Retrieved 23 October 2007.
  2. ^ a b "All Star Team Season 1988-1989". Archived from the original on 23 July 2008. Retrieved 23 October 2007.
  3. ^ a b "All Star Team Season 1990-1991". Archived from the original on 23 July 2008. Retrieved 23 October 2007.
  4. ^ a b "All Star Team Season 1991-1992". Archived from the original on 23 July 2008. Retrieved 23 October 2007.
  5. ^ a b "Player of the Year Trophy". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 23 October 2007.
  6. ^ a b "All Star Team Season 1993-1994". Archived from the original on 23 July 2008. Retrieved 23 October 2007.
  7. ^ a b "All Star Team Season 1994-1995". Archived from the original on 23 July 2008. Retrieved 23 October 2007.
  8. ^ a b c "British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame Entry". Archived from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 23 October 2007.

References

Awards
Preceded by
Steve Moria
 BIHWA Player of the Year
1990–91 		Succeeded by
Sporting positions
Preceded by
First Head Coach
 Newcastle Cobras Head Coach
1996–97, 1997–98 		Succeeded by
Dale Lambert
Preceded by
First Head Coach
 Manchester Phoenix Head Coach
2003–04 		Succeeded by
Paul Heavey