Sep 24 Adieu Breezer!

Less than an hour ago today, Patrice Brisebois, former defenseman for the Montreal Canadiens announced his retirement from hockey in a brief yet emotional press conference at the Bell Centre.

Say what you want about Brisebois, and many have,  but this 18 year (16 of them with the Habs) veteran always gave it his all every night and took the praise as well as the sometimes unwarranted heckles to heart.

Forget all his accomplishments, and yes there were many of them including his 420 points in over 1000 games played. In my mind, I will always remember “Breezer” for handling everything like a consummate pro. Never, and I mean never, do I recall him ever turning on the fans, although he had every right to during those “dark years” prior to his eventual exodus to Colorado.

 Instead, he quietly left town looking like he was let down by the very people he wanted to please on a nightly basis. Even when both he and Jose Theodore made it back to Montreal for that fateful 8-5 Canadiens victory, all Brisebois could do to show his opinion of the crowd’s taunts at both he and particularly Theodore, was roll his eyes and quickly skate off to the dressing room.

 Was Brisebois paid too much (4 Million per year) back when the fans started turning on him? Maybe, but that was not his fault. The Habs brass decided this was the amount that they wanted to offer a home bred, talented and experienced defenseman in order to keep both he and the fan-base happy. The plan backfired.

 Seemingly overnight, the fans and media expected Brisebois to play as they thought a 4 million dollar defenseman should play, however the person cashing those cheques never changed. And the sometimes unfair expectations began. Not even the chastising of General Manager Bob Gainey could stop the “boo-birds” from expressing their sentiments every time Brisebois would touch the puck.

 It was Gainey who had that cup of coffee with Brisebois a few years ago and discussed his eventual return in a Habs uniform, something Brisebois surely mentioned in his prepared speech. It was this return that saw the fans rekindle their relationship with one of the last “gars de chez nous” that wore the CH with pride every night.

 Adieu Breezer. See you on the racetrack.

Tags: Bell Centre \ bob gainey \ Colorado Avalanche \ habs \ Montreal Canadiens \ Patrice Brisebois \ retirement