About Michel Brière
Michel Edouard Brière was a Canadian professional ice hockey player for one season in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1969–70. Following his rookie season with the Penguins, Brière was involved in a car accident in which he suffered major head trauma. After multiple brain surgeries and 11 months in a coma, he died as a result of his injuries at the age of 21. Despite being named the Penguins' rookie of the year, Brière received no votes for the Calder Memorial Trophy, which was won by the Chicago Black Hawks' goaltender Tony Esposito. Suffering from major head trauma, Brière was flown 300 miles to Notre Dame Hospital in Montreal, where a leading neurosurgeon performed the first of four brain surgeries. During his junior career with the Shawinigan Bruins, he scored 129 goals and 191 assists, for 320 points in 100 games.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.