51-year-old Donald Brashear Still Applying His Craft

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Matt Garland
October 23, 2023 (10:02)

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Former NHLer Donald Brashear was one of the toughest enforcers for over 15 seasons in the NHL from 1995-2010. He was able to play 1025 games, scoring 85 goals, 205 points and amassed a whopping 2634 penalty minutes. He last played professionally during the 2015-16 season for the Thetford Assurancia of the LNAH league.

51-year-old Donald Brashear is currently playing in a senior hockey league in Quebec for the Wendake Black Jack.

During a game on Saturday night, the former NHL enforcer turned back the clock and dropped the mitts with longtime semi-professional tough guy Derek Parker, who had over 500 penalty minutes in a single LNAH game during the 2005-06 season.

There wasn't a whole lot of punches thrown between Brashear and Parker, with the pair mainly holding onto each other for over a minute. Eventually, Brashear got a hand free and was able to throw a couple punches, before Parker got his head stuck inside his jersey, falling to the ice, where they were separated by the officials.

According to dropyourgloves.com, Brashear had 390 fights throughout his hockey career, including 277 in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals and New York Rangers between 1993-94 and 2009-10.

Brashear was involved in one of the most famous incidents in the league during the 1999-2000 season. It occurred during a game on February 21, 2000 when the Vancouver Canucks were playing the Boston Bruins. Defenceman Marty McSorley slashed Brashear in the head with 4.6 seconds left in the game. Brashear fell backwards and hit his head hard on the ice, losing consciousness and suffering a Grade III concussion. McSorley was charged with assault and suspended by the NHL for the remainder of the 1999�2000 season and the playoffs, missing 23 games. McSorley was found guilty and sentenced to 18 months probation. The NHL would extend his suspension a full year after his conviction. McSorley would never play another NHL game again.