Dustin Brown (ice hockey)

Did You Know?

• Brown played for ZSC Lions in the Swiss National League A during the 2012–13 NHL lockout.
• He won a silver medal as an alternate captain of the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
• Brown received the 2011 NHL Foundation Player Award for his charity work in the Los Angeles community.

Playing career

Over three seasons with Guelph, he accumulated 194 points in 174 games. He won the Bobby Smith Trophy as the OHL’s Scholastic Player of the Year for three straight seasons starting in 2000–01, and also received the Canadian Hockey League’s Scholastic Player of the Year award in 2002–03. The Los Angeles Kings chose him in the first round, 13th overall, of the 2003 NHL entry draft. Brown signed a three-year entry-level contract and made the Kings' roster out of training camp for the 2003–04 season.

He played his first NHL game on October 9, 2003, against the Detroit Red Wings, and scored his first NHL goal on November 22, 2003, in a 2–0 win over the Colorado Avalanche. His rookie year ended early due to a high ankle sprain, with 1 goal and 5 points in 31 games. After the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Brown was assigned to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, where he averaged nearly a point per game. Returning to the NHL in 2005–06, he recorded 28 points in 79 games as a checking forward, led the team with 175 hits, and drew the second most penalties in the league. He signed a two-year contract before the 2006–07 season.

Style of play

Brown employed a physical, north–south style and considered himself a clean hitter. He received no fine or suspension from the NHL Department of Player Safety until April 24, 2013, when he was suspended two games for an illegal elbow to the head of Minnesota Wild forward Jason Pominville. Despite his aggressive play, Brown did not miss a game due to injury over four seasons. He led the NHL in penalties drawn in five of seven post-lockout seasons, though some commentators, including former referee Kerry Fraser, noted a reputation for embellishing infractions. Brown also provided consistent offensive production, scoring at least 22 goals for five consecutive years, and developed into an effective defensive and penalty-killing forward.