Brian Bellows

Lore & Background

Bellows excelled in the junior leagues for the Kitchener Rangers, leading them to appearances in the championship game in both 1981 and 1982, culminating with a win in 1982. He set a record for the fastest goal in tournament history at 11 seconds and recorded five points in the championship game. He was selected second overall in the 1982 NHL draft by the Minnesota North Stars. He recorded 20-goal seasons in each of his first twelve seasons, peaking with 55 goals and a career-high 99 points. He led the North Stars to the 1991 Stanley Cup Final with 29 playoff points. He was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in 1992 and won the Stanley Cup with them in 1993. He later played for the Lightning, Mighty Ducks, and Capitals, recording his 1,000th career point in his final season in 1999. Internationally, he won the Canada Cup in 1984 and finished second at the World Championships in 1989.

In Their Own Story

The arena is half-full, the lights cutting through the October chill. The puck drops, and Bellows is already moving — that low, skimming stride that made defenders look a half-step slow. He collects a pass at the blue line, doesn't look up, just slides it across the slot. The puck tucks in. He doesn't sprint to the bench. He stops, turns to the north side, raises one finger. The crowd roars like a wave breaking over stone. Somewhere in the third row, a kid in a too-big Senators jersey is screaming. Bellows skates back, taps the glass, and is already gone, chasing the next shift. The finger gun is still out. It never really comes down.

Reader's Guide

Brian Bellows played as a winger for five NHL teams: Minnesota North Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, and Washington Capitals. He never played for the Ottawa Senators. He retired with 485 goals and 537 assists in 1,188 games.

Did You Know?

• Bellows set a record for the fastest goal in Memorial Cup tournament history at 11 seconds.
• He scored 55 goals in the 1989–90 season to tie the North Stars franchise record, a mark that has not been surpassed.
• Bellows was named interim captain of the North Stars at age 19 years and 4 months in the 1983–84 season.
• He scored the series-clinching overtime goal in Game 6 of the first round of the 1998 playoffs for the Washington Capitals.