Gerry Brisson
Born (1937-09-03)September 3, 1937
Saint Boniface, Manitoba, Canada
Died January 16, 2013(2013-01-16) (aged 75)
Mesa, Arizona, U.S.
Height 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight 160 lb (73 kg; 11 st 6 lb)
Position Left Wing
Shot Left
Played for Montreal Canadiens
Playing career 19571970

Gerald Joseph Brisson (September 3, 1937 January 16, 2013) was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger. He played 4 games in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens during the 1962–63 season. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1957 to 1970, was spent in the minor leagues. He was born in Saint Boniface, Manitoba. He died at his home in Mesa, Arizona on January 16, 2013.[1]

Playing career

Signed by the Montreal Canadiens organization at age 16, Brisson came up through the minor hockey ranks in St. Boniface, Manitoba to star with the St. Boniface Canadiens in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, and later another Montreal Canadiens farm team, the Peterborough TPT's of the Ontario Junior Hockey Association, where he led the team in scoring with 51 points in 52 games. He started his professional hockey career in 1958 in the Western Hockey League (WHL), playing for the Winnipeg Warriors where he was one of the league's top rookies, earning 83 points in his first season, and compiling 91 goals and 103 assists in 3 full seasons with the Warriors. He next played for the WHL Spokane Comets for two seasons, matching his best season with another 83 points and earning a call up to the Montreal Canadiens where he played four games in the 1962-63 season, earning two assists. He made his National Hockey League (NHL) debut in the Montreal Forum against the Boston Bruins. He then went on to play in the WHL for the San Francisco Seals where he won a WHL Championship (1963–64), the Seattle Totems and again with the San Francisco Seals. He had a short stint in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Quebec Aces and led the MSHL St. Boniface Mohawks to a MSHL championship (1968–69) as a player-coach. Brisson was selected to numerous WHL All-star Teams during his career.

Coaching career

After an 11-year career as a professional hockey player, Brisson embarked on a 10-year career as a coach, general manager and Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) franchise owner. He began was a player-coach for the St. Boniface Mohawks (1968–69), then coached the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) West Kildonan North Stars for one season (1969–70), and made his WCHL coaching debut with the Brandon Wheat Kings (1970–71). Brisson returned to the MJHL for one season to coach the Winnipeg Monarchs (1971–72), then back to the WCHL to coach the Winnipeg Junior Jets (1972–73), Winnipeg Clubs (1973–76), Winnipeg Monarchs (1976–77) and finally the Calgary Wranglers (1977–78). Brisson later went on to coach the Innisfil Eagles of the Chinook Hockey League where he won a provincial title in the 1992-93 season.

Owner / builder career

Brisson was an owner in the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) for six years. After one year as coach, Brisson bought the Winnipeg Junior Jets in 1972. In order to differentiate from the newly-formed Winnipeg Jets of the WHA, he renamed his team the Winnipeg Clubs (1973–76), and later the Winnipeg Monarchs (1976–77). In 1977 he moved the franchise to Calgary, Alberta as the Calgary Wranglers. He sold the Wranglers franchise in 1979 and retired from hockey to pursue other business interests.

Awards and achievements

  • WHL Prairie Division First All-Star Team (1959)

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
1953–54 St. Boniface Canadiens MJHL 10000
1954–55 St. Boniface Canadiens MJHL 2920214114
1955–56 St. Boniface Canadiens MJHL 2130194945 10123154
1955–56 St. Boniface Canadiens M-Cup 66392
1956–57 St. Boniface Canadiens MJHL 2221194060 746102
1957–58 Peterborough TPT's OHA 522823510 53032
1957–58 Montreal Royals QHL 20000
1957–58 Winnipeg Warriors WHL 11010
1958–59 Winnipeg Warriors WHL 6238458320 75052
1959–60 Winnipeg Warriors WHL 6624325620
1960–61 Winnipeg Warriors WHL 7029265535
1961–62 Spokane Comets WHL 7044398360 16791616
1962–63 Montreal Canadiens NHL 40224
1962–63 Spokane Comets WHL 6626214744
1963–64 San Francisco Seals WHL 5018254315 116284
1963–64 Quebec Aces AHL 120116
1964–65 Seattle Totems WHL 6319193835 70112
1965–66 San Francisco Seals WHL 6522153723 30000
1966–67 California Seals WHL 71122
1968–69 St. Boniface Mohawks MSHL
1969–70 St. Boniface Mohawks MSHL
WHL totals 520222223445254 4418123024
NHL totals 40224

Coach

    Regular season   Playoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPWLTOTLResult
1968–69 St. Boniface Mohawks MSHL 24111030
1969–70 West Kildonan North Stars MJHL 34121840
1976–77 Winnipeg Monarchs WCHL 72313470 Lost Round 2
1977–78 Calgary Wranglers WCHL 72184040 Did not qualify

References

  1. "GERALD BRISSON Obituary - Winnipeg Free Press Passages". Passages.winnipegfreepress.com. Retrieved 2013-04-11.
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