Brian Lawton

Brian R. Lawton (born June 29, 1965 in New Brunswick, New Jersey and raised in Cumberland, Rhode Island) is the current general manager and executive vice president of the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was also a former professional player and player agent who played 483 games in the NHL between 1983 and 1992. During his career, Lawton played for the North Stars, New York Rangers, Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks.

Playing career
He was drafted number one overall by the Minnesota North Stars in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft. A graduate of Mount Saint Charles Academy in Woonsocket, RI, Lawton is noted for being the first US-born hockey player drafted first overall in the NHL draft. He was also the first and, as of 2008, only US high school hockey player to be drafted first overall.

Lawton was ranked by NHL Central Scouting Bureau as No. 1 overall prospect for the 1983 NHL draft, and despite a reasonable NHL career that included 266 career points in 483 games, he is considered to be one of the biggest draft busts in NHL history. This is in part because he was drafted ahead of players such as Steve Yzerman, Cam Neely, Tom Barrasso, Stu Grimson and Pat LaFontaine.

In international hockey, Lawton played for the United States national team in the 1983 and 1987 Ice Hockey World Championship tournaments as well as the 1984 Canada Cup.

He was the only NHL player to ever wear #98. After retiring in 1993, Lawton went on to become a player agent representing NHL talent such as Mike Modano and R.J. Umberger.