Rick Brebant

Rick Brebant
Position	Centre
Shoots	Left
Nickname(s)	Tricky, Tricky Ricky
Height Weight	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 180 lb (82 kg)
Teams	Carolina Thunderbirds Durham Wasps Cardiff Devils Nottingham Panthers Newcastle Cobras Manchester Storm London Knights Sheffield Steelers Manchester Phoenix
Nationality	Canadian
Born	(1964-02-21)February 21, 1964, Elliot Lake, ON, Canada
Pro Career	1987 – 2004

Richard Joseph "Rick" Brebant (born February 21, 1964(1964-02-21) in Elliot Lake, Ontario, Canada) is a retired ice hockey player who played mainly in Great Britain. He is a member of the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.

Career

Club

He played for the Ohio State University from 1984 to 1987.

Brebant started his professional career by playing the start of the 1987–88 season with the Carolina Thunderbirds in the All-American Hockey League (a predecessor of the East Coast Hockey League). However, he left the club part way through the season to join the Durham Wasps who were playing in the Premier Division of the British Hockey League (BHL). Brebant stayed with the Wasps for six seasons. During his time with the Wasps he helped them to win the Norwich Union Cup in 1988–89 and 1990–91, the Premier Division in 1988–89, 1990–91 and 1991–92, and the playoffs in 1988, 1991 and 1992. Brebant, himself, was named to the All-star team three times during this period.

In 1993, Brebant moved to the Cardiff Devils where he helped the team win the Premier Division and the playoffs in 1993–94. Brebant, again, was named to the All-star team this season. The following season, 1994–95, Brebant moved to the Nottingham Panthers where he helped the team win the Benson and Hedges Cup and himself to his fifth time on the All-star team.

Brebant returned to the Durham Wasps for the 1995–96 season before the team relocated to Newcastle for the 1996–97 season as the Newcastle Cobras in the newly formed Ice Hockey Superleague (ISL) and he became the team's player-coach. After only a few games at the beginning of the 1997–98 season, Brebant moved to the Manchester Storm. The following season, still with Manchester, Brebant helped the team to win the Benson and Hedges Cup and the league. Brebant stayed with Manchester for the beginning of the 1999–00 season before finishing the season with the London Knights.

For the 2000–01 season, Brebant moved to the Sheffield Steelers to play as an assistant coach under head coach, Mike Blaisdell, a friend from his time with the Durham Wasps. During the 2000–01 season, Brebant helped the team to a grand-slam by winning the Benson and Hedges Cup, the Challenge Cup, the league and the playoffs. The following season he helped the team to win the playoffs and, in the 2002–03 season, to win the Challenge Cup and the league.

In 2003, Brebant moved back to Manchester for his final season in ice hockey, this time with the Manchester Phoenix in the Elite Ice Hockey League and again as a player-coach.

International

Brebant was first selected to play for the Great Britain national ice hockey team in 1994 in Pool A of the Ice Hockey World Championships. Brebant's only point during the tournament was a shorthanded goal against his home country, Canada, which Brebant has described as his favourite goal.

Brebant was a regular member of the GB team throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s making a total of 32 appearances and scoring ten goals and 26 points.

Awards

• Named to the Premier Division All-star Team in 1989, 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1995.
• British Ice Hockey Writers Association Player of the Year in 1990–91.
• Inducted to British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004.

Records

• Highest BHL Premier Division points scorer in 1988–89, 1990–91 and 1991–92.
• All time goal, assist and point scorer for Durham Wasps.
• Most assists in a single season for Durham Wasps.
• Most points in a single season for Durham Wasps.

Career statistics

Club

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1987–88	Carolina Thunderbirds	AAHL		14	25	24	49	40
1987–88	Durham Wasps	BHL		25	77	75	152	18		6	14	13	27	14
1988–89	Durham Wasps	BHL		36	99	119	219	67		5	12	10	22	6
1989–90	Durham Wasps	BHL		31	64	70	134	44		4	4	8	12	6
1990–91	Durham Wasps	BHL		35	93	116	209	72		8	18	34	52	16
1991–92	Durham Wasps	BHL		34	78	82	160	99		8	17	16	33	26
1992–93	Durham Wasps	BHL		34	59	62	121	84
1993–94	Cardiff Devils	BHL		64	119	154	273	130		8	16	19	35	8
1994–95	Nottingham Panthers	BHL		39	58	95	153	78		7	6	18	24	4
1995–96	Durham Wasps	BHL		24	19	60	79	56		7	3	11	14	20
1996–97	Newcastle Cobras	ISL		22	9	20	29	68
1997–98	Newcastle Cobras	ISL		4	1	1	2	14
1997–98	Manchester Storm	ISL		33	10	23	33	50		9	1	6	7	8
1998–99	Manchester Storm	ISL		39	13	19	32	40		7	3	5	8	18
1999–00	Manchester Storm	ISL		18	8	12	20	20
1999–00	London Knights	ISL		19	9	14	23	32		8	3	8	11	10
2000–01	Sheffield Steelers	ISL		45	10	32	42	94		8	3	4	7	8
2001–02	Sheffield Steelers	ISL		42	13	30	43	36		8	1	8	9	13
2002–03	Sheffield Steelers	ISL		23	6	9	15	24		17	1	7	8	46
2003–04	Manchester Phoenix	EIHL		32	2	25	27	60		6	1	1	2	2

International

Year	Team	Event		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1994	Great Britain	Ice Hockey World Championships		6	1	0	1	8
1995	Great Britain	Olympic Qualifiers
1998	Great Britain	World Championships Pool B
1999	Great Britain	World Championships Pool A Qualifiers		3	0	1	1	4
2000	Great Britain	World Championships Pool B		7	4	4	8	14
2000	Great Britain	Olympic Qualifiers
2002	Great Britain	[[IIHF World Championship Division I|World Championships Division 1		5	1	1	2	0

References

• British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame entry
• Rick Brebant - player profile and career stats at European Hockey.Net

External links

• European Hockey.net
• Ice Hockey Journalists UK

Awards
Preceded by Steve Moria	BIHWA Player of the Year 1990–91	Succeeded by Dan Dorion
Sporting positions
Preceded by First Head Coach	Newcastle Cobras Head Coach 1996–97, 1997–98	Succeeded by Dale Lambert
Preceded by First Head Coach	Manchester Phoenix Head Coach 2003–04	Succeeded by Paul Heavey