Gerry Brisson

Gerald Joseph Brisson (September 3, 1937 – January 16, 2013) was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger. He was born in Saint Boniface, Manitoba. He died at his home in Mesa, Arizona on January 16, 2013.[1]

Gerry Brisson
Born (1937-09-03)September 3, 1937
Saint Boniface, Manitoba, Canada
Died January 16, 2013(2013-01-16) (aged 75)
Mesa, Arizona, USA
Height 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight 160 lb (73 kg; 11 st 6 lb)
Position Left Wing
Shot Left
Played for NHL
 Montreal Canadiens
AHL
 Quebec Aces
Playing career 1957–1967

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 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

Player
    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1953–54 St. Boniface Canadiens MJHL 1 0 0 0 0
1954–55 St. Boniface Canadiens MJHL 29 20 21 41 14 - - - - -
1955–56 St. Boniface Canadiens MJHL 21 30 19 49 45 10 12 3 15 4
1955–56 St. Boniface Canadiens Memorial Cup - - - - - 6 6 3 9 2
1956–57 St. Boniface Canadiens MJHL 22 21 19 40 60 7 4 6 10 2
1957–58 Peterborough TPT's OHA 52 28 23 51 0 5 3 0 3 2
1957–58 Montreal Royals QHL 2 0 0 0 0
1957–58 Winnipeg Warriors WHL 1 1 0 1 0 - - - - -
1958–59 Winnipeg Warriors WHL 62 38 45 83 20 7 5 0 5 2
1959–60 Winnipeg Warriors WHL 66 24 32 56 20 - - - - -
1960–61 Winnipeg Warriors WHL 70 29 26 55 35 - - - - -
1961–62 Spokane Comets WHL 70 44 39 83 60 16 7 9 16 16
1962–63 Spokane Comets WHL 66 26 21 47 44 - - - - -
1962–63 Montreal Canadiens NHL 4 0 2 2 4 - - - - -
1963–64 San Francisco Seals WHL 50 18 25 43 15 11 6 2 8 4
1963–64 Quebec Aces AHL 12 0 1 6 - - - - - -
1964–65 Seattle Totems WHL 63 19 19 38 35 7 0 1 1 2
1965–66 San Francisco Seals WHL 65 22 15 37 23 3 0 0 0 0
1966–67 California Seals WHL 7 1 1 2 2 - - - - -
1968–69 St. Boniface Mohawks MSHL
NHL totals 4 0 2 2 4 - - - - -

Coach
    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP W L T OTL Result
1968–69 St. Boniface Mohawks MSHL 24 11 10 3 0
1969–70 West Kildonan North Stars MJHL 34 12 18 4 0
1976–77 Winnipeg Monarchs WCHL 72 31 34 7 0 Lost Round 2
1977–78 Calgary Wranglers WCHL 72 18 40 4 0 Did Not Qualify

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