Brian Bellows

Infobox Ice Hockey Player
played_for = Minnesota North Stars
Montreal Canadiens
Tampa Bay Lightning
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Washington Capitals
Berlin Capitals
position = Right Wing
shoots = Right
height_ft = 5
height_in = 11
weight_lb = 210
nationality = CAN
birth_date = Birth date and age|1964|9|1|mf=y
birth_place = St. Catharines, ON, CAN
draft = 2nd overall
draft_year = 1982
draft_team = Minnesota North Stars
career_start = 1982
career_end = 1999

Brian Bellows (born September 1, 1964, in St. Catharines, Ontario) is a retired professional ice hockey player.

Drafted second overall by the Minnesota North Stars, Bellows was often compared to Wayne Gretzky, which led to a tough rookie season. The pressure of such comparisons caused criticisms when he did not live up to them. Bellows improved greatly in the second half of the season and finished with 35 goals. In the playoffs that year, Bellows scored 9 points (5 goals, 4 assists) in 9 games.

Bellows played 10 seasons with the North Stars and was popular in Minnesota for his charity work, as well as his goal-scoring. He had a North Star record 342 goals in 753 games, peaking with 55 goals in 1989-90. In 1990-91, Bellows scored 29 points in the post-season to become the North Stars career playoff point leader, and took the North Stars to the Stanley Cup finals where they fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins. During one of the games Bellows was the target of a classic exchange from Kevin Stevens and Bryan Trottier where they berated him for a solid minute while the ref stood nearby and laughed at Bellows. [http://youtube.com/watch?v=tmppE-SlBGw]

When team captain Craig Hartsburg was injured partway through the 1983-84 season, Bellows was named interim captain for the remainder of the season. At 19 years and 4 months, Bellows became captain at an earlier age than Sidney Crosby. However, because he was an interim captain, Crosby is still considered the youngest captain in history. [cite web | url = http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=rm-mailbag121007&prov=yhoo&type=lgns | title = Mailbag:More Crosby | last = McKeon | first = Ross | publisher = Yahoo! Sports Canada | date = 2007-12-10 | accessdate = 2008-04-29]

On August 31, 1992, Bellows was traded to the Montreal Canadiens for Russ Courtnall. The trade angered Bellows, but he relished the chance to play for the Canadiens. His 88 points were the second highest season total of his career, and his 15 playoff points helped the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup.

As his career was winding down, Bellows played for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Washington Capitals. In the 1997-98 NHL season the Capitals made it to the Stanley Cup finals, but lost to the Detroit Red Wings. En route to the Eastern Conference championship, Bellows scored the series-clinching overtime goal in the first round in Game 6 against the Boston Bruins. The 1998-99 season was his last. On January 2, 1999, Bellows scored his 1000th career regular season point, becoming the 54th NHL player to reach that plateau.

Bellows was named to the 1990 second all-star team, and played in three NHL All-Star Games (1984, 1988 and 1992). He retired with 485 goals, 537 assists and 1,022 points.

Career statistics

ee also

*List of NHL players
*List of NHL seasons
*List of NHL players with 1000 points

References

External links

* [http://www.hockeydraftcentral.com/1982/82002.html Profile at hockeydraftcentral.com]
*hockeydb|310
*legendsofhockey|10088