Joseph Jean Luc Benoît Brunet (French pronunciation: [ʒozɛf ʒɑ̃ lyk bənwa bʁynɛ]; born August 24, 1968) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round, 27th overall, of the 1986 NHL Entry Draft.

Benoît Brunet
Born (1968-08-24) August 24, 1968 (age 56)
Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 184 lb (83 kg; 13 st 2 lb)
Position Left wing
Shot Left
Played for Montreal Canadiens
Dallas Stars
Ottawa Senators
NHL draft 27th overall, 1986
Montreal Canadiens
Playing career 1988–2002

Playing career

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After playing three seasons for the Hull Olympiques of the QMJHL, Brunet made his professional debut with the American Hockey League's Sherbrooke Canadiens in the 1988–89 season. He also made his NHL debut with Montreal that same season, appearing in two games and recording one assist.

Brunet became a fixture on the Canadiens' roster, playing with them until the 2001–02 season. He became a favorite of the hometown fans due to his local roots and path to the NHL as well as his work as a defensive forward which made him a constant on the team's penalty killing unit. During the 2001–02 season, he was traded to the Dallas Stars, along with Martin Ručinský, in exchange for Donald Audette and Shaun Van Allen. Brunet appeared in 32 games with the Stars before being traded again, this time to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Brunet finished the season with Ottawa, and retired afterward.

In his NHL career, Brunet appeared in 539 games. He scored 101 goals and added 161 assists. He also appeared in 54 playoff games, scoring five goals and adding 20 assists. He was a member of the Canadiens team that won the Stanley Cup in 1993.[1]

Colour commentator

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A few years after his retirement, Brunet was hired as a colour commentator for the French-language sports network RDS for NHL games that did not involve the Montreal Canadiens. For the 2008-09 season he was promoted as the main colour commentator alongside play-by-play man Pierre Houde for all Montreal Canadiens games, replacing longtime veteran Yvon Pedneault.

Career statistics

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1984–85 Lac St-Louis Lions QMAAA 4 2 5 7 6 7 1 2 3
1985–86 Hull Olympiques QMJHL 71 33 37 70 81 15 5 14 19 33
1986–87 Hull Olympiques QMJHL 60 43 67 110 105 6 7 5 12 8
1987–88 Hull Olympiques QMJHL 62 54 89 143 131 10 3 10 13 11
1988–89 Sherbrooke Canadiens AHL 73 41 76 117 95 6 2 0 2 4
1988–89 Montreal Canadiens NHL 2 0 1 1 0
1989–90 Sherbrooke Canadiens AHL 72 32 35 67 82 12 8 7 15 20
1990–91 Fredericton Canadiens AHL 24 13 18 31 16 6 5 6 11 2
1990–91 Montreal Canadiens NHL 17 1 3 4 0
1991–92 Fredericton Canadiens AHL 6 7 9 16 27
1991–92 Montreal Canadiens NHL 18 4 6 10 14
1992–93 Montreal Canadiens NHL 47 10 15 25 19 20 2 8 10 8
1993–94 Montreal Canadiens NHL 71 10 20 30 20 7 1 4 5 16
1994–95 Montreal Canadiens NHL 45 7 18 25 16
1995–96 Fredericton Canadiens AHL 3 2 1 3 6
1995–96 Montreal Canadiens NHL 26 7 8 15 17 3 0 2 2 0
1996–97 Montreal Canadiens NHL 39 10 13 23 14 4 1 3 4 4
1997–98 Montreal Canadiens NHL 68 12 20 32 61 8 1 0 1 4
1998–99 Montreal Canadiens NHL 60 14 17 31 31
1999–2000 Montreal Canadiens NHL 50 14 15 29 13
2000–01 Montreal Canadiens NHL 35 3 11 14 12
2001–02 Montreal Canadiens NHL 16 0 2 2 4
2001–02 Dallas Stars NHL 32 4 9 13 8
2001–02 Utah Grizzlies AHL 5 3 1 4 6
2001–02 Ottawa Senators NHL 13 5 3 8 0 12 0 3 3 0
AHL totals 183 98 140 238 232 24 15 13 28 26
NHL totals 539 101 161 262 229 54 5 20 25 32

References

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  1. ^ Zurkowsky, Herb (June 18, 2023). "Savard's pivotal speech may have carried Canadiens to 1993 Cup, Carbonneau says". The Gazette. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
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