Michel Brière Michel Brière ( October 21 , 1949 – April 13 , 1971 ) was an NHL hockey player whose career was cut short due to an automobile accident in 1970 . Career . Briere was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third round ( # 26 overall ) in the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft . During his junior career with the Shawinigan Bruins , Briere was a dominant force , scoring 129 goals , 191 assists , and 320 points in 100 games . During his first / only NHL season , Briere would be a core component to the Penguins as they went to the 2nd round of the playoffs in the 1969 – 70 season . He scored 12 goals and 32 assists , finishing third in team scoring with 44 points . At this time , many scouts were predicting that the slightly - built but fast and nimble Briere would be a top NHL star for years to come . Briere was even being compared to the likes of Phil Esposito and Bobby Clarke , who were also young phenoms . On November 1 , 1969 , Pittsburgh ' s rookie center scored his first NHL goal by beating Minnesota North Stars ' goaltender Ken Broderick at the 15 : 15 mark of the third period . He raised his game in the playoffs , leading the team in scoring with eight points . Briere netted the first overtime goal in franchise history on April 12 , 1970 . Briere scored the game - winner - and series clincher - at 8 : 28 of the first overtime period against the Oakland Seals in front of 3 , 028 fans at the Oakland Coliseum . The sweep of the Seals was the first playoff series victory for the Penguins . The Penguins finished just two victories short of the Stanley Cup final , losing to St . Louis in the semifinals . Briere finished the playoffs with five goals , including three game - winning goals , and was named the Penguins ' rookie of the year . Tragedy . Briere returned to Quebec to marry his childhood sweetheart Michele Beaudoin . Briere and Beaudin , who had a 1 - year - old son , Martin , were to be married on June 6 , 1970 . Tragedy struck at 9 p . m . on May 15 , 1970 when Briere was involved in a single - car crash with two friends . Briere was ejected from his Orange 1970 Mercury Cougar along Highway 117 in Val - d ' Or just 70 miles from his hometown of Malartic , Quebec . The Pens ' rookie suffered major head trauma . Briere was flown 300 miles by government plane to Notre Dame Hospital in Montreal where Dr . Claude Bertrand , a leading Canadian neuro - surgeon , performed the first of four brain surgeries and delivered his prognosis that Briere has a 50 - 50 chance of living . While Briere was hospitalized , the Penguins started pre - season conditioning near Brantford , Ontario . Then - trainer Ken Carson added Briere ' s name to the back of a jersey . The jersey , along with Briere ' s equipment bag , traveled with the team for the 1970 - 71 season . Ten months later Briere was transferred to Montreal ' s Marie - Clarac Rehabilitation Hospital on March 27 , 1971 . The Pens finished the regular season at home on April 4 - a 1 - 1 tie with St . Louis - and missed the playoffs . Nine days later , after spending the last 11 months in a coma , Briere died at 4 : 20 p . m . on April 13 , 1971 . Six members of the Penguins , including Jack Riley , Carson and Coach Red Kelly , attended the funeral outside Montreal . A memorial service was held in St . Paul ' s Cathedral in Pittsburgh in which most of the team officials and some players attended . Legacy . Briere ' s number 21 was not retired immediately by the team , but no one ever wore it again . A framed jersey hung in the Igloo Club ( inside the Pittsburgh Civic Arena ) with his photo . That was the only visible sign the number was retired . Briere and Mario Lemieux are the only two players in Penguins ' history to have their numbers retired . Briere ' s number was officially retired on January 5 , 2001 ; just nine days after Lemieux returned to once again wear his number 66 . The QMJHL renamed its MVP award the Michel Brière Memorial Trophy in 1972 . The Pittsburgh Penguins also present the Michel Briere Rookie of the Year Award annually to the seasons ' best rookie player