Brian Bellows

Brian Bellows (born September 1, 1964, in St. Catharines, Ontario) is a retired professional player.
Bellows played junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League with the Kitchener Rangers. During this time, he was featured in Sports Illustrated, which described him as the hottest prospect since Wayne Gretzky.
Bellows was drafted second overall by the Minnesota North Stars, who had acquired the draft pick in a trade with Detroit with the purpose of having a shot at Bellows. North Stars GM Lou Nanne sent Don Murdoch, Greg Smith, and a first round pick (Murray Craven) to the Wings in exchange for the second overall draft pick. Bellows was often compared to 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.
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.
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 in 1993.
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==
  	  	  	 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1980–81 	Kitchener Rangers 	OHL 	 	66 	49 	67 	116 	23 	 	16 	14 	13 	27 	13
1981–82 	Kitchener Rangers 	OHL 	 	47 	45 	52 	97 	23 	 	15 	16 	13 	29 	11
1982–83 	Minnesota North Stars 	NHL 	 	78 	35 	30 	65 	27 	 	9 	5 	4 	9 	18
1983–84 	Minnesota North Stars 	NHL 	 	78 	41 	42 	83 	66 	 	16 	2 	12 	14 	6
1984–85 	Minnesota North Stars 	NHL 	 	78 	26 	36 	62 	72 	 	9 	2 	4 	6 	9
1985–86 	Minnesota North Stars 	NHL 	 	77 	31 	48 	79 	46 	 	5 	5 	0 	5 	16
1986–87 	Minnesota North Stars 	NHL 	 	65 	26 	27 	53 	34 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1987–88 	Minnesota North Stars 	NHL 	 	77 	40 	41 	81 	81 	 	 	 	 	 	
1988–89 	Minnesota North Stars 	NHL 	 	60 	23 	27 	50 	55 	 	5 	2 	3 	5 	8
1989–90 	Minnesota North Stars 	NHL 	 	80 	55 	44 	99 	72 	 	7 	4 	3 	7 	10
1990–91 	Minnesota North Stars 	NHL 	 	80 	35 	40 	75 	43 	 	23 	10 	19 	29 	30
1991–92 	Minnesota North Stars 	NHL 	 	80 	30 	45 	75 	41 	 	7 	4 	4 	8 	14
1992–93 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	82 	40 	48 	88 	44 	 	18 	6 	9 	15 	18
1993–94 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	77 	33 	38 	71 	36 	 	6 	1 	2 	3 	2
1994–95 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	41 	8 	8 	16 	8 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1995–96 	Tampa Bay Lightning 	NHL 	 	79 	23 	26 	49 	39 	 	6 	2 	0 	2 	4
1996–97 	Tampa Bay Lightning 	NHL 	 	73 	15 	31 	46 	60 	 	23 	8 	8 	16 	56
1996–97 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL 	 	62 	15 	13 	28 	22 	 	11 	2 	4 	6 	2
1997–98 	Berlin Capitals 	DEL 	 	31 	15 	17 	32 	18 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1997–98 	Washington Capitals 	NHL 	 	11 	6 	3 	9 	6 	 	21 	6 	7 	13 	6
1998–99 	Washington Capitals 	NHL 	 	76 	17 	19 	36 	26 	 	 	 	 	 	
OHA/OHL totals	OHA/OHL totals 	OHA/OHL totals	 	113 	94 	119 	213 	46 	 	31 	30 	26 	56 	24
NHL totals 	NHL totals 	NHL totals 	 	1188 	485 	537 	1022 	718 	 	143 	51 	71 	122 	143
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==External links==
*Profile at hockeydraftcentral.com
*
*
Category:Retired in 1999
Category:Born in 1964
Category:Berlin Capitals players
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Kitchener Rangers alumni
Category:Memorial Cup winners
Category:Mighty Ducks of Anaheim players
Category:Minnesota North Stars players
Category:Montreal Canadiens players
Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks
Category:NHL players with 50 goal seasons
Category:Stanley Cup champions
Category:Tampa Bay Lightning players
Category:Washington Capitals players
Category:NHL All-Stars