Brian Lawton

Brian R. Lawton (born June 29, 1965 in New Brunswick, New Jersey and raised in Cumberland, Rhode Island) is the current general manager and executive vice president of the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was also a former professional player and player agent who played 483 games in the NHL between 1983 and 1992. During his career, Lawton played for the North Stars, New York Rangers, Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks. 
==Playing career==
He was drafted number one overall by the Minnesota North Stars in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft. A graduate of Mount Saint Charles Academy in Woonsocket, RI, Lawton is noted for being the first US-born hockey player drafted first overall in the NHL draft. He was also the first and, as of 2008, only US high school hockey player to be drafted first overall.
Lawton was ranked by NHL Central Scouting Bureau as No. 1 overall prospect for the 1983 NHL draft, and despite a reasonable NHL career that included 266 career points in 483 games, he is considered to be one of the biggest draft busts in NHL history. This is in part because he was drafted ahead of players such as Steve Yzerman, Cam Neely, Tom Barrasso, Stu Grimson and Pat LaFontaine.
In international hockey, Lawton played for the United States national team in the 1983 and 1987 Ice Hockey World Championship tournaments as well as the 1984 Canada Cup.
He was the only NHL player to ever wear #98. After retiring in 1993, Lawton went on to become a player agent representing NHL talent such as Mike Modano and R.J. Umberger.
==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
1983–84 	Minnesota North Stars	NHL 	 	58 	10 	21 	31 	33 	 	5 	0 	0 	0 	10
1984–85 	Minnesota North Stars	NHL 	 	40 	5 	6 	11 	24 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1984–85 	Springfield Indians 	AHL 	 	42 	14 	28 	42 	37 	 	4 	1 	1 	2 	2
1985–86 	Minnesota North Stars	NHL 	 	65 	18 	17 	35 	36 	 	3 	0 	1 	1 	2
1986–87 	Minnesota North Stars	NHL 	 	66 	21 	23 	44 	86 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1987–88 	Minnesota North Stars	NHL 	 	74 	17 	24 	41 	71 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1988–89 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	30 	7 	10 	17 	39 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1988–89 	Hartford Whalers 	NHL 	 	35 	10 	16 	26 	28 	 	3 	1 	0 	1 	0
1989–90 	Maine Mariners 	AHL 	 	5 	0 	0 	0 	14 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1989–90 	Hartford Whalers 	NHL 	 	13 	2 	1 	3 	6 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1989–90 	Quebec Nordiques 	NHL 	 	14 	5 	6 	11 	10 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1989–90 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 	 	8 	0 	0 	0 	14 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1990–91 	Phoenix Roadrunners 	IHL 	 	63 	26 	40 	86 	108 	 	11 	4 	9 	13 	40
1991–92 	San Jose Sharks 	NHL 	 	59 	15 	22 	37 	42 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1992–93 	Kansas City Blades 	IHL 	 	9 	6 	4 	10 	10 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1992–93 	San Jose Sharks 	NHL 	 	21 	2 	8 	10 	12 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1992–93 	Cincinnati Cyclones 	IHL 	 	17 	5 	11 	16 	30 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	483 	112 	154 	266 	401 	 	11 	1 	1 	2 	12
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==References==
*Brian Lawton's hockeydraftcentral.com bio
*Brian Lawton's legendsofhockey bio
*
Category:Born in 1965
Category:Minnesota North Stars players
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:Quebec Nordiques players
Category:Boston Bruins players
Category:Hartford Whalers players
Category:San Jose Sharks players
Category:NHL first overall draft picks
Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks
Category:Kansas City Blades player
Category:Springfield Indians players
Category:Maine Mariners players
Category:Cincinnati Cyclones players
Category:Phoenix Roadrunners (IHL) players
Category:Retired in 1993