10 Days Of Dustin – The Milestones

Insiders, featuring 10 Days of Dustin!

For the next 10 days, we’ll have a Dustin Brown-themed article every day, leading up to the Kings’ next home game on Feb. 11, which will be one of the most memorable nights of the season. The Kings will retire Dustin Brown’s number 23 ahead of this game, with a statue unveiling as well, in what is sure to be a special and memorable occasion for those, including many insiders! – who can attend.

We’ll start small – a review of Brown’s career milestones, and there were several notable ones. Over the first three days here, we’ll look back at the career milestones, photos, and videos that made Brown’s career so distinguished. With that in mind, here’s a look at some memorable moments from Brown’s NHL career!

Naturally, the freshman year is always one of the most important, and it marked several firsts for Brown. He was selected by the Kings in the first round of the 2003 NHL Draft and was one of nine players in the 2003 Draft to play more than 10 NHL games that season. Brown made his NHL debut on October 9, had his first NHL point, an assist, on November 5 and scored his first NHL goal on November 22. Only six players from the 2003 draft have played more games than Brown in the 2003-04 season. , as he finished with 31 GPs at 18. Brown also won a bronze medal at the 2004 World Championships, representing Team USA at the senior level for the first time.

Due to the NHL lockout, Brown made his AHL debut with the Manchester Monarchs on October 15 and had an assist, his first career AHL point, during that game. Brown scored his first career AHL goal five days later on Oct. 20 and went on a five-game point streak to open the season. Brown was selected for the 2005 AHL All-Star Classic, where he represented Planet USA. Brown ranked 13th in the AHL in scoring that season and was one of five players with over 70 points and over 90 penalty minutes.

Brown played his first full NHL season in 2005-06, when he set new NHL career highs in games played (79), goals (14), assists (14) and dots (28). He won his first career multi-goal game on Dec. 6 against Toronto and played his 100th career NHL game on March 27 in Vancouver. Competing in her second IIHF World Championships, Brown scored five goals in seven games played at the tournament, ranking tied for fourth in goals scored among all skaters.

Brown once again set career highs in all statistical categories, as he played in 81 games, scored 17 goals, recorded 29 assists and had a total of 46 points. 13 of his 17 goals have come on the power play, PPG’s highest total of his NHL career. Brown ranked second in the NHL in hits, beginning a six-season streak in which he ranked in the league’s top three in the category. He also skated in the first of 1,244 games with longtime teammate Anze Kopitar when Kopitar made his debut in October.

Brown signed a six-year contract extension in late October, tying him to the organization long-term for the first time. He had an offensive season with 33 goals, the most in a season of his NHL career. The Ithaca native scored a total of 60 points, another career high at the time. He represented Team USA for the third time at the IIHF World Championships and finished third on the team with nine points (5-4-9).

A massive year for Brown, he was named team captain on October 8. Brown posted another solid offensive season, as he eclipsed 50 points for the second straight year and was selected for his first and only NHL All-Star Game, representing the West. Conference. He also appeared in his last IIHF World Championships with Team USA, recording eight points (3-5-8) in nine games played in a fourth-place finish.

Brown became the first player in NHL history to record 1,000 career hits, since the stat began being tracked in the 2005-06 season. He had a career-high 32 assists and posted his third straight season with 20+ goals. Brown also won a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics, her first appearance in the event. The Kings reached the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2010 for the first time in Brown’s career, losing in the first round.

Brown scored 28 goals, the second most of his NHL career, eclipsing 25 goals and 55 points this season. Late in the season, Brown tallied the 300th point of his NHL career on March 26 against Colorado and posted the second year of 300+ hits in his NHL career to date. At the end of the campaign, Brown was named the recipient of the NHL Foundation Player Award, given to the player “who applies the core values ​​of (ice) hockey – commitment, perseverance and teamwork – to enrich the lives of people in his gang. community.”

Brown became the first member of the LA Kings organization to lift the Stanley Cup, as the Kings were crowned NHL champions for the first time in franchise history. In doing so, he became the second American-born captain to lift the Stanley Cup. He tied a single-season high with 32 assists in the regular season and was tied for the team lead in the postseason in goals (8), assists (12) and points (20). Brown also had 20+ goals and 30+ assists for the second time in his NHL career.

Brown played the only hockey of his NHL career on the road due to an NHL lockout for part of the season, when he had 13 points (8-5-13) in 16 games with the Zurich Lions in Switzerland. Brown scored 18 goals in the lockout-shortened season, which ranked in the NHL’s Top 20 that season. At 0.39 goals per game, that’s the second best goal rate of his NHL career.

Brown became the first American-born captain in NHL history to lift the Stanley Cup twice, as he led the Kings to their second championship in three seasons. He participated in his second career Winter Olympics, as an alternate captain for the United States team, scoring his first career goals in the tournament against Slovakia and the Czech Republic. At the end of the season, Brown was selected as the winner of the Mark Messier Leadership Award, the first player in franchise history to win the trophy.

Although his offensive totals were down from his peak seasons, Brown scored the 200th goal of his NHL career on Nov. 26 against Minnesota, as he beat future teammate Darcy Kuemper on the play. Brown is became the first player in NHL history to reach 2,500 career hits in the regular season, while maintaining his all-time high since the league began tracking stats. He also marked his birthday – November 4 – the only time in his career he has done so.

Brown became the first player in NHL history to reach 3,000 hits between the regular season and the playoffs combined. He also recorded his 250th career assist on February 16 in Washington, on a shorthanded goal from Kopitar. Brown played his 960th career game as captain of the Los Angeles Kings in April, his penultimate “C” game with the organization.

Brown enjoyed an uptick offensively in 2016-17, as he recorded his seventh career season with 20 assists, his first since the 2011-12 campaign. Brown reached the milestone of 500 points for his NHL career, scoring the goal with an assist on March 16 against Buffalo.

The 2017-18 season marked a career season for Brown, as he set single-season highs in assists (33) and points (61). He also scored 28 goals, tied for his second most in a single season. On December 21, 2017, Brown played in his 1,000th career NHL regular season game, becoming the second player in franchise history to fully reach the mark with the Kings. On April 5, Brown set a new single-game career high with four goals in a win over the Minnesota Wild.

On March 28, Brown passed Kings legend Dave Taylor for the all-time franchise record for games played, with the 1,112th of his career. He posted both the 20-goal and 50-point final season of his NHL career, the seventh time he has reached both goals in the NHL. Brown’s 22 goals were tied for the team lead this season, with Anze Kopitar. He posted his last career hat trick on March 7 against Minnesota as part of a four-point night.

Brown scored on opening night for the first time in 14 years, with a goal in Edmonton on Oct. 5. On the same day, Brown was inducted into the New York State High School Hockey Hall of Fame, for his time in his hometown of Ithaca. High School earlier in his career. Brown scored the last hat trick of his NHL career on a March 7 night four-pointer against Minnesota.

Brown scored in the season opener for the second time in three seasons, in what was also the 300th goal of his NHL career on Jan. 14 against Minnesota. With 17 goals in 46 games in the second COVID-hit season, Brown posted his best goals-per-game rate since the 2012-13 season. He also became the first player in NHL history to record 4,000 career hits between the regular season and the playoffs combined.

Brown hit the 700-point mark in his final NHL season. He officially announced his retirement on April 28. Later that night, Brown played his final NHL regular season game, wearing the captain’s “C” for the last time in his Vancouver career. Brown concluded his NHL career on May 14 in a 2-0 loss in Game 7 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. In July 2022, the Kings announced they would retire Brown’s number 23 during of the 2022-23 season.

And……exhale. Heck of a run, 23. The best photos and videos from Brown’s career to follow here on LAKI over the next few days, before hearing from several former teammates and colleagues about what Brown has meant to them personally and professionally. Stay tuned!