Protecting the ‘child inside of me’: Donald Brashear’s toughest fight

Editor’s Note: This story is included in The Athletic’s Best of 2021. “I’m pretty sure Brash opened up more to my dad about his life than he did to me.” Brashear remembers sitting with Pierre on the beach at the lake, listening to him tell stories about how much he’d loved watching his sons play hockey when they were young and how glad he was to be able to still spend time with them. Frederic Cyr, who’d known Brashear since his rookie season with the Canadiens, had heard the same rumours as Gagne — and witnessed his haggard, erratic behaviour when he visited him. Donald Brashear, Frederic Cyr and Simon Gagne shared a few drinks on the night Brashear’s friends suggested he might need help. “That’s the point.” And for the first time in several years, Brashear started to feel like he could be.