It's been quite the year for 17-year NHL veteran Daniel Briere. On March 10, the former playoff superstar was named the interim general manager for the Philadelphia Flyers. He replaced the polarizing Chuck Fletcher as the leader of the organization.
Even though Briere played in the NHL for 17 seasons, he admitted that he felt a little uneasy stepping into the unfamiliar role.
“It’s funny, I was a little nervous coming in,” he said. “I didn’t know what the process was and how everything works. But at the same time, I was not intimidated.”
"It would have been understandable for Daniel Briere to feel like his head was under water in his first appearance as Flyers GM at the NHL GM meetings. But the player who was known as a playoff performer put on the same brave game face. @RussoHockey" - The Athletic NHL
Daniel Briere made his NHL debut during the 1997-98 season with the then-Phoenix Coyotes. He quickly made a name for himself as a clutch performer that played above his size. Despite being 5-foot-9 and 174 lbs, Briere played like a man twice his size.
The talented forward spent his first six seasons with the Coyotes before being traded to the Buffalo Sabres with a 2004 third-round pick. Phoenix received Chris Gratton and a 2004 fourth-round pick in the deal.
With Buffalo, Daniel Briere quickly emerged as a star in the NHL, recording 92 goals and 138 assists in 225 games with the team. During this time, he earned the nickname "Cookie Monster" from Sabres play-by-play announcer Rick Jeanneret.
This was for his notoriety for shooting top shelf, "where momma hides the cookies."
"Daniel Briere vs Philadelphia 4/22/2006 #sabres #BUFvsPHI" - Sabres Goal A Day
During the 2007 free agent period, Briere signed an eight-year, $52 million contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. He went on to play some of the best hockey of his career for Philly, scoring 124 goals and 159 assists in 364 games with the club. He also set his career-high in goals during the 2010-11 season, racking up 34.
After brief stints with the Montreal Canadiens and the Colorado Avalanche, Daniel Briere retired from the NHL following the 2014-15 season. He finished his career with 307 goals while also recording 389 assists, and scored 30 or more goals in a season on four occasions.
Daniel Briere's son Carson Briere has found himself in hot water
Recent security camera footage showed Carson Briere, son of Daniel Briere, throwing a wheelchair down a flight of stairs at a party. The Mercyhurst University player can be seen tossing the wheelchair to the bottom of the stairs with no regard for its owner.
"I usually don’t post anything serious on my twitter but something happened Saturday night and just can’t stomach the thought of this kid getting away with it. In the video below is a @MercyhurstU student and is currently on the @HurstMensHockey team. Carson Briere." - @juliazukowski
Carson's actions were condemned by the university. The school also announced that they have student conduct, as well as police and safety, investigating the incident.
While Daniel was one of the most well-liked and respected players during his time in the NHL, his son Carson has received plenty of hate and criticism for this incident.