When you think of legendary careers in hockey, the name Patrice Brisebois stands tall among Montreal Canadiens icons. For sixteen seasons, he wore the iconic jersey, battled on the ice, and etched his name into the record books—sometimes in ways that defied expectations. But beneath the surface of his impressive stats and Stanley Cup glory, there’s a side to Brisebois’s journey that few fans truly understand.
Recently, in a candid conversation on the Sans Restriction podcast, Brisebois peeled back the curtain on the reality of life as a Canadiens defenseman—one marked not just by triumph, but by moments of intense pressure and emotional hardship. What he revealed goes far beyond the usual tales of locker room camaraderie and game-winning goals.
From the relentless scrutiny of the Montreal media to the passionate reactions of fans, Brisebois’s experience was shaped by forces both inspiring and unsettling. His reflections on the treatment of current players, and the personal toll of criticism, offer a rare glimpse into the hidden world behind the cheers and boos.
What really happened during those turbulent years? What did Brisebois endure—and what lessons did he learn? The answers might surprise you.
Photo credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images
Despite having a great career with the Montreal Canadiens, Patrice Brisebois experienced his share of highs and lows during the 16 seasons he was here.
As reported by HABSolumentFan, the former defenseman opened up to Kevin Raphaël during an episode of the Sans Restriction podcast, and he spoke about the negative comments that some Canadiens fans made last year about Michael Matheson.
“Mike Matheson, it’s not right, he was not treated well last year.
Matheson is a tremendous defenseman.
People say he makes mistakes.. He plays 30 minutes per game!
You know what?
It was the same thing with me.
I played between 25 and 30 minutes.
If you’re on the ice more often, chances are you’re going to make more mistakes, you understand?
But is the effort always there?
Yes.
It seems like in Montreal, they always need to blame someone.
It’s a team.
Maybe the guy is going through a rough patch, it can happen, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t care.
People don’t know what he does in the gym, the overtime he puts in watching videos.
That, nobody knows.”
– Patrice Brisebois
Let’s just say the situation surrounding the Canadiens’ number 8 brought him back to the hell he went through during his last years in Montreal.
Patrice Brisebois Makes Sad Revelations About His Time With the Montreal Canadiens
He continued.
“I never read the newspapers.
But it was impossible to block all of that out because when people love you and care for you, they will call you.
My mother would call me crying and ask why someone wrote that.
It was tough, Kevin.
It was really damn tough, I swear!
My family- I got death threats, I got bricks through my windows, eggs..”
– Patrice Brisebois
Wow! That’s very serious!
We remember that fans made Patrice Brisebois the scapegoat of the team, and many of them did not hesitate to boo him loudly whenever he touched the puck.
Yet, he ranks sixth all-time among Canadiens defensemen for career points with a total of 371 in 896 games.
He is ahead of big names like Jean-Claude Tremblay, Chris Chelios, Mathieu Schneider, P.K. Subban, and Éric Desjardins.
Despite it all, he experienced glorious moments, like winning the Stanley Cup in 1993, which was only his second season in the NHL.
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