In 2009, the Lewiston Maineiacs selected undersized, 1992-born forward/defenseman in the seventh round of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft, 109th overall. He was a longshot to ever crack the lineup, but he had skill.

“It was a struggle from the beginning, because he came to camp with a broken foot,” said Roger Shannon, Lewiston’s general manager at the time who’s now the Director of Hockey Operations for the Moncton Wildcats.

“Here we’re trying to evaluate our seventh-round pick, and he can’t practice or play in any games.”

The team brought him back after Christmas, but the club itself was in turmoil. Less than a year earlier, after the Maineiacs nearly moved to a suburb of Montreal, they changed coaches. In Brisebois’ rookie season, they changed coaches again. And again.

By Christmastime, the team recalled the diminutive Brisebois — all of 5-feet, 9-inches as an 17-year-old forward-turned-defender — and he made the Maineiacs’ roster as a utility player.

“He played the rest of the season, basically as our seventh defenseman,” Shannon said.

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In the offseason, the Maineiacs knew they needed a goalie. And they knew they had a glut of defenders.

Brisebois wanted to play top minutes, knowing he needed to play more if he wanted to get better and move up with a chance at playing professionally.

Lewiston traded Brisebois as part of a deal to Rouyn-Noranda for goaltender Nicholas Champion.

“He had great foresight in that regard,” Shannon said. “He wanted to be where he could play top minutes and develop. That worked out perfectly for him.”

Brisebois played 47 games for the Huskies in 2010-11 as an 18-year-old. He exploded onto the QMJHL scene as a 19-year-old in 2011-12, registering 56 points and becoming a vital piece of the team’s power play, and then as a 20-year-old a year ago, was among the league leaders in points by a defenseman with 73, including 54 assists.

“I like to bring some offense to the team, that’s my role,” Brisebois said.

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He parlayed that success into a professional tryout, and ultimately a contract with the Coyotes.

“I had a good season, but I had good teammates, too,” Brisebois said. “Five of them also signed in the pros right now. We had a great team.”

The journey that began for Brisebois in Lewiston four years ago will come full-circle should he crack the Pirates’ home-opening lineup, as the team opens its home slate at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee — the former home of the Maineiacs.

“It’s nice, because I like it here, and I already know some people,” Brisebois said.

The biggest challenge, Brisebois said, is going to be adjusting to the speed of the game at the professional level.

“The quickness, it’s amazing how it’s different,” Brisebois said. “When my season was over with Rouyn, I came to Portland, and the speed was so much at a high level, that part of the game was much higher.”

He also knows he’s not going to become a star player at the professional level immediately.

“This season, I have to be patient,” Brisebois said. “For sure, I have to bring some offense when I am on the ice, but I think this is more of a patient year. I’ll do everything that I can, and see what happens.”

His track record suggests success that “everything (he) can” is going to be more than enough to turn some heads and create an even longer hockey journey for the seventh-round-pick-who-could.


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