Still a member of the team that gave him his shot in the big leagues, Dustin Brown's march to 1,000 NHL games began as the 13th overall selection by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Brown went on to make his NHL debut as an 18-year-old and his knack for leadership quickly became apparent.
At 23 years old, Brown was named the Kings' first American captain in 2008, and became the youngest player to wear the 'C' in team history. As team captain, Brown led the Kings to a pair of Stanley Cups, including the first in franchise history in 2012. He also became only the second U.S.-born captain in NHL history to lead his team to the Cup, following Derian Hatcher in 1999 with the Dallas Stars. Along the Kings' run to hoisting the most coveted trophy in hockey for the second time, Brown scored his first career overtime playoff goal in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final versus the New York Rangers as part of his 14-point postseason.
In the 2007-08 season, the winger from Ithaca, New York posted a team-leading 33 goals as part of 60 points to set career-highs in both categories. Thus began Brown’s steady five-season run, which saw him average 56 points and more than 26 goals each year, through 2011-12.
Well-known for his grit, the six-foot, 215-pound forward led all Kings players in hits for 10 straight seasons through 2006 to 2015. The 33-year-old also has a softer side, as shown by his work in the community, which earned him the 2010-11 NHL Foundation Player Award and 2013-14 Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award in recognition of his charitable efforts.
Brown also has some impressive international hardware from the men’s circuit, including a silver medal won with Team USA at the 2010 Olympics as an alternate captain, and a bronze medal from the 2004 World Championship. He also served as alternate captain at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
With 534 NHL points to his name, Brown becomes the 315th player in league history to skate in 1,000 NHL games when he plays December 21st at Staples Center. He hits the milestone on the heels of Kings teammate Marian Gaborik, who reached the same mark less than a week earlier. Brown follows Dave Taylor as the second player in club history to play his first 1,000 games with the team. Brown will also become just the third player in Kings history to play 1,000 games for the franchise, following Taylor and Luc Robitaille.
