Scott Brower
Encyclopedia
Scott Brower was a professional ice hockey
goaltender
.
in the 12th (243rd overall) in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft
. As a member of the North Dakota Fighting Sioux, he was a backup to future NHL All-Star Ed Belfour
.
in the 12th round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft
. Although Brower never played in the NHL, he played eight professional seasons in North America and Finland before finishing his career in Germany in 1996.
Brower also played one season of major league roller hockey in the RHI
with the Las Vegas Flash
.
. While driving from Corpus Christi, Texas, to South Padre Island on Oct. 21, 1998, Brower's car was hit by an oncoming vehicle driven by Jose Luis Flores, who had just left a local bar. Although Brower attempted to swerve to miss the oncoming car, Flores's vehicle struck Brower head on. Brower died instantly from injuries related to the crash. Flores was found to have a blood-alcohol content level of .13 and traces of cocaine in his system.
Although he never played a official game for the Ice Rays, Brower's #35 (the number he was wearing at the time of his comeback) was retired by the Ice Rays in a pregame ceremony against the Shreveport Mudbugs
In honor of Brower, the Western Professional Hockey League
renamed its top goaltender trophy the Scott Brower Memorial Trophy in his honor on Nov. 7, 1998. When the WPHL merged with the Central Hockey League in 2001, the trophy retained its name.
In addition to the Ice Rays retiring Brower's number, his number 31 has also been retired in Memphis by the CHL's Memphis Riverkings
.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
.
Early career
Brower was drafted by the New York RangersNew York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
in the 12th (243rd overall) in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft
1984 NHL Entry Draft
The 1984 NHL Entry Draft took place on June 9, 1984, at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec.The 1984 Entry Draft was noted for the unusually high number of future Hall of Famers picked, particularly in lower rounds. In addition to Mario Lemieux being taken first overall, Patrick Roy was chosen...
. As a member of the North Dakota Fighting Sioux, he was a backup to future NHL All-Star Ed Belfour
Ed Belfour
Edward John Belfour is a former Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender.Belfour was born in Carman, Manitoba and grew up playing hockey. He played junior hockey for the Winkler Flyers before going to the University of North Dakota where he helped the school win the NCAA championship in the...
.
Professional career
Brower was drafted with the 243rd overall pick by the New York RangersNew York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
in the 12th round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft
1984 NHL Entry Draft
The 1984 NHL Entry Draft took place on June 9, 1984, at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec.The 1984 Entry Draft was noted for the unusually high number of future Hall of Famers picked, particularly in lower rounds. In addition to Mario Lemieux being taken first overall, Patrick Roy was chosen...
. Although Brower never played in the NHL, he played eight professional seasons in North America and Finland before finishing his career in Germany in 1996.
Brower also played one season of major league roller hockey in the RHI
Roller Hockey International
Roller Hockey International was a professional inline hockey league that operated in North America from 1993 to 1999. It was the first major professional league for inline hockey....
with the Las Vegas Flash
Las Vegas Flash
The Las Vegas Flash were an inline hockey team which existed for one season in 1994. The Flash were a part of Roller Hockey International. The team's home games were played at the Thomas & Mack Center.The franchise was previously known as:...
.
Death
Brower was planning a comeback into the Central Hockey League in 1999. At the time, he was the Director of Ticket Sales for the Corpus Christi IceRaysCorpus Christi IceRays
The Corpus Christi IceRays are a Junior A ice hockey team playing in the North American Hockey League . The IceRays are based in Corpus Christi, Texas and play in the North American Hockey League's South Division. The "IceRays" moniker derives from the many different species of stingrays who...
. While driving from Corpus Christi, Texas, to South Padre Island on Oct. 21, 1998, Brower's car was hit by an oncoming vehicle driven by Jose Luis Flores, who had just left a local bar. Although Brower attempted to swerve to miss the oncoming car, Flores's vehicle struck Brower head on. Brower died instantly from injuries related to the crash. Flores was found to have a blood-alcohol content level of .13 and traces of cocaine in his system.
Although he never played a official game for the Ice Rays, Brower's #35 (the number he was wearing at the time of his comeback) was retired by the Ice Rays in a pregame ceremony against the Shreveport Mudbugs
In honor of Brower, the Western Professional Hockey League
Western Professional Hockey League
The Western Professional Hockey League is a defunct minor professional ice hockey league.It operated in the United States from 1996 to 2001, with teams in the southern United States, mainly Texas. The league started with six teams in the 1996-1997 season and grew to 18 teams in 1999-2000...
renamed its top goaltender trophy the Scott Brower Memorial Trophy in his honor on Nov. 7, 1998. When the WPHL merged with the Central Hockey League in 2001, the trophy retained its name.
In addition to the Ice Rays retiring Brower's number, his number 31 has also been retired in Memphis by the CHL's Memphis Riverkings
Memphis RiverKings
The Mississippi RiverKings are a professional minor league ice hockey team. The RiverKings are a member of the Southern Professional Hockey League, playing their first nineteen seasons from the 1992–93 season to the 2010–11 season in the Central Hockey League The Mississippi RiverKings...
.
Awards
- 1986-87 NCAA Championship
- October 21, 1998: Corpus Christi Ice Rays retire jersey #35 in his honor
- November 7, 1998: WPHL names Top Goaltender Trophy the Scott Brower Memorial Trophy
- 2001-02: WPHL merges with CHL, CHL retains Brower Memorial Trophy name