Bryan Fogarty

Bryan Charles Fogarty (June 11, 1969 – March 6, 2002) was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played for the Quebec Nordiques, Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens. He set several records while in the junior leagues and was a high draft choice in the National Hockey League (NHL). However, his hockey career was marred by persistent alcohol and drug use, which prevented him from playing a full season at any point and led to him being frequently traded.

Playing career Fogarty began playing hockey as a young boy. His sister Lynn says "I think [hockey] was hard-wired into our [family's] veins." His older brother played street hockey and Lynn says he thought "I want to be like those big kids and I want to be out there and I'm going to play." Brantford Minor Hockey Association coordinator Bob Coyne said that Fogarty's hockey skills were apparent "from day one." Coyne compared Fogarty to Wayne Gretzky, who had also grown up in Brantford, saying "[Gretzky's] game was outsmarting everybody else. Fogarty's game was outperforming everybody else."

In the mid-to-late 1980s, Fogarty played with the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He was chosen first overall in the 1985 OHL draft by Ken Slater of the Kingston Canadians, ahead of several other future NHL players, including Adam Graves (6th), Bryan Marchment (12th), Brendan Shanahan (13th), and Jody Hull (14th). Slater says Fogarty attracted a lot of attention early on, and some of his games had as many as 40 scouts in attendance — "They couldn't believe the hockey sense and the puck control." At the end of the year, Fogarty was named the Canadian major-junior player of the year.

According to Max Offenburger, a sports psychologist who worked with Fogarty frequently, he once asked Thunder coach Bill LaForge about Fogarty. LaForge responded by calling Fogarty over and making a bet with him — if Fogarty scored seven points in that night's game, he'd win ; if not, he'd take Offenburger and LaForge out to dinner. During the third period of the game, Fogarty scored his fourth assist with teammate Keith Primeau, for a total of seven points. Afterwards, he skated over to the bench and said to LaForge, "I win. Do I have to play any more?"

During his time with the Nordiques he continued to be regarded as an excellent player. Fogarty maintains the distinction of recording the last natural hat trick in Quebec Nordiques franchise history when he scored three straight goals on December 1, 1990, in a 4–2 home win over the Sabres. He was the first Nordiques defenceman to record a hat trick.

In 1999, following some legal troubles, Fogarty attempted a comeback with the Toronto Maple Leafs' affiliate, the St. John's Maple Leafs. He lasted 3 regular season games with them before being released. He then played two more seasons with some minor league teams, but "only as a favour to some friends" According to Ken Campbell, Fogarty started drinking at age 14. When Fogarty was 15 he was already playing with players who were much older than him due to his exceptional skill level, and would frequent bars and strip clubs with the older players. During his time with the Kingston Canadians he was nicknamed "Tippy" because, according to teammate Marc Laforge, "he was always tipsy".

Around that same time, Pagé made a deal with Fogarty. If he could stay sober for three months, Pagé would trade him to another team. Fogarty managed to stay sober for five months, and was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He met his wife Jennifer while she was performing a modeling job at a charity event for the Penguins, and the two married in late 1992.

In 1999, Fogarty was arrested and charged with drug possession after a break-in at a school in Brantford. Fogarty was charged with breaking and entering, and possession of a controlled substance. According to the police report, Fogarty broke open the kitchen doors at the Tollgate Technological Skills Centre and was found standing naked in the kitchen with cooking oil spilled on the floor around him. He was granted a conditional discharge, placed on probation for one year, and was ordered to donate $500 to a local addiction service after he pleaded guilty to one count of mischief.

He returned to Brantford to take over the family business, Fogarty's Mobile Canteen, while playing games for various minor league teams on the side. The coroner reported that Fogarty died of an enlarged heart.