Greenfield Park native Julien BriseBois, a graduate of the University of Montreal's law school, found a job with the Quebec law firm Heenan Blaikie in the sports law practice. He represented several NHL and Major Baseball clubs in arbitration proceedings. He has held many roles in his life that have led him to today being Vice President and General Manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Only eight teams in NHL history have won consecutive Stanley Cups. The last team to achieve this feat was the Tampa Bay Lightning under the reign of Julien BriseBois.
Before joining the Tampa Bay team, he held various positions with the Canadiens. He will always be grateful to the organization and especially to the team's former general manager, André Savard, who believed in him.
“With Jean Coutu there is everything, even love. »
I studied to be a lawyer and at the same time worked as an office clerk at Jean Coutu in Saint-Lambert. There was a remarkable girl who worked as a cashier and then became a pharmacist. I have now been sharing my life with Marie-Claude, an extraordinary woman, for 26 years! We have two sons, Justin and Jacob, who play hockey in Florida.
Your parents taught you and your sister the values of life.
My father Marc and mother Carol taught us the importance of respecting life's values, including honesty and integrity. They showed me a lot of love and understanding and enabled me to realize my dreams, which changed over time.
What were your dreams?
When I was 10, I wanted to play for the Expos or be a lawyer. As the years went by, I realized I didn't have the talent to one day play for the Expos. However, I achieved the other part of my dream, I became a lawyer.
You played several sports growing up.
It's amazing the sacrifices my parents had to make so I could play baseball, football, hockey, and even join a karate club! Unfortunately, I failed in one category: choir.
You collected baseball cards.
I collected as many cards as I could, especially those of my childhood idol, Gary Carter. On an evening when Canadian Andre Dawson and Gary Carter paid tribute – and thanks to the complicity of Pierre Boivin and Ray Lalonde – I sat at the table next to Gary and his wife Sandy. An evening I will never forget.
They often attended Expos games.
My dad often had tickets to Expos games and I went at least 40 times in one season. I took part in the All-Star Games in Montreal.
You dared to lie to yourself right from school.
Once a year I played hooky from school. For what ? Participation in the opening game of the Expos at the Olympic Stadium.
They were part of the baseball sports course at the Édouard-Montpetit school.
The program director, Stéphane Lepage, prepared a remarkable program that allowed us to improve quickly.
You left early in the morning to go to school.
You have to remember that I lived in Greenfield Park. I left the house at 6:30 a.m. and after a bus, two subways, and another bus, arrived at school for my class, which started at 7:45 a.m. I left school at 6:00 p.m. because I took advantage of other training platforms for improvement after class.
Vacation in Cooperstown.
Every five years my dad and I went to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. I still remember collecting my money so I could buy souvenir items. Even today, Babe Ruth is still a legendary figure for me.
You went to Cleveland to improve your knowledge of tax law.
At Cégep Édouard-Montpetit I discovered my passion for numbers, history and economics. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in law from the University of Montreal, I went to Cleveland to improve my knowledge of tax law and then settled in Florida to help Quebecers. I changed my mind because after completing my master's degree, I returned to Quebec to work.
They met baseball's general managers before they met hockey's.
I was 23 years old and scouted for the Kansas City Royals. During a salary arbitration meeting, when it was the Royals' turn to speak, the GM, without telling me beforehand, gave me the floor on behalf of the Royals. I was nervous but well prepared.
They still regret not having benefited from Jean Béliveau's experience.
His office was next to mine. He often knocked on my door to sit with me. Imagine Mr. Béliveau taking the time to knock on a half-open door to visit me. I don't know if I was too embarrassed or too naive, maybe both, but I never dared to talk to him about the great hockey players of his time. I still regret it today.
You met several personalities, Prime Ministers and Presidents of the United States. Which of these impressed you the most?
The people you just mentioned all have their strengths. However, the man who impressed me the most is not in this group.
Who is he ?
He is a man of integrity, generous, always ready to help his neighbor and a man who commands the respect of all. He led me on the path I needed to take to be successful in life. Thank you, Mr Jean Béliveau!