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A former NHL player and his son have both apologized as local police are investigating the son for pushing a disabled woman’s wheelchair down the stairs of a nightclub.
Carson Briere, 23, is a junior for Mercyhurst University’s hockey team in Pennsylvania, having received a second chance after he was kicked out of Arizona State University for, in his words, ‘too much partying.’
His father is Daniel Briere, 45, a former NHL player who scored over 300 goals in his lengthy career. Briere was named interim general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers five days ago.
A Twitter user posted the stunning video Tuesday, writing: ‘I usually don’t post anything serious on my twitter but something happened Saturday night and just can’t stomach the thought of this kid getting away with it. In the video below is a @MercyhurstU student and is currently on the @HurstMensHockey team. Carson Briere.’
The video shows two young men in backwards baseball hats – one allegedly Briere in the white hat – walking up the stairs toward a party and briefly sitting down, speaking to a couple of fellow partygoers.
A college hockey player whose dad is a former National Hockey League star and is now a team executive has sparked outrage over a video in which he is seen pushing a disabled woman’s wheelchair down the stairs at a party over the weekend
Carson Briere, 23, is a junior for Mercyhurst University’s hockey team in Pennsylvania, after having been kicked out of Arizona State University for, in his words, ‘too much partying.’
Eventually, it comes into view that the man in the white hat is sitting in a wheelchair. He scoots forward in it, stands up and that callously shoves it down a flight of stairs.
The user, who goes by the name Julia, added: ‘The chair was left on top of the stairs because she physically had to be carried down to use the restrooms. Which are only located downstairs.’
In a statement to DailyMail.com via the Flyers, Carson Briere said: ‘I am deeply sorry for my behavior on Saturday. There is no excuse for my actions, and I will do whatever I can to make up for this serious lack of judgment.’
Father Daniel offered similarly apologetic words in a statement of his own.
‘I was shocked to see Carson’s actions in the video that was shared on social media yesterday,’ he said in a statement. ‘They are inexcusable and run completely counter to our family’s values of treating people with respect. Carson is very sorry and accepts full responsibility for his behavior.’
The outrage was immediate on social media and within hours, the university had posted a statement on Twitter Thursday night in the replies to the video.
‘Late this afternoon Mercyhurst University became aware of a disturbing video in which one of our student-athletes is seen pushing an unoccupied wheelchair down a flight of stairs at a local establishment. Our Office of Student Conduct and Department of Police and Safety are investigating.’
On Wednesday, Mercyhurst police told DailyMail.com that the investigation has been taken over by the Erie Police Department. Erie Police Captain Anthony Talarico confirmed the investigation was opened but had no further comment.
The video shows two young men in backwards baseball hats – one allegedly Briere in the white hat – walking up the stairs toward a party and briefly sitting down, speaking to a couple of fellow partygoers
Eventually, it comes into view that the man in the white hat is sitting in a wheelchair. He scoots forward in it, stands up and that callously shoves it down a flight of stairs
Briere, seen here in a photo for Mercyhurst, arrived at the school after having been dismissed from Arizona State University
Carson’s father is Daniel Briere, 45, a former NHL player, seen here in a game against the New York Rangers in 2011
The school’s hockey season had been over at the time of the incident, having finished eighth in their conference and not qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.
This is not the first time Briere has faced disciplinary issues on campus.
In 2019, Briere and another player were ‘dismissed’ from the program at Arizona State University ‘due to a violation of team rules,’ according to the Walter Cronkite Sports Network.
Briere – who has received invites in the past to the Flyers youth development camp – had never played for the fledgling program, having gone through the NCAA’s process of ‘redshirting,’ where college athletes often don’t play for a full season to extend their eligibility.
He spent the rest of that school year playing junior hockey in Canada before transferring to Mercyhurst.
Carson Briere in action for Mercyhurst in a game against conference rivals Air Force
A GoFundMe has been started and surpassed its goal to raise money for a new chair
Briere moved from a huge, public state school in Arizona to Mercyhurst, a small program at the 2,700-enrollment private Catholic college in Erie, Pennsylvania.
A 2021 interview in College Hockey News that headlined him receiving a ‘second chance’ went into what Briere felt the reasons were for his dismissal.
‘I was just going out; I wasn’t taking hockey seriously. It wasn’t anything bad, it was just not being committed to hockey, I was more committed to having fun at school,’ he said. ‘Too much partying, that’s probably the best way to put it.’
He claimed to have been taught a lesson from his experience at Arizona State that he had put to use at his new school.
‘It made me realize once you get to this level, it’s a job, right? It’s not just something you can do for fun,’ he said. ‘Obviously, you have to have fun while you’re doing it, I think that’s what keeps people going, but also knowing when to and when not to do things.’
‘It’s just maturing in general. I honestly think it was a great lesson for me, helped me become a more all-around hockey player and look at life and everything in a different perspective.’
The victim who owned the wheelchair allegedly ‘would like to remain anonymous until they can take legal action,’ according to the Twitter user who posted video.
A GoFundMe has been started and surpassed its goal to raise money for a new chair.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Mercyhurst and the Philadelphia Flyers for comment.
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