Most of this column has been about overcoming the odds. 

Los Angeles, with its lack of frozen lakes and appreciators of a good wrist shot, has never been built to produce lots of high-level hockey talent. So, the few hockey players who come out of the region typically have unique, improbable journeys to finding the sport. 

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Not Brendan Brisson. He was born in and for the spotlight, his path laid in front of him like a wrinkle-free red carpet.

Brendan’s father Pat is from Quebec and has been one of the most successful NHL agents for decades. In 2017, he was ranked as the ninth-most powerful agent in all of sports by Forbes. He represents superstar NHL players such as Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane and Nathan MacKinnon.

In 1987, Pat moved to L.A. and single-handedly began fueling the growth of the game in the SoCal region. He founded California Dreamin’, a youth hockey school featuring NHL stars and instructors as coaches. He also was involved in the founding and expansion of Iceoplex, a Southern California chain of ice rinks. 

It turned out Pat’s passion was infectious, and his dream to expand hockey within his new region resulted in a prominent expansion of hockey within his own family. 

Brendan Brisson was born Oct. 22, 2001 in L.A. When he showed a love and natural skill for hockey, his NHL insider father knew exactly what to do for his development. Brendan grew up playing hockey for the LA Jr. Kings before venturing to Shattuck-St. Mary’s School in Minnesota, just like so many SoCal hockey greats before him. 

However, he seemed to be out of his league even at one of the best hockey prep schools in the country. He exploded for 101 points in 55 games during the 2018-19 season at Shattuck-St. Mary’s, averaging nearly 2 points per game. 

After that, he continued producing in the United States Hockey League, the top amateur league in the U.S. During the 2019-20 USHL season, he tallied 59 points in 45 games, good for second in the league in points. 

The superstar-caliber season filled his trophy case, as he earned the USHL Rookie of the Year award as well as All-USHL First Team and USHL All-Rookie First Team honors. 

It also caught the attention of the newly founded Vegas Golden Knights, who took him with the 29th pick in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft. 

He then made another great decision for his development, electing to attend the University of Michigan. In his sophomore season for the Wolverines, he elevated his game with 42 points in 38 games, earning him All-Big Ten Second Team honors. 

But even more spotlight-demanding were his six game-winning goals, which ranked second in the nation. Timeliness is an attribute of superstars. 

So naturally, the Golden Knights couldn’t wait to get their golden boy officially in their organization. After finishing the 2022 season with the Henderson Silver Knights, the Golden Knights’ AHL affiliate, they officially signed him to a three-year entry-level contract on April 30, 2022.

He’s been productive in his first full season in the AHL, with 26 points so far for the Silver Knights. Brendan’s play earned him a brief call-up to the Golden Knights, in which he scored his first-ever NHL goal on Jan. 20. And, oh, by the way, it turned out to be the game-winner for the Knights versus the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

That game-winner is a sign of things to come. Brendan is patiently waiting for his opportunity and quietly building his skill, as he has his whole life, waiting for the latest red carpet of his pro career to be rolled out in front of him. 

But when it all comes together, expect it to be a cinematic masterpiece for the man raised on Hollywood, hockey and his father’s unification of the two. 

Ethan Inman is a junior writing about Los Angeles’ unique hockey heroes in his column, “L.A. on Ice,” which runs every other Wednesday.