Editing Brian Bellows (section)

==Playing career==
Bellows played junior hockey in the [[Ontario Hockey League]] with the [[Kitchener Rangers]]. During this time, he was featured in ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'', which described him as the hottest prospect since [[Wayne Gretzky]].<ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1981/10/12/the-hunt-is-on | magazine=Sports Illustrated | title=The Hunt Is On | date=October 12, 1981 | access-date=March 5, 2021}}</ref> In his two seasons with Kitchener, he captained the team to two consecutive Ontario Hockey League championships and two Memorial Cup finals, winning the trophy on their second attempt, 7-4 vs the Sherbrooke Beavers.

Bellows was drafted second overall by the [[Minnesota North Stars]], who had acquired the draft pick in a trade with Detroit with the purpose of having a shot at Bellows. North Stars GM [[Lou Nanne]] sent [[Don Murdoch]], [[Greg Smith (ice hockey)|Greg Smith]], and a first-round pick ([[Murray Craven]]) to the Wings in exchange for what later turned out to be the second overall draft pick. Bellows was often compared to Gretzky, which led to a tough rookie season. The pressure of such comparisons caused criticism when he did not live up to them.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}} Bellows improved greatly in the second half of the season and finished with 35 goals. In the playoffs that year, Bellows scored 9 points (5 goals, 4 assists) in 9 games.

Bellows played 10 seasons with the North Stars and was popular in Minnesota for his charity work, as well as his goal-scoring. He had a North Star record 342 goals in 753 games, peaking with 55 goals in [[1989–90 NHL season|1989–90]]. In [[1990–91 NHL season|1990–91]], Bellows scored 29 points in the post-season to become the North Stars' career playoff point leader and took the North Stars to the Stanley Cup finals where they fell to the [[Pittsburgh Penguins]].

When team captain [[Craig Hartsburg]] was injured partway through the [[1983–84 NHL season|1983–84 season]], Bellows was named interim captain for the remainder of the season. At 19 years and 4 months, Bellows became captain at an earlier age than [[Connor McDavid]], [[Gabriel Landeskog]] and [[Sidney Crosby]]. However, because Bellows was an interim captain, McDavid is still considered the youngest captain in history.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=640843 | title = Colorado Avalanche make Gabriel Landeskog youngest-ever NHL captain | last = Sadowski | first = Rick | publisher = NHL.com | date = September 4, 2012 | accessdate = September 5, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=rm-mailbag121007&prov=yhoo&type=lgns | title = Mailbag:More Crosby | last = McKeon | first = Ross | publisher = Yahoo! Sports Canada | date = December 10, 2007 | accessdate = April 29, 2008}}</ref>

On August 31, 1992, Bellows was traded to the [[Montreal Canadiens]] for [[Russ Courtnall]].<ref>{{cite news |title=North Stars Trade Bellows to Canadiens |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-09-01-sp-6736-story.html |access-date=July 17, 2018 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=September 1, 1992}}</ref> The trade angered Bellows at first, but he relished the chance to play for the Canadiens.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}} In the [[1992-93 NHL season]] his 88 points were the second highest season total of his career, and his 15 playoff points helped the Canadiens win the [[Stanley Cup]] in 1993.

As his career was winding down, Bellows played for the [[Tampa Bay Lightning]], [[Mighty Ducks of Anaheim]] and the [[Washington Capitals]]. In the [[1997–98 NHL season|1997–98 season]] the Capitals made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, but lost to the [[Detroit Red Wings]]. En route to the Eastern Conference championship, Bellows scored the series-clinching overtime goal in the first round in Game 6 against the [[Boston Bruins]]. The [[1998–99 NHL season|1998–99 season]] was his last. On January 2, 1999, Bellows scored his 1,000th career regular season point, becoming the 54th NHL player to reach that plateau.

Bellows was named to the 1990 second All-Star team and played in three [[NHL All-Star Game]]s (1984, 1988 and 1992). He retired with 485 goals, 537 assists and 1,022 points. He was named the top forward at the [[1989 World Ice Hockey Championships]], as Canada won the silver medal.