Guillaume Brisebois

Guillaume Brisebois: A New Generation of Hockey By Alexandra Bonnet

It was about 150 years ago that the first organized ice hockey game was played in Montreal,Quebec Canada. A national sport so deeply rooted in its history, it has bred generations of hockey players who pledge their allegiance to it. This sport instills in players–at a very young age– the values of discipline, endurance, and resilience. It takes a certain kind of courage to play in the pros, to be one of few who find their path early on. Children grow up playing it. Many want to pursue it. But few make it to the NHL. 

For Guillaume Brisebois, his journey with hockey began twenty-three years ago. His older brother played hockey and young Brisebois loved to share the passion of the game with him. Guillaume’s father also played hockey and they found purpose and connection sharing the love of the game. “Growing up, hockey was always such a big passion,” shared Brisebois. “I was always on the ice.” He lived and breathed hockey and was given the opportunity to truly shine thanks to the love, support, and dedication of his family.

In 2013, Brisebois was fifteen years old when he was drafted into the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The following year, he joined the Acadie-Bathurst Titan and played with the team for three years, (during which time he was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks), at the age of seventeen. After his nineteenth birthday, he was traded to Charlottetown. At twenty, he became a pro where he played for the Utica Comets, in upstate New York. The following year, he played his first NHL game in Los Angeles with the Vancouver Canucks, with his family cheering him on in the stands. The next few years, he would take two pucks to the face and a concussion while playing in the NHL with the Canucks. And as you can see, NOTHING would stop him from getting back on the ice. Dedicated and fired up, he is currently playing in the American Hockey League Abbotsford from the Vancouver Canucks and with the NHL Canucks, where he continues to work on his technique and love for the sport.

The saying “no pain, no gain” comes to mind when I think about Brisebois and his beautiful resilience through it all. That is not to say that he did not have his own self-doubt and insecurities growing up (don’t we all?) As he openly expressed, “it was a rollercoaster. I was always putting pressure on myself and trying to look for perfection but nothing is perfect.” Striving to be like others when he did not believe that he was enough. He dove a little deeper and added that “hockey is such a big part of your life. And when hockey isn’t going well, neither is your personal life.” Through every challenge, he found the strength to keep going and realized that he was an ever evolving player and being. As I got to know more about him, it was clear that behind the passionate hockey player was also a young man who is finding his voice, and growing in his resilience. He explains with a full heart that he would love to help the younger generation of hockey players navigate the ups and downs of the sport. To give them a different perspective. 

After all, there is such an importance to remembering that in life, your emotional and physical well-being go hand in hand. When asked what well-being meant to him, Brisebois responded with: “well being for me is about loving yourself for who you are and being able to live with yourself.” To realize that you are GOOD ENOUGH. It took him many years to get to that point, and when he met Flo – the Neuro performance coach of the Canucks at that time – everything changed– for the better. A Neuro Performance Strategist and CEO and founder of Revol-YOUtion, Flo works hand in hand with athletes, business owners, young adults–everyone really. She and Brisebois connected immediately on their shared philosophy on how they move through life. “At some point, my work with Flo helped me so much in my life and career,” said the hockey player. “I just said to her: we have to find a way to make this available to everyone.” 

“Well-being on the go, at your fingertips,” is her motto and that is something Brisebois was extremely drawn to. He reflected on the fact that the world is suffering and sometimes people want help but do not always want to advertise it or talk about it with someone. So, why not bring it to them? “I would love for people to experience that their life and perspective can change,” he added. “People are suffering in silence but they don't have to.” Revol-YOUtion is about stepping fully into your power and connecting with your talents (your super powers). “We all have them once we look beyond our limiting beliefs,” shared Flo. Thanks to the rigorous body, mind, soul training and practice it takes to be a pro athlete, Brisebois has become so powerful in his ability to be successful and is ready to take on any endeavor. Working together as a team to make this dream a reality, the young hockey player is also adding President of Revol-YOUtion to his resume. Wanting to be remembered as more than just a hockey player, Brisebois emphasizes that hockey is what he does, not who he is. His parting advice to anyone looking to pursue their dreams was this: “Never wait around for someone to hand deliver something. Go make it happen.” And that is exactly what he continues to practice daily as he sheds a light on what I would call, the new generation of hockey.