‘It’s a huge honor’: Dustin Brown reflects on U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame induction

Dustin Brown helped the L.A. Kings win the Stanley Cup twice. (Francine Orr/L.A. Times via Getty Images)

BOSTON — During his formative years in Ithaca, N.Y., Dustin Brown couldn’t have even dreamt of the honor that was bestowed upon him last week.

In celebration of a remarkable 18-year National Hockey League career with the Los Angeles Kings during which he hoisted the Stanley Cup twice and also achieved success on the international stage, Brown was formally enshrined in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame as part of a five-member Class of 2023.

“It’s a huge honor,” Brown said. “It’s one of those things that you just don’t expect, but I’m really proud of it.”

“It’s not something that you dream about as a kid. Hell, it’s not even something that you really strive for,” he added in his induction speech. “I think it’s just something that happens when you do something consistently right for a very long time.”

Brown broke into the NHL as an 18-year-old in 2003, the same year that he was selected 13th overall by Los Angeles in 2003. He captained the Kings from 2008-16 and retired in 2022 after playing in a Kings franchise-record 1,296 career regular-season games.

A Stanley Cup winner in 2012 and 2014, Brown not only recorded 712 career regular-season and 49 career playoff points, but also was especially known for his tireless work ethic and physical play. His 3,185 hits are third-most in NHL regular-season history.

“My first impression on the ice was that he was a wrecking ball, which he was. He did hit everything in sight,” longtime teammate and current Kings captain Anze Kopitar said in a video shown during the ceremony. “His progression in leadership was great to see. He was our captain that led us to a Stanley Cup, so that says just about everything.”

All of those statistics and accolades added up to a deserved Hall of Fame recognition.

While Brown certainly doesn’t miss the day-to-day grind of an 82-game season, there are certainly things that he does miss.

“Just how much fun I had, that’s really what I think about when I’m not playing anymore,” he said. “Whether it was youth hockey and playing with some of my best friends or playing at the Olympics and some of the bigger stages in the world, it was just kids playing hockey. At every level, that’s how I felt about it.”

The build-up to Wednesday’s ceremonies offered Brown time to reflect about his hockey path.

Brown fostered his deep love for the game in Ithaca, where he grew up winning youth and high school state championships. He played two years of high school hockey for the Little Red, skating with a number of future college players, before taking his career to the Ontario Hockey League.

Some of the most fun he ever had on the rink came in those youth years, recalling early memories of skating on an outdoor rink at Cass Park in Ithaca at around four or five years old.

“I remember that very vividly,” Brown said. “There’s something special about playing with kids from your hometown. … Ithaca’s not a very big town, so there were probably only 35 or 40 kids who played hockey.”

As years went on, the most special place to play was historic Lynah Rink on the Cornell University campus — a place where some of the earliest hockey games that he watched were held.

“As a kid growing up in Ithaca, I watched Cornell play all the time,” he said. “The atmosphere in that building was awesome. … Playing a big game on Lynah Rink, it didn’t feel like high school hockey.”

Brown was proud to take his call to the Hall alongside several inductees with whom he connected throughout his career, including longtime NHL official Brian Murphy, NHL and USA Hockey executive Brian Burke, and fellow NHL veteran Jamie Langenbrunner, who won one of his two Cups with the New Jersey Devils.

The latest group of Hall of Famers also included Katie King Crowley, a three-time Olympic medalist and one of the most decorated players in U.S. Women’s National Team history who currently serves as the women’s hockey head coach at Boston College.

Brown’s international career was highlighted by helping the U.S. earn a silver medal at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Burke served as the team’s general manager, selecting Brown as one of three assistant captains while Langenbrunner wore the ‘C’ on his chest.

“What an honor it was to have those two guys on your team,” Burke said. “Dustin Brown was as tough as they come … and played as hard as anyone I’ve ever had. And Jamie, it was like having another coach on the staff. He was such a smart player.”

In his reflection, every road that Brown took in his career led back home to Ithaca and his hockey upbringing.

Brown’s induction speech included mention of his longstanding support from family and friends, such as childhood friend Matt Hegde, who put aside his diehard New York Rangers allegiance to drink out of the Cup when Brown and the Kings first won.

The Kings organization “that stood by him when (it) didn’t have to” and numerous coaches — Russ Johnson and Rich Armstrong in his youth and high school years and current Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson in the OHL, to name a few — were also recognized.

“It has been one of my greatest joys sharing moments like these with the people who have helped me get here,” Brown said. “An honor like this was not the goal I had in mind when I started on this journey. However, it’s an honor I’m extremely proud of.”