10 Tidbits on the bday boy - Dustin Brown

Dustin Brown is the youngest player to ever where the "C" for the LA Kings.

A New York native, he played junior hockey rather than going to college.

He claims to have been a better lacrosse player than hockey player growing up. But hey, things seem to have worked out OK for him. It's just hard to believe he's only 25 years old, as it seems like he's been suiting up for the Kings for a decade now.

In honor of his birthday today, we give you 10 Tidbits on Brownie:

• Was selected in the first round, #13 overall, of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. For a team that has been criticized for decades about trading away their picks, it was an odd year for the Kings. They had three first round picks. Brown was the only one who panned out.
• The Guelph days - He wore #32 for his Junior team, the Storm. They also claim Dan Cloutier and Drew Doughty as former players. Brown left with 194 points (and 195 penalty minutes) in 174 games. He also left with quite a few awards - Scholastic Player of the Year all three years he was in Guelph, was voted the most popular player on the Storm in 2001-02 and was the Top Scorer in 2002-03.
• Becoming a fixture on Team USA - played twice at the World Junior Championships ('02 and '03), totalling 8 points (3 goals, 5 assists) in 14 games. Alexander Frolov's Russian team beat Canada for the gold in 2002, with Brown's US squad finishing fifth. Then in 2003, the US lost the Bronze Medal game to Finland. He's also played for Team USA four times at the World Championships that take place late in the Spring each year. Last April he was named captain of the team and they finished fourth in the standings.
• Regarding the NHL lockout in 2004 he said "It was a blessing in disguise for me. I loved my time in Manchester. I learned a ton about how to be a pro."
• His wife also had a stellar hockey career before settling down with Dustin and becoming a full-time mom.
• In baseball you would call him a five-tool player. Brownie has it all - the ability to score, play defense, dish out big hits...and he's even been known to drop the gloves when needed (see clip below)
• 2007-08 led the Kings in goals with 33.
• 2008-09 was a monumental year for Brown. He was the first American born player ever chosen to captain the Kings, he played in his first NHL All Star Game and in December '08 he scored his first hat trick against St Louis. After the game against the Blues, the always humble Brown said "I felt like I'd been in a slump. I was getting chances, but the pucks weren't going in. So, I was just trying to keep it simple and putting pucks on the net. That's what we need as a team, throwing pucks at the net."
• On January 1, 2010 - live on NBC, during the NHL Winter Classic game - it'll officially be announced that Brown is headed to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver as part of Team USA.
• He is currently under contract with the LA Kings through June, 2014. While it has never been officially confirmed, it is believed he has the LA Kings logo "tattooed on his ass" like GM Dean Lombardi has said he needs his players to have.

Happy Birthday #23. Fans throughout Staples Center appreciate what you do on a nightly basis to help the Kings win and are proud to call you THE CAPTAIN.

The Mayor
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Added Bonus - some footage of a little Captain on Captain crime: