Carson Briere Removed from Mercyhurst Men's Hockey Team

Carson Briere, son of Philadelphia Flyers GM Daniel Briere, has been removed from Mercyhurst's men's hockey team after an incident involving a wheelchair.

Carson Briere is no longer a member of the NCAA’s Mercyhurst University Lakers. The school announced the decision in a brief statement Monday afternoon.

“Carson Briere has been removed from the Mercyhurst University Men's Ice Hockey Team. Mercyhurst cannot comment further on this matter,” said the statement, which was posted on the Mercyhurst Lakers’ men’s hockey Twitter account.

In March 2023, a video surfaced showing Briere pushing a wheelchair down a flight of stairs at a pub in Erie, Pa. Briere subsequently released an apology statement for his actions. 

“I am deeply sorry for my behavior on Saturday,” said Carson Briere in the statement. “There is no excuse for my actions, and I will do whatever I can to make up for this serious lack of judgment.”

Mercyhurst University had previously released a statement on March 15 denouncing the act, saying, “The action displayed in the video make our hearts heavy and fall short of our Mercy belief in the inherent dignity of each person.”

The user of the wheelchair was reportedly using the washroom at the time of the incident after being carried down the flight of stairs to use the facilities.

“I need this, I need this chair. It was really hurtful and disrespectful,” Sydney Benes, the wheelchair’s owner, told Inside Edition. Benes had both of her legs amputated following a car accident in 2021.

Less than a week later, Briere was charged alongside another Mercyhurst student-athlete. Court records show Briere was charged with second-degree misdemeanors of criminal mischief related to damaged property and criminal conspiracy to commit criminal mischief. He was also charged with a summary offense of disorderly conduct.

The charges have not been tested in court.

The cost of the wheelchair was estimated to be $2,000, with Briere’s actions causing damage resulting in “the left brake handle to not function properly, the plastic molding on the right arm rest to break, the rear handle is slightly bent, and the wheels are experiencing drag moving forward,” according to court filings obtained by goerie.com.

Despite the damage and charges, Benes hopes the end result is a learning experience for all.

“I’d rather take this and turn it into a learning experience for everybody,” Benes said to Inside Edition. “I’d rather make people more aware of the stuff that disabled people have to go through.”

This was the second NCAA hockey organization Briere has been dismissed from after Arizona State released the now 23-year-old for team violations, which Briere called “too much partying, that’s probably the best way to put it.”

“I was just going out; I wasn’t taking hockey seriously. It wasn’t anything bad, it was just not being committed to hockey, I was more committed to having fun at school,” Briere said in an article for College Hockey News.

Carson Briere had 13 points in 30 games this season for Mercyhurst. He’s the son of Philadelphia Flyers GM and NHL veteran Daniel Briere.