Amateur As a youth, Brickley played in the 1974
Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a
minor ice hockey team from
Melrose, Massachusetts and was selected as a Middlesex League All-Star. Brickley also excelled in
baseball, during his time at
Melrose High School, serving as a captain his senior year and was selected to the division 1 north All Star team. Brickley was originally accepted into
Trinity and
Middlebury college, which is where his father wanted him to go. However he had ambitions to play
Division I hockey so he made the decision to attend the
University of New Hampshire and tried out for their hockey team and successfully made the team as a
walk-on. Brickley then went on to play for University of New Hampshire
Wildcats from 1979 to 1982 and became one of their top players. In 93 games for the Wildcats, Brickley scored 68 goals with 69 assists for a total of 137 points. He led the Wildcats to the NCAA Final Four in 1982 and was named first team NCAA All-American the same year. Brickley also played for the
U.S. National Junior Team in 1981. Just like in High School Brickley was a dual sport athlete in college and played for University of New Hampshires baseball team, and was selected as a first team NCAA All-American in 1982.
Professional Brickley was drafted by the
Philadelphia Flyers with the last overall pick in the
1980 NHL entry draft, eventually becoming the second player, after
Gerry Meehan, to play in the NHL after being drafted last overall. Brickley first appeared with the Flyers during the
1982–83 season. In October 1983, the Flyers traded Brickley to the
Pittsburgh Penguins with
Ron Flockhart,
Mark Taylor, and two 1984 draft picks in exchange for
Rich Sutter and two 1984 draft picks. He was briefly demoted to the
Baltimore Skipjacks of the
American Hockey League (AHL) after he was caught breaking curfew with teammate
Mike Bullard in Montreal. The
New Jersey Devils acquired Brickley in 1985 and sent him to the
Maine Mariners for the
1985–86 season. In 60 games, he collected 26 goals and 34 assists, giving him the fourth-most points on the team. He made his debut with the Devils in 1986 and appeared in a total of 96 games in two seasons, collecting 19 goals and 26 assists. Brickley was placed on waivers following the
1987–88 NHL season and left unprotected by the Devils in the
1988 NHL Waiver Draft, although the team demoted him to the
Utica Devils in an effort to "hide" him and hold onto him for an additional season. The
Boston Bruins picked Brickley up in the waiver draft. Brickley played in 71 games with the Bruins in the
1988–89 NHL season, with 13 goals and 22 assists. Just days later, Brickley suffered an injury that severely hindered his ability to walk. In January, he pulled a muscle in his thigh and missed a week's worth of games. 43 games into the season, after totalling a career-high 40 points, Brickley was sidelined again when doctors discovered that a muscle in his right leg was calcifying, a condition known as
myositis ossificans. Despite the injury and extended time out of action, Brickley played briefly in Game 3 of the
Stanley Cup Final. Brickley had leg surgery on July 17, 1990 and missed all of training camp. The Bruins placed Brickley on waivers that December after he struggled to return to form. Brickley reported to the Maine Mariners, now Boston's affiliate, after going unclaimed. He expressed a desire to remain with the Bruins organization, mixed with uncertainty: "They say they're concerned about my game shape. Well, if they're concerned about that, why not send me down for the two-week conditioning period? Instead, they put me on irrevocable waivers. It really makes me wonder what my future is in the Bruins organization." Brickley went on a tear with the Mariners, collecting 25 points in 17 games finishing the season with 2 goals and 9 assists in 40 NHL games, before injuring his shoulder in February. Brickley began the
1991–92 season in Maine, cut out of training camp in September. He did well with the Mariners and was named team captain out of training camp before rejoining the Bruins in October. He proved his value after being recalled, with 19 points in his first 11 games, including making 8 goals on 15 shots in that span before suffering a shoulder injury in a game against the
Hartford Whalers in November, He remained sidelined until February, first appearing in a charity skills competition with his teammates (and winning the shooting accuracy contest) and then returning to the lineup in mid-February against the
St. Louis Blues. Still struggling late in the season, the Bruins eventually returned Brickley and other veterans to Maine, favoring youth over experience, and eventually cutting ties with them all after the season ended. Even though his time with the Bruins he faced multiple nagging injuries, Brickley still became a favorite due to his hard work and resilience. After being released by Boston, Brickley signed a
two-way contract with the
Winnipeg Jets, and began the season with the AHL's
Moncton Hawks. After about three weeks in the AHL, the Jets recalled Brickley for an eleven-game stretch in which he scored two points. Brickley played one more regular season game for the Jets, plus one playoff game in which he collected a goal and an assist. While playing for the Hawks that season, however, Brickley collected 15 goals and 36 assists in 38 games. For the
1994–95 NHL season, Brickley joined the
New York Islanders, but never appeared in a game for them. Instead, he was assigned to the
International Hockey League's
Denver Grizzlies, missing the first month and a half of the season with knee trouble. He returned to score 50 points in 58 games with the Grizzlies He played his final game with the Grizzlies in 1996 before retiring. Following his retirement Brickley has played in numerous charity games for
Boston Bruins Alumni Hockey Team. ==Broadcasting career==