Brett Lernout is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who was selected in the third round of the 2014 NHL entry draft by the Montreal Canadiens and went on to play 21 National Hockey League games across four seasons, alongside more than 300 American Hockey League games. A 6-foot-4, right-shooting defender from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Lernout built his reputation on size, physical play, and steady defensive work, from his junior days with the Saskatoon Blades and Swift Current Broncos to AHL stints with the St. John’s IceCaps, Laval Rocket, Chicago Wolves, and Colorado Eagles. This Brett Lernout biography brings together the verified facts about his age, height, career, and net worth, along with the questions fans ask most.
Lernout’s story is also a draft-day story: he and Swift Current teammate Brycen Martin were picked back to back in the third round in 2014, 73rd and 74th overall, and both began the long climb through the minor leagues. Lernout’s NHL debut, on April 2, 2016, ended almost before it began — a season-ending injury on just his eighth shift — yet he battled back to play 18 more NHL games for Montreal, recording his first NHL point in the 2017–18 season.
Brett Lernout Wiki and Biography
| Full Name | Brett Lernout |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | September 24, 1995 |
| Age (as of October 2026) | 31 years old |
| Birthplace | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Ethnicity | Not publicly disclosed |
| Zodiac Sign | Libra |
| Profession | Professional ice hockey player (defenceman) |
| Position | Defence |
| Shoots | Right |
| Years Active | 2015–present (professional) |
| Relationship Status | Not publicly disclosed |
Brett Lernout Height, Weight and Body Measurements
| Height | 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm) |
|---|---|
| Weight | 214 lb (97 kg) |
| Body Measurements | Not publicly disclosed |
| Eye Color | Not publicly disclosed |
| Hair Color | Not publicly disclosed |
| Shoe Size | Not publicly disclosed |
| Distinctive Features | Towering 6-foot-4 frame; long hair and beard during his Laval years; physical, stay-at-home style |
At 6 feet 4 inches and around 214 pounds, Lernout was one of the bigger defencemen in every dressing room he entered, and his size was central to his game. A 2017 magazine profile, headlined “Can’t Miss Him in a Crowd,” noted that at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds the Winnipeg-born defender was making his presence felt with the Laval Rocket — and that, long, lean and bearded, he would make a great motorcycle gang member, when in fact he was, in the writer’s words, “a tough, but easy going member of the Rocket.”
Brett Lernout Career
| Profession | Professional ice hockey defenceman |
|---|---|
| Junior Teams | Saskatoon Blades, Swift Current Broncos (WHL); Steinbach Pistons (MJHL) |
| NHL Draft | 73rd overall, 2014, Montreal Canadiens (3rd round) |
| NHL Debut | April 2, 2016, for the Montreal Canadiens (injured on his eighth shift) |
| NHL Teams | Montreal Canadiens |
| AHL Teams | Hamilton Bulldogs, St. John’s IceCaps, Laval Rocket, Chicago Wolves, Colorado Eagles |
| NHL Totals | 21 games, 0 goals, 1 assist, 1 point, 6 penalty minutes |
| AHL Totals | 329 games, 10 goals, 40 assists, 50 points |
| WHL Totals | 205 games, 23 goals, 43 assists, 66 points |
| Milestones | Drafted back-to-back with Brycen Martin (2014); first NHL point 2017–18; Vegas Golden Knights contract 2019 |
Lernout’s junior career began with the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League, but it was after a trade to the Swift Current Broncos during the 2012–13 season that his development took off. Broncos coach and general manager Mark Lamb later recalled that Lernout “came in as a number 6 d-man and put in the work to have some success.” In 2013–14 he scored 8 goals and 14 assists in 72 games with 103 penalty minutes, and at the 2014 NHL entry draft in Philadelphia he was selected 73rd overall by the Montreal Canadiens — one pick ahead of Broncos teammate Brycen Martin, who went 74th to Buffalo. In December 2014 he signed a three-year entry-level contract with Montreal.
After finishing his junior career with Swift Current in 2014–15 — a 42-point season (14 goals, 28 assists in 72 games) — Lernout reported to the Hamilton Bulldogs, Montreal’s AHL affiliate at the time, and played the last six games of their season. The bulk of 2015–16 was spent with the St. John’s IceCaps, the Canadiens’ new AHL farm team, where he recorded 12 points in 69 games. A string of injuries to Montreal’s defencemen earned him a call-up, and he played his first NHL game on April 2, 2016 — only to suffer a season-ending injury during his eighth shift.
A similar situation brought him back the following year: two more NHL games in 2016–17, alongside 74 AHL games for St. John’s. In 2017–18 he finally stuck for a longer NHL look, playing 18 games for Montreal and recording his first NHL point, an assist, while also playing 56 games for the Laval Rocket. In 2018–19 he played 74 games for Laval, his last season in the Canadiens organisation.
After five seasons within the Canadiens organisation, Lernout left as a free agent and signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $700,000 with the Vegas Golden Knights on July 1, 2019. Assigned to the Chicago Wolves, Vegas’s AHL affiliate, he registered two assists in 38 regular-season games before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020–21 he played 12 games for the Colorado Eagles, recording three assists, which stands as his most recent documented professional season. He is currently listed as an unrestricted free agent.
Brett Lernout Net Worth
| Estimated Net Worth (2026) | Not publicly disclosed |
|---|---|
| Income Sources | NHL and AHL playing contracts |
| Reported NHL Earnings | Approximately $2.66 million across his Montreal entry-level deal and Vegas contract |
Lernout has never publicly disclosed his personal net worth, and no credible financial source publishes a verified figure for him. What is public is his contract history: a three-year entry-level deal with Montreal signed in December 2014, and a one-year, two-way $700,000 contract with Vegas in 2019, with reported NHL earnings totalling approximately $2.66 million. His actual net worth after taxes, agent fees, and expenses is not publicly known, and any specific net worth number circulating online for Lernout should be treated as an estimate, not fact.
10 Interesting Facts About Brett Lernout
- Brett Lernout was born on September 24, 1995, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
- He stands 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs around 214 pounds, and shoots right.
- He was drafted 73rd overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the third round of the 2014 NHL entry draft.
- His Swift Current Broncos teammate Brycen Martin was drafted one pick later, 74th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres — back to back in the same round.
- He signed his three-year entry-level contract with Montreal in December 2014.
- His NHL debut, on April 2, 2016, ended on his eighth shift when he suffered a season-ending injury.
- He recorded his first NHL point, an assist, during the 2017–18 season, when he played 18 games for Montreal.
- His best junior season was 2014–15 with Swift Current: 14 goals and 28 assists in 72 WHL games.
- He left Montreal as a free agent in 2019 and signed a one-year, two-way $700,000 deal with the Vegas Golden Knights.
- His final documented season was 2020–21 with the Colorado Eagles, where he recorded three assists in 12 AHL games.
Early Life and Junior Hockey
Lernout grew up in Winnipeg, playing his early hockey in the Manitoba system — including time with the Winnipeg Wild midget programme and six games with the Steinbach Pistons of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League — before heading west to the WHL. The Saskatoon Blades gave him his first WHL games in 2011–12, and the trade to Swift Current proved decisive: under coach Mark Lamb he grew from a depth defenceman into a 42-point, 100-penalty-minute presence and an NHL draft pick. A December 2017 magazine interview caught him at the Laval stage of that journey, relaxed about his long hair and beard, his favourite Manitoba golf course, and life as a 22-year-old professional a long way from home.
Conclusion
Brett Lernout’s career is the story of a big, physical Canadian defenceman who climbed from Manitoba midget hockey to the NHL the hard way — through a trade, a breakout junior season, a draft-day selection, and years of AHL bus rides. Twenty-one NHL games, 329 AHL games, and a debut cut short on his eighth shift: at 31, and currently a free agent, his record stands as a reminder that reaching the NHL at all, even briefly, places a player among a very small group.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Brett Lernout?
He is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, born in Winnipeg, who was drafted 73rd overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 2014 and played 21 NHL games for Montreal.
How old is Brett Lernout?
He was born on September 24, 1995, which makes him 31 years old as of October 2026.
How tall is Brett Lernout?
He is 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm) tall and weighs around 214 lb (97 kg).
What position does Brett Lernout play?
He plays defence and shoots right.
When was Brett Lernout drafted?
He was selected 73rd overall in the third round of the 2014 NHL entry draft by the Montreal Canadiens.
When did Brett Lernout make his NHL debut?
He debuted on April 2, 2016, for Montreal, but suffered a season-ending injury during his eighth shift.
How many NHL games did Brett Lernout play?
He played 21 NHL games, all for Montreal, recording 0 goals, 1 assist, and 1 point.
Which AHL teams did Brett Lernout play for?
The Hamilton Bulldogs, St. John’s IceCaps, Laval Rocket, Chicago Wolves, and Colorado Eagles.
What happened after he left Montreal?
He signed a one-year, two-way $700,000 contract with the Vegas Golden Knights on July 1, 2019, played for the Chicago Wolves, and then played 12 games for the Colorado Eagles in 2020–21.
What is Brett Lernout’s net worth?
His net worth has not been publicly disclosed, though his reported NHL earnings total approximately $2.66 million from his Montreal and Vegas contracts.
Last Updated: October 2026 | Fact-checked by the Xposed editorial team