Aris Brimanis was selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the fourth round, 86th overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. A big lumbering defenseman, he certainly fit the mold of the Flyers, who seem to like drafting two types of players: big and bigger.
Brimanis played two years of collegiate hockey with Bowling Green State University where he was known for being a solid defensive defenseman. However, he had aspirations of one day playing professionally, and was advised to play a season of major junior hockey. Being 20, he still had time to play one year as an overage player, so he joined the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL. In 71 games, he scored eight goals and 58 points.
In 1993-94, Brimanis played his first NHL game, suiting up for the Flyers. The following two years were spent in Hershey with the Bears of the AHL. During the following two seasons, Brimanis was used sparingly by the Flyers, usually getting called up for fill-in duty for injuries. In all he played another 20 NHL games over two years.
In 1999-00, the New York Islanders obtained Brimanis, where he played in 18 games. He suited up for 56 games with the Isles in 2000-01, but was unable to crack the team's starting roster in 2001-02. Following a brief stint with the Islanders organization, Brimanis signed as a free-agent with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the summer of 2002 and then the St. Louis Blues the following summer.
