Brian played for Moorhead High School from 2002-2005, appearing in three state tournaments. He was selected to the all-tournament team at the state tournament in 2004 and 2005. He was also the Associated Press Player of the Year, as well as winner of the prestigious Minnesota Mr. Hockey Award in 2005. He was selected in the first round, number nine overall, by the Ottawa Senators in the NHL Entry Draft in 2005. Brian went on to play two years at the University of North Dakota, where he was named to the All-WCHA Rookie Team in 2006 and became the only defenseman ever to score 25 or more points as both a freshman and a sophomore, collecting 27 and 26 points respectively in those seasons. He has represented the USA at international ice hockey competitions numerous times, including three times at the World Junior Hockey Tournament (2005, 2006, and 2007), having won the bronze in 2007. After turning pro in 2007, he played began playing in the Ottawa Senators organization, spending the majority of his first year with their AHL Affiliate in Binghamton. He was named to the AHL All-Star game that season before making his NHL debut March 25th, 2008, one day before his 21st birthday. Over the next 6 seasons he played with the Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning compiling 209 games played in the NHL, 36 points, and 124 PIMS. Unable to recover from surgery for a knee injury that plagued him throughout his career, he decided to retire in the fall of 2014 and begin the next chapter of his life.