Kirk McLean

Lore & Background

McLean played major junior with the Oshawa Generals and was drafted 107th overall by the Devils in 1984. He is best known for over 10 seasons with the Canucks, where he was a Vezina Trophy finalist in 1989 and 1992, named to two NHL All-Star Games, and received Second All-Star team honours. In 1994, he backstopped the Canucks to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Rangers. He never won the Stanley Cup.

In Their Own Story

The arena hummed with nervous energy, the new franchise still finding its footing on the national stage. McLean laced up his skates, the familiar orange and black jersey feeling different than the blue of Vancouver or the black of Pittsburgh. As the puck flew toward him, time seemed to slow; he dropped into his butterfly stance, a practiced reflex honed over decades. The save was routine for him, but for this young team, it felt like another step forward.

Reader's Guide

McLean played in a stand-up goaltending style. He was traded from the Devils to the Canucks in 1987. After leaving Vancouver in 1998, he spent his final three seasons with the Hurricanes, Panthers, and Rangers, retiring in 2001. He has since worked as a goaltending coach for the Kamloops Blazers, in broadcasting, as a part-owner of the Burnaby Express, and currently works for the Canucks as Ambassador and boardmember of the Canuck Alumni Foundation.

Did You Know?

• McLean was nicknamed 'Captain Kirk' by Canucks fans, referencing Star Trek.
• He set a Canucks single-season wins record with 38 in 1991–92, later surpassed by Roberto Luongo.
• McLean recorded the Canucks' first-ever shutout against the Montreal Canadiens in December 1991.