Brad McCrimmon

Lore & Background

McCrimmon began his junior career at age 15 with the Prince Albert Raiders of the SJHL, where he was named defenceman of the year in 1975–76. He moved to the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WCHL for 1976–77, scoring 84 points in 72 games and adding 13 in the playoffs as the team reached the league championship. He was named defenceman of the year in 1978 and made the league all-star team in 1977–78 and 1978–79. As captain in 1978–79, he led the Wheat Kings to the President's Cup and the Memorial Cup final, where he played 60 minutes and 38 seconds of the championship game, leaving the ice only to serve a two-minute penalty; Peterborough won 2–1 in overtime after McCrimmon lost the puck on a play he thought was icing was not called. He was named a tournament all-star on defence.

Reader's Guide

Selected 15th overall by the Boston Bruins in the 1979 NHL entry draft, McCrimmon made his NHL debut on October 11, 1979. After two seasons with the Bruins, he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for goaltender Pete Peeters in 1982. With the Flyers, he established himself as a top shutdown defenceman, posting a plus-minus of +52 in 1984–85 and a career-high +83 in 1985–86, second only to defensive partner Mark Howe. He missed the 1985 playoffs due to a third-degree shoulder separation but returned to help the Flyers reach the 1987 Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to the Edmonton Oilers in seven games. Traded to the Calgary Flames in 1987, he joined a top defence corps and won the Plus-Minus Award in 1987–88. He helped the Flames win the Stanley Cup in 1989 and was named team captain in November 1989. After being traded to the Detroit Red Wings in 1990, he was paired with a young Nicklas Lidström, allowing Lidström to be more creative offensively. He later played for the Hartford Whalers, mentoring 18-year-old Chris Pronger, and finished his playing career with the Phoenix Coyotes in 1996–97. After retiring, he became an assistant coach with the New York Islanders, then head coach of the Saskatoon Blades, and later an assistant with the Flames, Atlanta Thrashers, and Red Wings. In 2011, he left the NHL to become head coach of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL but was killed in a plane crash before coaching a regular season game.

Did You Know?

• McCrimmon played 60 minutes and 38 seconds of the 1979 Memorial Cup final, leaving the ice only to serve a two-minute penalty.
• He was paired with Hall of Fame defencemen Ray Bourque, Mark Howe, Paul Coffey, Nicklas Lidström, and Chris Pronger during his career.
• His career plus-minus of +444 is the 10th highest in NHL history and the highest among players not in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
• He was named the 10th captain in Calgary Flames history on November 3, 1989.