Paul Coffey

Playing career

Paul Coffey got his start in the 1974 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament, playing for a minor team from Mississauga. The Edmonton Oilers picked him sixth overall in the 1980 NHL draft. By the 1981-82 season, he had 89 points and earned a spot on the second All-Star team. During Edmonton’s first Stanley Cup run in 1983-84, Coffey became just the second defenseman ever to net 40 goals in a season, adding 86 assists to place second in league scoring.

He claimed his first Norris Trophy in 1984-85 with 37 goals and 121 points. On December 26, 1984, against Calgary, he scored four goals in a game, the last defenseman to do so in the 20th century. In the 1985 playoffs, he set defenseman records with 12 goals, 25 assists, and 37 points, helping the Oilers win another Cup. The next season, 1985-86, he scored 48 goals, breaking Bobby Orr’s single-season record for a defenseman, and his 138 points trailed only Orr’s 139 among blueliners.

Coffey earned his second Norris that year. He helped Edmonton to a third championship in 1986-87, but Game 7 of that final against Philadelphia was his last as an Oiler. Before the 1987-88 season, Coffey held out, wanting his contract bumped from $320,000 to $800,000 per year. Owner Peter Pocklington refused and insulted Coffey by questioning his courage, prompting Coffey to demand a trade.

On November 24, 1987, Edmonton dealt Coffey, Dave Hunter, and Wayne Van Dorp to Pittsburgh for Craig Simpson, Dave Hannan, Moe Mantha, and Chris Joseph.

Post-playing career

While coaching a game for the Toronto Marlboros midget 'AAA' team in February 2014, Coffey was assessed a gross misconduct penalty for a discriminatory slur and received a three-game suspension from the Greater Toronto Hockey League. He is a co-owner of the OJHL's Pickering Panthers. On November 12, 2023, Coffey returned to the Edmonton Oilers as assistant coach; the Oilers made the Stanley Cup Final the next two seasons, losing both times to the Florida Panthers. Before the 2025–26 season, he stepped back from coaching to resume duties as an adviser, then returned to coaching in February 2026 during the Olympic break.