Mark Lamb
Stanley Cup winner and former co-captain of the Ottawa Senators.
Mark Lamb was born on August 3, 1964, in Ponteix, Saskatchewan, and grew up in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. He is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who now serves as the general manager and head coach of the Prince George Cougars in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Before that, he was head coach of the Tucson Roadrunners in the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Swift Current Broncos in the WHL.
During his NHL playing career, Lamb suited up for the Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, and Montreal Canadiens. He won the Stanley Cup with the Edmonton Oilers in 1990 and was a co-captain of the Ottawa Senators in the 1993–94 season. He also captured the Turner Cup in the International Hockey League with the Houston Aeros in 1999.
Lamb began his junior hockey career splitting time between the Swift Current Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and the Billings Bighorns of the WHL. In his first season with Swift Current, he put up 13 goals and 58 points in 40 games, while adding one goal and nine points in 24 games with Billings. The Bighorns made the playoffs but lost in the first round to the Calgary Wranglers, with Lamb recording one assist in three games. Known as a pesky center, he played his first full WHL season in 1981–82 with Billings, scoring 45 goals and 101 points in 72 games. The team again fell in the first round, this time to the Lethbridge Broncos.
The Bighorns were sold and moved to become the Nanaimo Islanders for the 1982–83 season. Lamb started the season there, tallying 14 goals and 51 points in 30 games. After management changes in December, he agreed to a trade and was sent to the Medicine Hat Tigers on December 9, 1982, in exchange for goaltender Daryl Reaugh and defenceman Glenn Kulka. In Medicine Hat, he reunited with general manager Russ Farwell, who had been his coach in Billings. Lamb scored 22 goals and 65 points in 46 games, but the Tigers lost to the Calgary Wranglers in the first round of the playoffs, where he had three goals and five points in five games.
In his first full season with Medicine Hat in 1983–84, Lamb played 72 games, notching 59 goals and 136 points. The Tigers beat the Prince Albert Raiders in the first round of the playoffs before losing to the Regina Pats in the Eastern Division final.
Quick Facts
- Position
- Centre
- Played For
- Calgary Flames / Detroit Red Wings / Edmonton Oilers / Ottawa Senators / Philadelphia Flyers / Montreal Canadiens
- Shoots
- Left
- Height Ft
- 6
- Height In
- 2
- Weight Lb
- 220
- Birth Date
- 1964-08-03
- Birth Place
- Ponteix, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Draft
- 72nd overall
- Draft Year
- 1982
- Draft Team
- Calgary Flames
- Career Start
- 1984
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Mark Lamb grew up in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, after being born in Ponteix. He began his junior career with the Swift Current Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and the Billings Bighorns of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Known as a 'pesky center,' Lamb played his first full WHL season in 1981–82 with Billings, scoring 45 goals and 101 points. After the Bighorns moved to become the Nanaimo Islanders, Lamb was traded to the Medicine Hat Tigers in December 1982. In the 1983–84 season, he scored 59 goals and 136 points for Medicine Hat, winning the Frank Boucher Memorial Trophy as the WHL's most gentlemanly player and being named to the East Division First All-Star Team.
Lamb made his NHL debut on January 9, 1986, with the Calgary Flames in a 5–4 overtime victory over the Vancouver Canucks, but was returned to the minors the next day. He later played for the Detroit Red Wings, scoring his first NHL goal on February 1, 1987, against Tom Barrasso. Claimed by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1987 waiver draft, Lamb played a key role in the 1990 Stanley Cup playoffs, scoring six goals and 17 points in 22 games, including a game-winning goal in game seven against the Winnipeg Jets. He also won the Turner Cup with the Houston Aeros in 1999.
Reader's Guide
Mark Lamb's career is notable for his journey from a WHL standout to a Stanley Cup champion and NHL co-captain. His 1990 playoff performance with the Edmonton Oilers, where he scored six goals and 17 points in 22 games, including a game-winning goal in game seven of the first round, highlights his ability to rise in crucial moments. Lamb's co-captaincy of the Ottawa Senators in 1993–94 reflects his leadership role on an expansion-era team. After his playing days, Lamb transitioned into coaching and management, becoming head coach and general manager of the Prince George Cougars of the WHL, with previous head coaching stints for the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL and the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL. His career also includes winning the Turner Cup in the IHL with the Houston Aeros in 1999, adding a championship at the minor league level to his NHL success. Lamb's path from a fourth-round draft pick to a contributor on a Stanley Cup-winning team and a captain in the NHL underscores his perseverance and adaptability across different levels of professional hockey.
Did You Know?
- Mark Lamb was born in Ponteix, Saskatchewan but grew up in Swift Current, Saskatchewan.
- Lamb co-captained the Ottawa Senators during the 1993–94 season.
- He scored the game-winning goal in game seven of the 1990 first-round playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets.
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