Lynn Patrick

Lore & Background

Lynn Patrick was born into one of hockey's most famous families. His father Lester and uncle Frank were founders and operators of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, and both are Hall of Fame members. Lynn's brother Muzz and son Glenn also played in the NHL, while his son Craig was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001. Lynn played multiple sports growing up, including basketball for the Vancouver Blue Ribbons, which won the Canadian national championship in 1933. He also played basketball and football while studying at McGill University. His father Lester, then managing the New York Rangers, was initially hesitant to sign Lynn due to fears of nepotism, but Lynn was signed on November 4, 1934. He struggled in his rookie season and faced criticism from fans and press, but became a steady presence and leading offensive player, leading the NHL with 32 goals in 1941–42 and earning two All-Star team selections. After serving in the U.S. military during World War II, he returned for one final season, switching from left wing to defence after losing skating speed.

Reader's Guide

Lynn Patrick's significance lies in his multifaceted career as a player, coach, and executive, and his place in the Patrick family dynasty. As a player, he was a key member of the Rangers' 1940 Stanley Cup championship team and led the NHL in goals in 1941–42. After playing, he coached the Rangers, Boston Bruins, and was the first head coach and general manager of the St. Louis Blues. He also served as the Blues' senior vice president until his retirement in 1977. Patrick co-authored the instructional book 'Let's Play Hockey!' in 1958. He was posthumously inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1980, and in 1989 USA Hockey awarded him the Lester Patrick Trophy for his contributions to hockey in the United States. His legacy is intertwined with the Patrick family's profound impact on the sport, with four family members eventually enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

Did You Know?

• Lynn Patrick led the NHL with 32 goals in the 1941–42 season.
• He was a member of the Vancouver Blue Ribbons basketball team that won the Canadian national championship in 1933.
• Patrick co-authored the instructional book 'Let's Play Hockey!' with journalist Leo Monahan in 1958.
• He died after suffering a heart attack and crashing his car near the arena after leaving a Blues game in 1980.

From Wellesley to the NHL

Craig Patrick, born on May 20, 1946, grew up in Wellesley, Massachusetts, before being dispatched to Quebec at just fourteen to compete in the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League. He suited up for the Lachine Maroons and later the Montreal Junior Canadiens, laying the groundwork for a collegiate career at the University of Denver. There, he helped steer the Pioneers to back-to-back NCAA titles in 1968 and 1969. While serving in the U.S. Army, he represented the national team during the 1969–70 and 1970–71 seasons, appearing at the 1970 and 1971 World Championship tournaments. His professional journey spanned eight NHL seasons across the California Golden Seals, St. Louis Blues, Kansas City Scouts, and Washington Capitals, plus a brief stint with the WHA's Minnesota Fighting Saints in 1976–77. Over 401 regular-season games he tallied 72 goals and 91 assists for 163 points. He also suited up for Team USA at the inaugural 1976 Canada Cup and the 1979 World Championship in Moscow before hanging up his skates. As the son of Lynn Patrick and grandson of Lester Patrick, he carried a family legacy into every arena he entered.

Two Olympic Winters, One Rival

Patrick's most celebrated chapter unfolded on the Olympic stage, where he served as assistant general manager and assistant coach under Herb Brooks for the 1980 U.S. men's hockey team. That squad's stunning upset of the Soviet Union—immortalized as the "Miracle on Ice"—crowned the Americans with gold. Twenty-two years later, Patrick returned in a different capacity as general manager of the 2002 U.S. Olympic team, again with Brooks on the coaching staff. That group captured silver, marking the first American hockey medal since Lake Placid. Remarkably, much of the 2002 roster had been the same players who had underwhelmed at the 1998 Games, yet veterans like Mike Richter and Phil Housley delivered standout performances and earned all-star team honors. A striking coincidence tied both tournaments together: in each edition, the United States defeated the Soviet or Russian squad on a Friday, February 22, by a single goal. The gold-medal game in both years fell on Sunday, February 24, though in 2002 the Americans fell short against Canada.

Building a Pittsburgh Dynasty

After stints as director of operations and then the youngest general manager in New York Rangers history, Patrick was named general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins on December 5, 1989, taking over from Tony Esposito. His early tenure is widely regarded as among the most productive in franchise history. In the 1990 draft, he used the first overall pick on Czechoslovak forward Jaromír Jágr and dealt the second-round selection to Calgary for Joe Mullen. His most storied move came on March 4, 1991, when he shipped fifth-leading-scorer John Cullen along with Jeff Parker and Zarley Zalapski to the Hartford Whalers in return for Ron Francis, Ulf Samuelsson, and Grant Jennings. The gamble paid off spectacularly: the acquired trio played pivotal roles in the Penguins' back-to-back Stanley Cup triumphs in 1991 and 1992. Over his seventeen-year run, Patrick also guided the club to a President's Trophy and five division titles, and he even served as head coach during parts of the 1989–90 and 1996–97 seasons.

Controversies and a Final Chapter

Patrick's later years in Pittsburgh were shadowed by the franchise's mounting financial pressures and a string of ill-received transactions. In March 1996, he dealt future scoring star Markus Näslund to Vancouver for Alek Stojanov, a role player with just two career NHL goals—a move a 2003 Sports Illustrated piece labeled the "worst trade in NHL history." He also moved top defenseman Sergei Zubov to Dallas for Kevin Hatcher, a transaction driven partly by the desire to accommodate captain Mario Lemieux. The most contentious deal came in July 2001, when he sent Jágr and František Kučera to Washington for three minor-league prospects and roughly five million dollars. The move was necessitated by the Penguins' budget constraints and Jágr's waning enthusiasm, yet Pittsburgh media savaged the return, especially after reports suggested the New York Rangers had offered two established players and superior prospects. Patrick, it was reported, resented the Rangers for having fired him earlier and demanded an unreasonable package that GM Glen Sather quickly rejected. The Penguins then missed the playoffs for four straight seasons. In the 2005 off-season, Patrick selected Sidney Crosby with the first overall pick and added veterans Žigmund Pálffy, Sergei Gonchar, John LeClair, and Mark Recchi.

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