Brendan Shanahan

Playing career

Shanahan was selected second overall in the 1987 NHL entry draft by the New Jersey Devils, after Pierre Turgeon. He had a standout junior career with the London Knights of the OHL, where his number 19 was retired. In his rookie season of 1987–88, he recorded 26 points in 65 games. The following year he improved to 22 goals and 50 points.

By his third season, he produced 72 points in 73 games, tying for second in team goal-scoring behind John MacLean. In 1990–91, his final year of his first stint with the Devils, he scored 29 goals and 66 points. After becoming a restricted free agent, he signed with the St. Louis Blues on July 25, 1991. The Devils sought Scott Stevens as compensation, and an arbitrator awarded Stevens to New Jersey.

Shanahan's first season with the Blues produced similar numbers, but in 1992–93 he scored 51 goals and 94 points in 71 games. The next season he set personal bests of 52 goals, 50 assists, and 102 points, leading the Blues in points and earning a spot on the NHL first All-Star team. During the 1994–95 lockout, he played three games for Düsseldorf EG of the DEL, recording five goals and three assists. When NHL play resumed, he had 41 points in the shortened season and led the Blues in playoff scoring with nine points in five games.

Executive career

Shanahan announced his retirement on November 17, 2009, after 21 NHL seasons. In December 2009, he accepted a position as the NHL's vice president of hockey and business development. He spoke at the World Hockey Summit in 2010 about making youth hockey skill development more enjoyable. On June 1, 2011, he succeeded Colin Campbell as the NHL's senior vice president. In this role, he posted videos explaining rulings on plays reviewed by his office, narrating all except French-language videos involving the Montreal Canadiens or Ottawa Senators, which were narrated by deputy Stéphane Quintal. These videos were spoofed at the 2012 NHL Awards by actor Will Arnett. During his first season as senior vice president, he issued multiple suspensions for illegal hits.

Personal life

Shanahan was born to Irish parents Rosaleen and Donal, a firefighter who later became Chief of Fire Prevention in Toronto. He grew up in Etobicoke, attended St. Leo's Catholic School, and played in the 1982 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a team from Mississauga. He also played lacrosse and won an OFSAA gold medal in hockey in 1985 while at Michael Power/St. Joseph High School. He married Catherine on July 4, 1998, and they have three children. He became a United States citizen on May 17, 2002, and appeared in a small role in the film Me, Myself & Irene.