Byron Brad McCrimmon (March 29, 1959 – September 7, 2011) was a Canadian professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
defenceman
Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the l ...
and coach. He played over
1,200 games in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
(NHL) for the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...
,
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...
,
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The ...
,
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
,
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its 25-year existence in Hartford, Connecticut. The club played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972 until 1979, and in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1 ...
and
Phoenix Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes are an inactive professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division (1996–1998, 2021–2024) and ...
between 1979 and 1997. He achieved his greatest success in Calgary, where he was named a
second team All-Star in 1987–88, played in the
1988 NHL All-Star Game and won the
Plus-Minus Award with a league leading total of
+48. In 1989, he helped the Flames win their only
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
championship. His career plus-minus of +444 is the 10th highest total in NHL history, and the highest among players not inducted into the
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame () is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) records, memorabilia and National Hockey Le ...
.
McCrimmon turned to coaching following his playing career, serving as an assistant with the
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...
before taking over as head coach of the
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior hocke ...
's
Saskatoon Blades
The Saskatoon Blades are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Founded in 1964, the Blades were a charter team of the then-Western Canada Junior Hockey League in 1966, and are the only club that has played ev ...
for two seasons between 1998 and 2000. He then returned to the NHL as an assistant, first with the Flames then the
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL sea ...
and finally the Red Wings. He left the NHL to become the head coach of
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the
Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in 2011. He never coached a regular season game however, as he was killed, along with most of the team, after their
plane crashed en route to their first game.
Playing career
Junior
McCrimmon began his junior career at the age of 15 with the
Prince Albert Raiders of the
Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and one of nine member leagues of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
Open to North American-born players 20 years o ...
(SJHL). He played two seasons with the team, scoring 23
goals and 84
points.
In his second season, 1975–76, he was named the SJHL's defenceman of the year.
For the
1976–77 season, he moved up to the
Brandon Wheat Kings
The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadians, Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. Founded in 1936, the team was for three decades a successful junior team playing principally in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. The Whe ...
of the
Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL). He scored 84 points in 72 games in his first WCHL season and added 13 points in 15
playoff
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
games as the Wheat Kings reached the league championship series, only to lose to the
New Westminster Bruins. McCrimmon scored 97 points in
1977–78 and 98 in
1978–79. He was named the
defenceman of the year in 1978 and was named to the league all-star team in both seasons.
He also joined the
Canadian junior team at the
World Junior Championship in each season. He recorded two
assists in six games to help Canada win a bronze medal at the
1978 tournament and had three points in five games in
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
though Canada failed to medal.
With McCrimmon as team
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
,
the Wheat Kings again reached the league championship in 1978–79. He scored 28 points in 22 games to help Brandon win the
President's Cup.
The team advanced to the
1979 Memorial Cup tournament where it reached the final against the
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; ) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League, alongside the Western Hockey League and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. The league is for players ag ...
champion
Peterborough Petes. McCrimmon routinely played a high number of minutes each game; his teammates marvelled at his stamina. In the Memorial Cup final, he played virtually every minute of the contest. His total ice time was 60 minutes, 38 seconds, and he was off the ice only to serve a two-minute penalty. Peterborough won the game, 2–1 in overtime, after McCrimmon lost the puck on a play he thought was
icing was not called. Peterborough's Terry Bovair stole the puck from him and scored the championship winning goal. Despite the loss, McCrimmon was named a tournament all-star on defence.
Professional
At the
1979 NHL Entry Draft, considered one of the deepest in league history, McCrimmon was selected 15th overall by the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...
.
He made his NHL debut on October 11, 1979, in the team's opening night victory over the
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The Jets compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The te ...
. He scored 5 goals and 16 points in his rookie season of
1979–80 and improved to 11 goals and 29 points in his second season.
With only nine points in the
1981–82 season, McCrimmon had gained a reputation as a player who did not attack with the puck in the NHL.
Following the retirement of
Rogie Vachon, the Bruins needed a new goaltender.
They sent McCrimmon to the
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...
in exchange for
Pete Peeters on June 9, 1982.
Flyers' coach
Bob McCammon argued that McCrimmon had been "intimidated" by playing with fellow 1979 Bruins pick and
all-star
An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry.
Sports
"All-star" as a sport ...
,
Ray Bourque
Raymond Jean Bourque (born December 28, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He holds records for most career goals, assists, and points by a defenceman in the National Hockey League (NHL). He won the James Norris Memorial ...
, and that he could be a better overall defenceman. McCrimmon's offence improved in his first two seasons in Philadelphia – 25 points in
1982–83 and 24, though without a goal scored, in
1983–84 –
but he established himself as a top shutdown defenceman with the Flyers.
He recorded 43 points in
1984–85 and posted a
plus-minus rating of +52, fifth best in the NHL.
McCrimmon was ruled out of the
1985 Stanley Cup Playoffs in the third game of the league semi-final against the
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques (, pronounced in Quebec French, in Canadian English; translated "Northmen" or "Northerners") were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association (1972–1979) an ...
when he suffered a third-degree
separation of his left shoulder following a hard hit by
Wilf Paiement, an injury that required surgery to repair. The Flyers reached the final without McCrimmon, but were defeated by the
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...
for the
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
. McCrimmon returned to start the
1985–86 season, in which he had his best season statistically. He appeared in all 80 games for the Flyers and set career highs of 13 goals, 43 assists, 56 points and his plus-minus rating of +83 was second only to defensive partner
Mark Howe.
He was named recipient of the
Barry Ashbee Trophy as the Flyers' top defenceman.
McCrimmon and the Flyers became embroiled in a contract dispute prior to the
1986–87 season. The two sides were unable to agree on a contract the season before, and an arbitrator was required to resolve the impasse. The arbitrator sided with the team, setting a contract at the Flyers' offer of
US$
The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...
165,000 for that season (he asked for $200,000), with an option to extend the deal for 1986–87. The Flyers exercised that option, and though he admitted he was under contract for the season, McCrimmon refused to play unless a new deal was reached. When the two sides were unable to come to an agreement, McCrimmon went home to Saskatchewan as the season began. The Flyers suspended McCrimmon on September 26, 1986, after he refused to appear in the first exhibition games. The impasse was not resolved until a month later, when he and the team agreed to a one-year contract on October 29. He immediately returned to the team and appeared in 72 of the Flyers' 80 games, recording 22 points and finishing fourth in the league at +45.
In the
1987 Stanley Cup Playoffs, he appeared in all 26 post-season games as the Flyers again reached the final against Edmonton. McCrimmon scored the game-winning goal in Game 3 but the Flyers lost the series, but not before they took the Oilers to seven games, the first time since 1971 a full seven game series had been played.
Following the season, general manager
Bobby Clarke refused to sign a new deal with McCrimmon, choosing instead to trade him. He was sent to the
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The ...
on August 27, 1987, in exchange for a third-round selection at the
1988 NHL Entry Draft and a first-rounder at the
1989 Draft. On the
1987–88 Flames, McCrimmon joined
Al MacInnis,
Paul Reinhart,
Gary Suter and
Ric Nattress to form one of the top defences in the NHL. He scored 42 points for the Flames, won the
NHL Plus-Minus Award with a league-leading +48 and was named a
second team All-Star. Additionally, he played in the
1988 All-Star Game.
McCrimmon recorded only 22 points in
1988–89 – his lowest in seven seasons – but led all NHL defencemen with a +43 rating.
He appeared in all 22 playoff games for the Flames as the team defeated the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...
to win the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history. McCrimmon was named the 10th
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
in Flames history on November 3, 1989, succeeding
Jim Peplinski, who retired early in the 1989–90 season. He scored 4 goals and 19 points during the
1989–90 season, but fell out of favour with head coach
Terry Crisp as the two disagreed over how the team's defencemen were used. The Flames chose to trade him following the season, sending him to the
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
on June 15, 1990, in exchange for a second-round draft pick.
In
1991–92, McCrimmon was paired with a young
Nicklas Lidström. Though he focused on defence, allowing Lidström to be more creative offensively, McCrimmon's 29 points were a significant improvement on the 13 he scored the season before.
He played one more season in Detroit before again being traded, this time to the
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its 25-year existence in Hartford, Connecticut. The club played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972 until 1979, and in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1 ...
on June 1, 1993, in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick.
In Hartford, the 34-year-old McCrimmon served as a mentor for 18-year-old
Chris Pronger. Offensively, he scored 16 points total in three seasons with the Whalers between 1993 and 1996. Leaving the team as a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
, McCrimmon signed with the
Phoenix Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes are an inactive professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division (1996–1998, 2021–2024) and ...
for the
1996–97 season.
He appeared in 37 games that season, scoring one goal and adding five assists. Following the season, he announced his retirement.
McCrimmon was paired with some of the best defencemen of his generation. In addition to Lidstrom and Pronger, he played with
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame () is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) records, memorabilia and National Hockey Le ...
rs
Ray Bourque
Raymond Jean Bourque (born December 28, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He holds records for most career goals, assists, and points by a defenceman in the National Hockey League (NHL). He won the James Norris Memorial ...
,
Mark Howe and
Paul Coffey. He was known as a stay at home defenceman who focused on limiting the opposition's chances. He played a physical game, often in the "dirty" areas of the ice – battling opponents in the corners and in front of the net. McCrimmon's career plus-minus was +444, a total surpassed by only nine players as of 2012.
Brian Propp, a teammate of his in Philadelphia, said that he was one of the most under-rated defencemen of his time.
Joe Mullen, member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and McCrimmon's teammate on the 1989 Stanley Cup Champion Calgary Flames, named McCrimmon as the most difficult player to play against.
Coaching career and death

McCrimmon moved behind the bench shortly after his retirement, joining the
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...
as an assistant coach to
Mike Milbury
Michael James Milbury (born June 17, 1952) is an American former professional ice hockey player and current sports announcer. He played for twelve seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), all for the Boston Bruins. He helped the Bruins reach ...
on August 19, 1997.
He left the team after two years to become head coach of the
Saskatoon Blades
The Saskatoon Blades are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Founded in 1964, the Blades were a charter team of the then-Western Canada Junior Hockey League in 1966, and are the only club that has played ev ...
of the
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior hocke ...
in 1999. In two seasons with the team, he coached 144 games, winning 50 and tying 15. McCrimmon coached the Blades to a second-place finish in the East Division in
1999–2000 and a seven-game opening round playoff victory over the
Regina Pats before the team was eliminated by the
Calgary Hitmen.
Returning to the NHL in 2000, McCrimmon joined the Calgary Flames as an assistant to
Don Hay. He remained with the team for two and a half seasons, serving under both Hay and successor
Greg Gilbert until the team replaced its coaching staff on December 3, 2002. He returned to the NHL in 2004 as an assistant for the
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL sea ...
. He was promoted to associate coach in his fourth season when team general manager
Don Waddell fired head coach
Bob Hartley during the
2007–08 season. McCrimmon had been offered the Thrashers head coaching position after Waddell's dismissal, but turned it down after the team failed to guarantee he would retain the position beyond the end of the season. Leaving the Thrashers, McCrimmon signed a three-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008 to serve as an assistant coach.
Looking to further his career, he left Detroit on May 19, 2011, and was introduced as head coach of
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the
Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) on May 29. He hoped that coaching the Russian club would help him land an NHL head coaching position in the future. He never coached a game for Lokomotiv, as he was killed in the
2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash en route to their first game of the season. McCrimmon died along with nearly the entire team.
Personal life
McCrimmon was born in
Dodsland, Saskatchewan, but grew up on the family farm near the village of
Plenty. He often returned to his hometown during his playing days, spending his summers training on the family farm. He brought the Stanley Cup back to Plenty in 1989 after winning it with the Flames, fulfilling a promise McCrimmon made to his grandfather as a youth.
Hockey was a significant part of McCrimmon's life from his youth. His father Byron was a long time
senior player and coach for the
Rosetown Red Wings in Saskatchewan. The younger McCrimmon played for teams in both Plenty and Rosetown at the same time, often appearing on teams one level above his age. His younger brother
Kelly is the general manager for the
Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Golden Knights compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division ...
, and the pair played together as teammates with the Wheat Kings in 1978–79.
Nicknamed both "Beast" and "Sarge", McCrimmon was often considered "gruff" and had a direct way of speaking that cultivated respect amongst his peers. According to former teammate
Lanny McDonald: "He was tough, he was abrasive, but on the inside he was a big teddy bear, a big softie."
McCrimmon's brother remembered him as a person who dedicated himself to his family.
McCrimmon had two children with his wife Maureen: daughter Carlin and son Liam.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
Coaching
Awards and honours
See also
*
List of NHL players with 1000 games played
References
*Career Statistics:
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCrimmon, Brad
1959 births
2011 deaths
Atlanta Thrashers coaches
Boston Bruins draft picks
Boston Bruins players
Brandon Wheat Kings players
Calgary Flames captains
Calgary Flames coaches
Calgary Flames players
Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
Canadian expatriate sportspeople in Russia
Canadian ice hockey defencemen
Detroit Red Wings coaches
Detroit Red Wings players
Hartford Whalers players
20th-century Canadian sportsmen
Ice hockey people from Saskatchewan
NHL first-round draft picks
New York Islanders coaches
Philadelphia Flyers players
Phoenix Coyotes players
Prince Albert Raiders (SJHL) players
Saskatoon Blades coaches
Stanley Cup champions
Victims of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash
Canadian ice hockey coaches
Accidental deaths in Russia