Bruce Affleck
Encyclopedia
Robert Bruce Affleck is a Canadian
retired former professional ice hockey
defenceman
who played in the National Hockey League
in the 1970s. Currently he serves as an executive for the St. Louis Blues
, the team with which he spent most of his playing career.
. He turned pro the following season, and spent the first half of the year with the Seals' Central Hockey League farm team in Salt Lake
, but was dealt to the St. Louis Blues before he ever played a game in California. He finished the season with a 13-game callup to the Blues, recording 2 assists.
In 1975–76, Affleck made the Blues' squad full-time and was a huge success as a mobile, puck-moving defender. He played in all 80 of the team's games, recorded 4 goals and 30 points, and was named the team's Rookie of the Year. His 26 assists were the most of any Blues blueliner.
Affleck would spend three seasons as a regular in the Blues' lineup. However, by 1977–78 he was struggling, as he slumped to 18 points and a -56 rating on a St. Louis team which finished with just 20 wins and missed the playoffs. In 1978–79, he would lose his spot on the Blues, playing only 26 games and spending most of the season in the Central Hockey League, where he was named the league's top defender.
For the 1979–80 season, Affleck was sold to the Vancouver Canucks
. However, he again spent most of the season in the CHL, where he was named the league's top defender. He did play in 5 games for the Canucks, recording an assist. He would sign as a free agent with the New York Islanders
for the 1980–81 season, but did not see a game for the Islanders, although he was named the CHL's top defender for the second consecutive season, this time playing for the Indianapolis Checkers
.
Affleck would spend the majority of the next two seasons playing in Switzerland, although he returned to Indianapolis for the close of the CHL season and playoffs both years, helping the team to two championships. He returned to Indianapolis full-time for the 1983–84 season, and was named the league's top defender for the third time along with MVP honours. He also received a one-game callup to the Islanders, five years after his last NHL action. He retired at the conclusion of the season.
Affleck finished his NHL career with 14 goals and 80 points, along with 86 penalty minutes, in 280 games.
Following his career Affleck returned to St. Louis, and would eventually get an off-ice job with the Blues' sales staff. He has spent the last two decades working for the Blues in various capacities, and currently serves as the team's Vice President of Sales. He also served as a TV analyst for the Blues for over a decade.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
retired former professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
defenceman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
who played in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
in the 1970s. Currently he serves as an executive for the St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
, the team with which he spent most of his playing career.
Playing career
Affleck was drafted in the 2nd round (21st overall) in the 1974 NHL Entry Draft by the California Seals from the University of DenverUniversity of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
. He turned pro the following season, and spent the first half of the year with the Seals' Central Hockey League farm team in Salt Lake
Salt Lake Golden Eagles
The Salt Lake Golden Eagles were a minor professional hockey team based in Salt Lake City, Utah from 1969 to 1994.They played in the Western Hockey League from 1969 to 1974, the Central Hockey League from 1974 to 1984 and the International Hockey League from 1984 to 1994...
, but was dealt to the St. Louis Blues before he ever played a game in California. He finished the season with a 13-game callup to the Blues, recording 2 assists.
In 1975–76, Affleck made the Blues' squad full-time and was a huge success as a mobile, puck-moving defender. He played in all 80 of the team's games, recorded 4 goals and 30 points, and was named the team's Rookie of the Year. His 26 assists were the most of any Blues blueliner.
Affleck would spend three seasons as a regular in the Blues' lineup. However, by 1977–78 he was struggling, as he slumped to 18 points and a -56 rating on a St. Louis team which finished with just 20 wins and missed the playoffs. In 1978–79, he would lose his spot on the Blues, playing only 26 games and spending most of the season in the Central Hockey League, where he was named the league's top defender.
For the 1979–80 season, Affleck was sold to the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
. However, he again spent most of the season in the CHL, where he was named the league's top defender. He did play in 5 games for the Canucks, recording an assist. He would sign as a free agent with the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
for the 1980–81 season, but did not see a game for the Islanders, although he was named the CHL's top defender for the second consecutive season, this time playing for the Indianapolis Checkers
Indianapolis Checkers
The Indianapolis Checkers were a minor league professional ice hockey team from Indianapolis, Indiana. The Checkers' home arena was the Pepsi Coliseum. The team originated in the Central Hockey League where they played from 1979 to 1984. The Checkers filled a void left by the departed Indianapolis...
.
Affleck would spend the majority of the next two seasons playing in Switzerland, although he returned to Indianapolis for the close of the CHL season and playoffs both years, helping the team to two championships. He returned to Indianapolis full-time for the 1983–84 season, and was named the league's top defender for the third time along with MVP honours. He also received a one-game callup to the Islanders, five years after his last NHL action. He retired at the conclusion of the season.
Affleck finished his NHL career with 14 goals and 80 points, along with 86 penalty minutes, in 280 games.
Following his career Affleck returned to St. Louis, and would eventually get an off-ice job with the Blues' sales staff. He has spent the last two decades working for the Blues in various capacities, and currently serves as the team's Vice President of Sales. He also served as a TV analyst for the Blues for over a decade.
Awards and achievements
- 1972–73: WCHAWestern Collegiate Hockey AssociationThe Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....
First All-Star Team - 1973–74: WCHA Second All-Star Team
- 1975–76: St. Louis Blues' Rookie of the Year
- 1979–80, 1980–81, 1983–84: Central Hockey League Top Defender
- 1983–84: CHL co-MVP
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1971–72 | Penticton Broncos | BCJHL British Columbia Hockey League The British Columbia Hockey League is a Junior "A" ice hockey league from British Columbia under Hockey Canada, a subsection of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. Founded in Vernon in 1961, the BCHL now includes 16 teams. These teams play in two conferences, known as the Coastal and the Interior... |
57 | 31 | 69 | 100 | 91 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1972–73 | University of Denver University of Denver The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings.... |
NCAA Western Collegiate Hockey Association The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference.... |
39 | 6 | 19 | 25 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1973–74 | University of Denver | NCAA | 38 | 8 | 23 | 31 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | Salt Lake Golden Eagles Salt Lake Golden Eagles The Salt Lake Golden Eagles were a minor professional hockey team based in Salt Lake City, Utah from 1969 to 1994.They played in the Western Hockey League from 1969 to 1974, the Central Hockey League from 1974 to 1984 and the International Hockey League from 1984 to 1994... |
CHL | 35 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 1974–75 AHL season The 1974–75 AHL season was the 39th season of the American Hockey League. Ten teams were scheduled to play 76 games each in the schedule, but the Baltimore Clippers were unable to complete the season. The Providence Reds finished first overall in the regular season... |
Springfield Indians Springfield Indians The Springfield Indians were a minor professional ice hockey franchise, originally based in West Springfield, Massachusetts and later Springfield, Massachusetts. The Indians were founding members of the American Hockey League. They were in existence for a total of 60 seasons from 1926 to 1994, with... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | St. Louis Blues St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade... |
NHL | 13 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1975–76 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 80 | 4 | 26 | 30 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1976–77 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 80 | 5 | 20 | 25 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1977–78 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 75 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978–79 | Salt Lake Golden Eagles | CHL | 48 | 8 | 31 | 39 | 30 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 1978–79 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 26 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Dallas Black Hawks Dallas Black Hawks The Dallas Black Hawks were a minor-league professional ice hockey team in Dallas, Texas. They were a member of the Central Hockey League and played home games at State Fair Coliseum.... |
CHL | 72 | 10 | 53 | 63 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,... |
NHL | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980–81 | Indianapolis Checkers Indianapolis Checkers The Indianapolis Checkers were a minor league professional ice hockey team from Indianapolis, Indiana. The Checkers' home arena was the Pepsi Coliseum. The team originated in the Central Hockey League where they played from 1979 to 1984. The Checkers filled a void left by the departed Indianapolis... |
CHL | 77 | 8 | 50 | 58 | 41 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 2 | ||
| 1981–82 | Indianapolis Checkers | CHL | 16 | 5 | 17 | 22 | 4 | 13 | 1 | 17 | 18 | 16 | ||
| 1982–83 | Kloten Flyers Kloten Flyers The Kloten Flyers are an ice hockey team based in the city of Kloten in Switzerland. They originated from the EHC Kloten. The team participates in the National League A and is known for its promotion of young players.... |
SWI | 30 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | Indianapolis Checkers | CHL | 8 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 18 | 18 | 2 | ||
| 1983–84 | Indianapolis Checkers | CHL | 54 | 13 | 40 | 53 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1983–84 | New York Islanders New York Islanders The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 280 | 14 | 66 | 80 | 86 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||