Kirk McLean
Encyclopedia
Kirk Alan McLean is a retired Canadian
professional ice hockey
goaltender
who played in the National Hockey League
(NHL) for the New Jersey Devils
, Vancouver Canucks
, Carolina Hurricanes
, Florida Panthers
and New York Rangers
. He played in the style of a stand-up goaltender.
McLean played major junior hockey
with the Oshawa Generals
of the Ontario Hockey League
(OHL) and was drafted in the sixth round, 107th overall by the Devils in 1984
. He played with the Devils' American Hockey League
(AHL) affiliate, the Maine Mariners
, before being traded to the Canucks in 1987. He is best known for his 10 and a half seasons with the Canucks, during which time he was a finalist for two Vezina Trophies
in 1989 and 1992, named to two NHL All-Star Games and received Second All-Star Team
honours. In 1994
, he backstopped the Canucks to the seventh game of the Stanley Cup Finals
against the Rangers. In 1998, he was traded away and spent the final three seasons of his career with the Hurricanes, Panthers and Rangers, before retiring in 2001.
Since retiring, McLean has been a goaltending coach for the Kamloops Blazers
of the Western Hockey League
(WHL), worked in broadcasting with the Canucks' pay-per-view telecasts and became a part-owner of the British Columbia Hockey League
(BCHL)'s Burnaby Express (now Coquitlam Express). He has also become involved in the restaurant business in Vancouver.
and looked up to NHL star Bernie Parent
as a role model. Playing minor hockey
in the Metro Toronto Hockey League
(MTHL) with the Don Mills Flyers, he recorded a 2.01 goals against average
(GAA) over 26 games in the 1982–83 season.
in the Ontario Hockey League
(OHL) for three seasons with the Oshawa Generals
. Following his rookie season with the Generals, he was drafted by the New Jersey Devils
in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft
with their sixth pick, 107th overall. He debuted with the Devils in 1985–86, appearing in two games after being called up from Oshawa on April 2, 1986. McLean had to compete with numerous other goaltenders in the Devils' system for ice time. Following the club's 1987 training camp, he and Craig Billington
were sent to their AHL
affiliate, the Maine Mariners
, while Karl Friesen
and Chris Terreri
were chosen to backup Alain Chevrier
. Sean Burke
was also in the Devils' system, although he was playing for the Canadian National Team at the beginning of the season.
McLean was called up from Maine on December 19, 1986, after Friesen was released and Terreri was sidelined with the flu
. He arrived in New Jersey
three hours before game-time against the Washington Capitals
that day. He appeared in relief of Chevrier after the starter allowed three goals in the first 81 seconds. McLean allowed one goal on 24 shots for the rest of the game while earning the win in a 6–4 comeback victory. He appeared in four games during his call-up before being re-assigned on January 6, 1987. After his return to the AHL, McLean suffered an injury, damaging cartilage in his right knee during a game on February 15. The injury required arthroscopic surgery. He finished the campaign in Maine with a 15-23-4 record and 3.22 GAA in 45 games. While training in the off-season, McLean injured his left knee and underwent his second arthroscopic surgery on July 29, 1987.
) in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft
, to the Vancouver Canucks
for centre Patrik Sundström
and the Canucks' second- (Jeff Christian
) and fourth-round draft picks (Matt Ruchty
) in 1988, on September 15, 1987. The deal constituted the first major transactions by newly-appointed Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils general managers Pat Quinn
and Lou Lamoriello
, respectively. McLean's acquisition was an integral part of Vancouver's rebuilding process, led by Quinn. Within the next two years, McLean was joined in the Canucks organization by additional franchise cornerstones Trevor Linden
and Pavel Bure
. He became known to fans as "Captain Kirk", in reference to the Star Trek protagonist
.
McLean made 14 saves in his Canucks debut, recording an 8–2 win over the St. Louis Blues in the season opener on October 8, 1987. He notched his first NHL career shutout later that season on February 17, 1988, making 27 saves in a 5–0 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins
. McLean split playing time with long-time Canucks starter Richard Brodeur
in his first season in Vancouver, playing in 41 games with an 11-27-4 record, 3.71 GAA and .875 save percentage
. He won his first of three Molson Cups with the Canucks at the end of the season, having earned the most three stars selections on the team.
McLean emerged the following season in 1988–89 with a winning 20-17-3 record, 3.08 GAA and .891 save percentage. Early in the season, he returned to New Jersey in a game against the Devils and recorded a shutout against his former team in a 4–0 Canucks win on October 20, 1988. He went on to receive his first Vezina Trophy
nomination as the league's best goaltender and finished third in voting, losing to Patrick Roy
of the Montreal Canadiens
. In 1989–90, McLean appeared in his first NHL All-Star Game in Pittsburgh and was the top goaltender at the Skills Competition
by allowing the fewest goals against for the Breakaway Relay and Rapid Fire events. He led the league in games and minutes played with 63 and 3,738, respectively. McLean also set Canucks records with 1,797 shots against and 1,581 saves (both marks have since been surpassed). Backstopping the Canucks to 21 wins, 33 losses and 10 ties, he won his first Cyclone Taylor Trophy
as Canucks MVP and second Molson Cup.
Early in the 1990–91 season, McLean re-signed with the Canucks to a one-year contract with a second year option on October 16, 1990. He was set to make $145,000 prior to re-organizing his contract for the season. McLean struggled in his fourth year with the Canucks, however, recording a career-worst 3.99 GAA with a 10-22-3 record in 41 games.
McLean bounced back the following season in 1991–92, starting the season with five consecutive wins to be named league player of the week for October 3 to 13, 1991. He set an NHL record for wins in October with nine (McLean's mark was matched by the Toronto Maple Leafs
' Felix Potvin
and Philadelphia Flyers
' Dominic Roussel
in October 1993 and surpassed by the Detroit Red Wings
' Manny Legace
's 10 wins in October 2005); he was named player of the month. Another season highlight for McLean occurred on December 4, when he stopped all 50 shots in a game against the Montreal Canadiens
to earn his third shutout of the season in a 3–0 win; the performance garnered a standing ovation from Canadiens fans at the Montreal Forum
. McLean went on to lead the league with five shutouts (tied with the Chicago Blackhawks
' Ed Belfour
, the Canadiens' Patrick Roy and the Winnipeg Jets' Bob Essensa
) and 38 wins in 65 games (tied with the Red Wings' Tim Cheveldae
), as Vancouver won their first Smythe Division
title since 1975. He appeared in his second All-Star Game, won his second Cyclone Taylor Trophy and was named to the Second All-Star Team
. He earned his second Vezina Trophy nomination, finishing second in voting as Roy won the award once more. He recorded personal bests with a 2.74 GAA and 38 wins, the latter of which set a Canucks single-season goaltending record. (The mark stood for 15 years before Roberto Luongo
recorded 47 wins in 2006–07.) In the subsequent 1992 playoffs
, McLean recorded his first post-season shutout by stopping 33 shots in a 5–0 win against the Winnipeg Jets in game seven of the opening round. The win eliminated the Jets after the Canucks overcame a 3–1 series deficit.
McLean appeared in 54 games in 1992–93, posting a 28-21-3 record. He recorded three shutouts, which included back-to-back blankings in January 1993. Playing against the Los Angeles Kings
in the second round of the 1993 playoffs
, McLean recorded his 15th playoff win in a 7–2 Game 4 victory, establishing himself as the winningest playoff goaltender in Canucks history. The Canucks were, however, eliminated in six games by Los Angeles, the eventual Western Conference
champions.
Towards the end of the 1993–94 season, McLean became a part of hockey history in a game against the Los Angeles Kings on March 23, 1994, by allowing Wayne Gretzky
's 802nd career NHL goal. The goal broke Gordie Howe
's record of 801, making Gretzky the all-time leading goal-scorer in NHL history. McLean finished the season with a losing 23-26-3 record, as the Canucks finished with the seventh seed in the Western Conference.
McLean's peak with the Canucks came during the subsequent 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs
, when he backstopped them to the seventh game of the Stanley Cup Finals
. Facing the Calgary Flames
in the opening round, he made one of the most memorable plays in Canucks and NHL playoff history – a series saving stop on Flames forward Robert Reichel
during the first overtime of the seventh game. Reichel had one-timed a pass from Theoren Fleury
on a 3-on-1 when McLean threw out both his pads to make the stop and preserve the series. With McLean out of position and Reichel having had an open net to shoot at, the red light even came on at the Olympic Saddledome
to signal a goal. The following overtime, Bure scored to eliminate the Flames and advance the Canucks to the second round.
Vancouver defeated the Dallas Stars
the following round to advance to the semi-finals against the Toronto Maple Leafs
. McLean posted back-to-back shutouts against the Leafs in the third and fourth games to tie the NHL playoff record of four shutouts in a single year (the New York Rangers
' Mike Richter
also recorded four that year; they became the seventh and eighth goaltenders to tie the record. Five more goaltenders went on to record four shutouts until the Red Wings' Dominik Hasek
broke the record with six in 2002
). He also became the first goaltender to record back-to-back shutouts in the semifinals since the Red Wings' Terry Sawchuk
did so against the Maple Leafs in 1952. McLean's shutout streak lasted a total of 143 minutes and 17 seconds.
The Canucks went on to capture the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl
as Western Conference champions to meet the New York Rangers
in the Finals. McLean opened the series with a 52-save performance, including 17 in overtime, to win the first game 3–2. It was the second-most saves by a goaltender in a Stanley Cup Finals game, coming within four stops of Canadiens goaltender Ken Dryden
's 56 saves in 1971
against the Chicago Blackhawks
. It also remained the most saves by a Canucks goaltender in a playoff game until Luongo made 72 stops in 2007
. Canucks head coach Pat Quinn commented after the game that McLean's performance should be sent "in an instructional package...to young goaltender[s]." Although the Canucks managed to force a game seven after falling 3–1 in the series, they eventually lost the Stanley Cup
to the Rangers by a 3–2 score in the final game. McLean finished the 1994 playoffs with a 15-9 record, a 2.29 GAA and .928 save percentage. His 1,544 minutes played, 820 shots against and 761 saves all set playoff records (they have since been surpassed).
McLean's play began to slip in 1995–96 as his GAA inflated to 3.54 and he recorded a losing 15-21-9 record. He was sidelined for six weeks during the season, beginning in January 1996, due to a cartilage tear in his left knee that required arthroscopic surgery. Rookie Corey Hirsch
, who began the season as McLean's backup, in comparison recorded a 2.93 GAA and a 17-14-6 record. McLean was chosen to start in the opening series against the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche
, but was pulled in favour of Hirsch during Game 1 after allowing three goals on 12 shots. The game marked McLean's final playoff appearance of his career as Hirsch played the remaining five games. The Avalanche eliminated Vancouver in six games and went on to win the Stanley Cup.
McLean reinjured his knee during the 1996–97 season during a game against the Dallas Stars on November 11, 1996. He missed approximately a month after undergoing his second arthroscopic surgery of the year in mid-November 1996. McLean and Hirsch continued to share starts in 1996–97, as McLean appeared in 44 games with a 21-18-3 record and 3.21 GAA.
, the management team dealt McLean to the Carolina Hurricanes
on January 3, 1998. He was sent in a trade, along with winger Martin Gélinas
, in exchange for goaltender Sean Burke and wingers Geoff Sanderson
and Enrico Ciccone
.
After ten-and-a-half seasons in Vancouver, McLean left as the franchise's all-time leader in regular season games played (516), wins (211) and shutouts (20), as well as playoff games played (68), wins (34) and shutouts (6). (Luongo surpassed McLean's regular season shutouts total with his 21st on October 26, 2009.) McLean's departure marked the beginning of an unstable period of time for Canucks goaltending. In the seven-and-a-half seasons between the time McLean was traded away and Luongo was acquired by the Canucks, a total of 18 goaltenders played for the club. General manager Brian Burke, who succeeded the four-man committee, coined the term "goalie graveyard" during his time in Vancouver to describe the club's goaltending fortunes.
McLean entered his first game with the Hurricanes with the NHL's worst GAA at 3.68, but helped his new club to a 4–1 win to record his first victory with Carolina. His tenure in Carolina was brief, as the Hurricanes traded him after eight appearances to the Florida Panthers
for forward Ray Sheppard
on March 24, 1998. He made his debut with the Panthers two days later on March 26 and recorded a 5–4 win against the Canadiens. The following season, McLean recorded his first shutout with the Panthers in a 1–0 win against the Nashville Predators
. He went on to match his personal best 2.74 GAA in his first and only full season with the Panthers in 1998–99, playing in 30 games as Sean Burke's backup.
The following off-season, he signed a two-year deal, worth an approximate $1.64 million with bonus incentives for games played, as an unrestricted free agent with the New York Rangers on July 13, 1999. McLean was brought in to replace Dan Cloutier
, who had been traded away, as Mike Richter's backup. With Richter experiencing back problems early in the 1999–2000 season, McLean filled in as the Rangers' starter during the first month. He made his Rangers debut in the season opener, making 25 saves in a 2–1 loss on October 5, 1999. He completed the season with a 2.89 GAA in 22 games. The following campaign in 2000–01, McLean's GAA rose to 3.49 GAA in 23 games. After two seasons in New York and 17 seasons in the NHL overall, McLean retired in 2001.
in Bern and Fribourg
, Switzerland
. McLean was given the role of starting goaltender, with Ken Wregget
serving as his backup. Canada won its first four round robin games with McLean in net, including an 8–0 shutout victory versus Norway in which McLean split goaltending duties with Wregget, thus clinching a spot in the medal round. As the round robin continued, Canada added to their perfect record with a 5–3 victory over Czechoslovakia in which McLean stopped 25 of 28 shots for the victory. McLean started Canada's next game, a 3–1 victory versus Sweden, but was replaced in the second period by third string goaltender Bob Essensa
who had yet to play in the tournament. Following a 3–3 tie with the Soviet Union, Canada clinched first place in the round robin. The game was one of McLean's best of the tournament, as he managed to keep the Soviet Union at bay during the third period in which they had a 14–2 margin in shots on goal.
After suffering a 3–2 loss versus Czechoslovakia in the opening game of the medal round, Canada opted to start Essensa versus the Soviet Union. Essensa let in four early goals before being replaced by McLean, who let in another three in a 7–1 loss to move Canada out of contention for the gold medal. In the final game of the tournament versus Sweden, Canada suffered a 6–4 loss and finished fourth overall for the tournament, missing out on their opportunity for a bronze medal that would have come with a win versus Sweden.
of the WHL
. He served in that capacity for one season, in 2002–03. McLean also returned to the Canucks organization as a broadcaster for the team's pay-per-view telecasts.
McLean has also pursued the restaurant business in Vancouver
. He co-owns McLean's restaurant (opened June 24, 2010), the result of buying out other owners of So.cial at Le Magasin, a restaurant in the Gastown
neighbourhood that opened in April 2007, with his former Canucks head coach, Bob McCammon
. McLean is also a part-owner in the Burnaby Express
, a Junior A team in the BCHL
. The ownership group includes several other former NHLers, including Darcy Rota
, Bill Ranford
and Dave Lowry
.
On September 3, 2010, the Colorado Avalanche
announced they had hired McLean as their goaltending consultant; he worked part-time with the Avalanche in that capacity. During the 2010–11 season
, McLean was honoured by the Canucks in a ceremony prior to a game against the Avalanche on November 25, 2010. The organization made him the second inductee of the Canucks' Ring of Honour, commemorating the team's best players of all-time with plaques circling the Rogers Arena stands.
and BC Hockey for minor hockey associations. In September 2011, his off-ice efforts as a member of the Canucks' alumni were recognized and he was presented the Jake Milford
Award.
McLean has pursued various interests besides hockey during and after his playing career. An avid golf
er, he is part of the Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver and the Nicklaus North Golf Club in Whistler
. He was also accepted into the Royal Portrush Golf Club
in Northern Ireland
in 2008. McLean began playing regularly at the age of 10.
Involved in thoroughbred horse racing
, he co-owned Regal Discovery
, a colt who won the 136th Queen's Plate
in 1995, with his wife Lesley and her parents Anne and Ron Shaddock. McLean and Lesley have since divorced.
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...
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...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing 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...
(NHL) for the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, 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,...
, Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
, Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
and New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. He played in the style of a stand-up goaltender.
McLean played major junior hockey
Junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
with the Oshawa Generals
Oshawa Generals
The Oshawa Generals are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They are based in Oshawa, Ontario. The team is named for General Motors, an early sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. The Generals are one of the most successful franchises in Canadian Hockey League...
of the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
(OHL) and was drafted in the sixth round, 107th overall by the Devils in 1984
1984 NHL Entry Draft
The 1984 NHL Entry Draft took place on June 9, 1984, at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec.The 1984 Entry Draft was noted for the unusually high number of future Hall of Famers picked, particularly in lower rounds. In addition to Mario Lemieux being taken first overall, Patrick Roy was chosen...
. He played with the Devils' American Hockey League
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...
(AHL) affiliate, the Maine Mariners
Maine Mariners
The Maine Mariners were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Portland, Maine, USA at the Cumberland County Civic Center.-History:...
, before being traded to the Canucks in 1987. He is best known for his 10 and a half seasons with the Canucks, during which time he was a finalist for two Vezina Trophies
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
in 1989 and 1992, named to two NHL All-Star Games and received Second All-Star Team
NHL All-Star Team
The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are...
honours. In 1994
1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began after the conclusion of the 1993–94 NHL season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the...
, he backstopped the Canucks to the seventh game of the Stanley Cup Finals
1994 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1994 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series contested between the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers and Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League...
against the Rangers. In 1998, he was traded away and spent the final three seasons of his career with the Hurricanes, Panthers and Rangers, before retiring in 2001.
Since retiring, McLean has been a goaltending coach for the Kamloops Blazers
Kamloops Blazers
The Kamloops Blazers are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League based out of Kamloops, British Columbia. They play their home games at Interior Savings Centre.-History:...
of the Western Hockey League
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
(WHL), worked in broadcasting with the Canucks' pay-per-view telecasts and became a part-owner of the British Columbia Hockey League
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...
(BCHL)'s Burnaby Express (now Coquitlam Express). He has also become involved in the restaurant business in Vancouver.
Early life
McLean was born in Willowdale, Ontario, on June 26, 1966. He grew up dreaming of playing for the Toronto Maple LeafsToronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and looked up to NHL star Bernie Parent
Bernie Parent
Bernard Marcel Parent , better known as Bernie Parent, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs, and also spent one season in the World Hockey Association with the...
as a role model. Playing minor hockey
Minor hockey
Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from class to class...
in the Metro Toronto Hockey League
Greater Toronto Hockey League
The Greater Toronto Hockey League , formerly known as the "Metro Toronto Hockey League", is a minor level ice hockey organization based out of the Toronto region of Ontario. The league was founded in 1911 as the Beaches Hockey League by Fred C. Waghorne, Sr., and it is the largest minor hockey...
(MTHL) with the Don Mills Flyers, he recorded a 2.01 goals against average
Goals against average
Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender....
(GAA) over 26 games in the 1982–83 season.
New Jersey Devils (1985–87)
McLean played major juniorJunior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
in the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
(OHL) for three seasons with the Oshawa Generals
Oshawa Generals
The Oshawa Generals are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They are based in Oshawa, Ontario. The team is named for General Motors, an early sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. The Generals are one of the most successful franchises in Canadian Hockey League...
. Following his rookie season with the Generals, he was drafted by the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft
1984 NHL Entry Draft
The 1984 NHL Entry Draft took place on June 9, 1984, at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec.The 1984 Entry Draft was noted for the unusually high number of future Hall of Famers picked, particularly in lower rounds. In addition to Mario Lemieux being taken first overall, Patrick Roy was chosen...
with their sixth pick, 107th overall. He debuted with the Devils in 1985–86, appearing in two games after being called up from Oshawa on April 2, 1986. McLean had to compete with numerous other goaltenders in the Devils' system for ice time. Following the club's 1987 training camp, he and Craig Billington
Craig Billington
-International:-External links:*...
were sent to their 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...
affiliate, the Maine Mariners
Maine Mariners
The Maine Mariners were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Portland, Maine, USA at the Cumberland County Civic Center.-History:...
, while Karl Friesen
Karl Friesen
Karl Friesen is a retired ice hockey goaltender. Friesen played mostly in Germany and the American Hockey League, but he also played four games in the National Hockey League with the New Jersey Devils....
and Chris Terreri
Chris Terreri
Christopher Arnold Terreri is an American former goaltender for several NHL teams, most notably for the New Jersey Devils, with whom he played for twelve seasons....
were chosen to backup Alain Chevrier
Alain Chevrier
Alain Guy Chevrier is a retired Canadian ice hockey goaltender.Chevrier started his National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. He would also play with the Winnipeg Jets, Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings...
. Sean Burke
Sean Burke
Sean Burke is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New Jersey Devils, Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, Florida Panthers, Phoenix Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning and Los Angeles...
was also in the Devils' system, although he was playing for the Canadian National Team at the beginning of the season.
McLean was called up from Maine on December 19, 1986, after Friesen was released and Terreri was sidelined with the flu
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
. He arrived in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
three hours before game-time against the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
that day. He appeared in relief of Chevrier after the starter allowed three goals in the first 81 seconds. McLean allowed one goal on 24 shots for the rest of the game while earning the win in a 6–4 comeback victory. He appeared in four games during his call-up before being re-assigned on January 6, 1987. After his return to the AHL, McLean suffered an injury, damaging cartilage in his right knee during a game on February 15. The injury required arthroscopic surgery. He finished the campaign in Maine with a 15-23-4 record and 3.22 GAA in 45 games. While training in the off-season, McLean injured his left knee and underwent his second arthroscopic surgery on July 29, 1987.
Arrival to Stanley Cup run (1987–94)
Leading up to the 1987–88 season, McLean was traded, along with Greg Adams and a second round choice (Leif RohlinLeif Rohlin
Leif J. Rohlin is a former professional ice hockey defenceman who spent 2 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks and enjoyed a long career in Europe...
) in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft
1988 NHL Entry Draft
The 1988 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Forum in Montreal, Quebec.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft...
, 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,...
for centre Patrik Sundström
Patrik Sundström
Patrik Sundström is a retired professional ice hockey centre, who played in the NHL for ten seasons.- Playing career :Sundström was drafted 175th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft....
and the Canucks' second- (Jeff Christian
Jeff Christian
Jeff Christian is a retired Canadian ice hockey Left Winger. He played 18 games in the National Hockey League for the New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins and the Phoenix Coyotes.-Playing career:...
) and fourth-round draft picks (Matt Ruchty
Matt Ruchty
Matt Ruchty is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger. He was drafted by the New Jersey Devils 65th overall in 1988, but never played a game in the National Hockey League...
) in 1988, on September 15, 1987. The deal constituted the first major transactions by newly-appointed Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils general managers Pat Quinn
Pat Quinn (ice hockey)
John Brian Patrick Quinn , is a former head coach in the National Hockey League , most recently with the Edmonton Oilers. Known by the nickname "The Big Irishman",...
and Lou Lamoriello
Lou Lamoriello
Louis "Lou" Lamoriello is the CEO, president, and general manager of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League...
, respectively. McLean's acquisition was an integral part of Vancouver's rebuilding process, led by Quinn. Within the next two years, McLean was joined in the Canucks organization by additional franchise cornerstones Trevor Linden
Trevor Linden
Trevor John Linden, C.M., O.B.C. is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre and right wing with four different teams: the Vancouver Canucks , New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals...
and Pavel Bure
Pavel Bure
Pavel Vladimirovich Bure is a retired Russian professional ice hockey right winger. Nicknamed "The Russian Rocket" for his speed, Bure played for 12 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers...
. He became known to fans as "Captain Kirk", in reference to the Star Trek protagonist
James T. Kirk
James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. Kirk was first played by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series. Shatner voiced Kirk in the animated Star Trek series and appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies...
.
McLean made 14 saves in his Canucks debut, recording an 8–2 win over the St. Louis Blues in the season opener on October 8, 1987. He notched his first NHL career shutout later that season on February 17, 1988, making 27 saves in a 5–0 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
. McLean split playing time with long-time Canucks starter Richard Brodeur
Richard Brodeur
Richard "King Richard, Kermit" Brodeur known to many as "King Richard", is a retired Canadian ice hockey goaltender.-Playing career:...
in his first season in Vancouver, playing in 41 games with an 11-27-4 record, 3.71 GAA and .875 save percentage
Save percentage
Save percentage is an ice hockey and lacrosse statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal a goaltender stops...
. He won his first of three Molson Cups with the Canucks at the end of the season, having earned the most three stars selections on the team.
McLean emerged the following season in 1988–89 with a winning 20-17-3 record, 3.08 GAA and .891 save percentage. Early in the season, he returned to New Jersey in a game against the Devils and recorded a shutout against his former team in a 4–0 Canucks win on October 20, 1988. He went on to receive his first Vezina Trophy
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
nomination as the league's best goaltender and finished third in voting, losing to Patrick Roy
Patrick Roy
Patrick Edward Armand Roy is a former Canadian ice hockey goaltender. Nicknamed "Saint Patrick," Roy split his professional career between the Montreal Canadiens, whom he played with for 10 years, and the Colorado Avalanche, whom he played with for 8 years, both of the National Hockey League...
of the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
. In 1989–90, McLean appeared in his first NHL All-Star Game in Pittsburgh and was the top goaltender at the Skills Competition
NHL All-Star Game SuperSkills Competition
The NHL All-Star Game SuperSkills Competition, originally known as the National Hockey League All-Star Skills Competition, is an event on the night preceding the All-Star Game. Started at the 41st National Hockey League All-Star Game in Pittsburgh in 1990, the NHL uses the event to showcase the...
by allowing the fewest goals against for the Breakaway Relay and Rapid Fire events. He led the league in games and minutes played with 63 and 3,738, respectively. McLean also set Canucks records with 1,797 shots against and 1,581 saves (both marks have since been surpassed). Backstopping the Canucks to 21 wins, 33 losses and 10 ties, he won his first Cyclone Taylor Trophy
Cyclone Taylor Trophy
The Cyclone Taylor Award is the award given each year to the most valuable player on the Vancouver Canucks . It is named after Cyclone Taylor, a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who led the Vancouver Millionaires to the Stanley Cup in 1915...
as Canucks MVP and second Molson Cup.
Early in the 1990–91 season, McLean re-signed with the Canucks to a one-year contract with a second year option on October 16, 1990. He was set to make $145,000 prior to re-organizing his contract for the season. McLean struggled in his fourth year with the Canucks, however, recording a career-worst 3.99 GAA with a 10-22-3 record in 41 games.
McLean bounced back the following season in 1991–92, starting the season with five consecutive wins to be named league player of the week for October 3 to 13, 1991. He set an NHL record for wins in October with nine (McLean's mark was matched by the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
' Felix Potvin
Felix Potvin
Félix "The Cat" Potvin is a former National Hockey League goaltender.-QMJHL career:From 1988 through to 1991 Potvin played with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team...
and Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
' Dominic Roussel
Dominic Roussel
Dominic Roussel is a former professional ice hockey goaltender.-Playing career:Roussel was selected in the third round of the 1988 NHL Entry Draft, 63rd overall, by the Philadelphia Flyers and made his NHL debut during the 1991–92 season...
in October 1993 and surpassed by the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
' Manny Legace
Manny Legacé
Emmanuel Legace, is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League. He most recently played in the National Hockey League for the Carolina Hurricanes. He has also played in the National Hockey League for the Los...
's 10 wins in October 2005); he was named player of the month. Another season highlight for McLean occurred on December 4, when he stopped all 50 shots in a game against the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
to earn his third shutout of the season in a 3–0 win; the performance garnered a standing ovation from Canadiens fans at the Montreal Forum
Montreal Forum
The Montreal Forum was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by Sporting News, it was home of the National Hockey League's Montreal Maroons from 1924 to 1938 and the Montreal Canadiens from 1926 to 1996...
. McLean went on to lead the league with five shutouts (tied with the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
' Ed Belfour
Ed Belfour
Edward John Belfour is a former Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender.Belfour was born in Carman, Manitoba and grew up playing hockey. He played junior hockey for the Winkler Flyers before going to the University of North Dakota where he helped the school win the NCAA championship in the...
, the Canadiens' Patrick Roy and the Winnipeg Jets' Bob Essensa
Bob Essensa
Robert Earle Essensa is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey goaltender who spent 12 seasons in the National Hockey League...
) and 38 wins in 65 games (tied with the Red Wings' Tim Cheveldae
Tim Cheveldae
Timothy M. Cheveldae is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender. During his ten year National Hockey League career, he played with the Detroit Red Wings, Winnipeg Jets, and Boston Bruins.-Playing career:...
), as Vancouver won their first Smythe Division
Smythe Division
The NHL's Smythe Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Clarence Campbell Conference. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honor of Conn Smythe. It is the fore-runner of the NHL's Northwest Division and NHL's Pacific Division....
title since 1975. He appeared in his second All-Star Game, won his second Cyclone Taylor Trophy and was named to the Second All-Star Team
NHL All-Star Team
The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are...
. He earned his second Vezina Trophy nomination, finishing second in voting as Roy won the award once more. He recorded personal bests with a 2.74 GAA and 38 wins, the latter of which set a Canucks single-season goaltending record. (The mark stood for 15 years before Roberto Luongo
Roberto Luongo
Roberto Luongo is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . Born in Montreal, Quebec, he is of Italian and Irish ancestry. He employs the butterfly style of goaltending...
recorded 47 wins in 2006–07.) In the subsequent 1992 playoffs
1992 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 1992 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League began on April 18, after the conclusion of the 1991–92 NHL season...
, McLean recorded his first post-season shutout by stopping 33 shots in a 5–0 win against the Winnipeg Jets in game seven of the opening round. The win eliminated the Jets after the Canucks overcame a 3–1 series deficit.
McLean appeared in 54 games in 1992–93, posting a 28-21-3 record. He recorded three shutouts, which included back-to-back blankings in January 1993. Playing against the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the second round of the 1993 playoffs
1993 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began at the conclusion of the 1992–93 NHL season on April 18, and ended with the Stanley Cup win on June 9....
, McLean recorded his 15th playoff win in a 7–2 Game 4 victory, establishing himself as the winningest playoff goaltender in Canucks history. The Canucks were, however, eliminated in six games by Los Angeles, the eventual Western Conference
Western Conference (NHL)
The Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Eastern Conference....
champions.
Towards the end of the 1993–94 season, McLean became a part of hockey history in a game against the Los Angeles Kings on March 23, 1994, by allowing Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
's 802nd career NHL goal. The goal broke Gordie Howe
Gordie Howe
Gordon "Gordie" Howe, OC is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League , and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association . Howe is often referred to as Mr...
's record of 801, making Gretzky the all-time leading goal-scorer in NHL history. McLean finished the season with a losing 23-26-3 record, as the Canucks finished with the seventh seed in the Western Conference.
McLean's peak with the Canucks came during the subsequent 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs
1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began after the conclusion of the 1993–94 NHL season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the...
, when he backstopped them to the seventh game of the Stanley Cup Finals
1994 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1994 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series contested between the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers and Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League...
. Facing the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
in the opening round, he made one of the most memorable plays in Canucks and NHL playoff history – a series saving stop on Flames forward Robert Reichel
Robert Reichel
Robert Reichel is a former professional ice hockey centre and was a head coach of HC Litvínov of the Czech Extraliga until he resigned on January 22, 2011. He played in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes and Toronto Maple Leafs. Reichel was...
during the first overtime of the seventh game. Reichel had one-timed a pass from Theoren Fleury
Theoren Fleury
Theoren Wallace "Theo" Fleury is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League , Tappara of Finland's SM-liiga, and the Belfast Giants of the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League...
on a 3-on-1 when McLean threw out both his pads to make the stop and preserve the series. With McLean out of position and Reichel having had an open net to shoot at, the red light even came on at the Olympic Saddledome
Pengrowth Saddledome
The Scotiabank Saddledome is the primary indoor arena of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It has a seating capacity of 19,289 people.Located on the Stampede Grounds, on the east end of downtown Calgary, the Saddledome was built in 1983 to replace the Stampede Corral as the home of the Calgary Flames of...
to signal a goal. The following overtime, Bure scored to eliminate the Flames and advance the Canucks to the second round.
Vancouver defeated the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
the following round to advance to the semi-finals against the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. McLean posted back-to-back shutouts against the Leafs in the third and fourth games to tie the NHL playoff record of four shutouts in a single year (the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
' Mike Richter
Mike Richter
Michael Thomas Richter is a former ice hockey goaltender. One of the most successful American-born goaltenders in history, he is best known for having led the New York Rangers to the Stanley Cup title in 1994 and for repeatedly representing the United States in international play. Due to his...
also recorded four that year; they became the seventh and eighth goaltenders to tie the record. Five more goaltenders went on to record four shutouts until the Red Wings' Dominik Hasek
Dominik Hašek
Dominik Hašek is a Czech ice hockey goaltender who is currently with HC Spartak Moscow of the KHL.In his 16-season National Hockey League career, he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and the Ottawa Senators. During his years in Buffalo, he became one of the...
broke the record with six in 2002
2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championships of the National Hockey League, was played from April until June. The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Carolina Hurricanes four games to one to clinch the 10th championship in their history. It was the Hurricanes first ever appearance in the...
). He also became the first goaltender to record back-to-back shutouts in the semifinals since the Red Wings' Terry Sawchuk
Terry Sawchuk
Terrance Gordon Sawchuk was a Ukrainian-Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers.-Early life and playing career:Sawchuk was born and raised...
did so against the Maple Leafs in 1952. McLean's shutout streak lasted a total of 143 minutes and 17 seconds.
The Canucks went on to capture the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl
Clarence S. Campbell Bowl
The Clarence S. Campbell Bowl, or simply the Campbell Bowl, is a National Hockey League trophy awarded to the Western Conference playoff champions. It is named after Clarence S. Campbell, who served as President of the NHL from to . The trophy itself is constructed of sterling silver, crafted in...
as Western Conference champions to meet the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
in the Finals. McLean opened the series with a 52-save performance, including 17 in overtime, to win the first game 3–2. It was the second-most saves by a goaltender in a Stanley Cup Finals game, coming within four stops of Canadiens goaltender Ken Dryden
Ken Dryden
Kenneth Wayne Dryden, PC, is a Canadian politician, lawyer, businessman, author, and former NHL goaltender. Dryden is married with two children and four grandchildren and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame...
's 56 saves in 1971
1971 Stanley Cup Finals
-References:...
against the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
. It also remained the most saves by a Canucks goaltender in a playoff game until Luongo made 72 stops in 2007
2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 11, 2007. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions played a best-of-7 series for the...
. Canucks head coach Pat Quinn commented after the game that McLean's performance should be sent "in an instructional package...to young goaltender[s]." Although the Canucks managed to force a game seven after falling 3–1 in the series, they eventually lost the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
to the Rangers by a 3–2 score in the final game. McLean finished the 1994 playoffs with a 15-9 record, a 2.29 GAA and .928 save percentage. His 1,544 minutes played, 820 shots against and 761 saves all set playoff records (they have since been surpassed).
Post-lockout to trade (1994–97)
The following lockout-shortened 1994–95 season, McLean appeared in 40 of the Canucks 48 games, and recorded all the team's 18 wins. Winning his third and final Molson Cup, he posted a career-high .904 save percentage along with a 2.75 GAA. Before the season ended, McLean signed a five-year contract extension that included the 1994–95 season, worth an approximate $2.4 million per season, on April 5, 1995. Vancouver failed to defend their Western Conference title of the previous year's playoffs, however, as the Chicago Blackhawks swept them in the second round.McLean's play began to slip in 1995–96 as his GAA inflated to 3.54 and he recorded a losing 15-21-9 record. He was sidelined for six weeks during the season, beginning in January 1996, due to a cartilage tear in his left knee that required arthroscopic surgery. Rookie Corey Hirsch
Corey Hirsch
Corey Hirsch is a retired Canadian ice hockey goaltender. He spent the majority of his National Hockey League career with the Vancouver Canucks. He is currently the goaltending coach for the St...
, who began the season as McLean's backup, in comparison recorded a 2.93 GAA and a 17-14-6 record. McLean was chosen to start in the opening series against the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
, but was pulled in favour of Hirsch during Game 1 after allowing three goals on 12 shots. The game marked McLean's final playoff appearance of his career as Hirsch played the remaining five games. The Avalanche eliminated Vancouver in six games and went on to win the Stanley Cup.
McLean reinjured his knee during the 1996–97 season during a game against the Dallas Stars on November 11, 1996. He missed approximately a month after undergoing his second arthroscopic surgery of the year in mid-November 1996. McLean and Hirsch continued to share starts in 1996–97, as McLean appeared in 44 games with a 21-18-3 record and 3.21 GAA.
Post-Vancouver (1998–2001)
McLean's tenure with the Canucks ended the following season in 1997–98. Pat Quinn was dismissed as general manager early in the campaign and was replaced by a four-man committee of team executives. On the recommendation of newly-hired head coach Mike KeenanMike Keenan
Michael Edward Keenan is a former head coach in the National Hockey League , most recently with the Calgary Flames, and former General Manager of the Florida Panthers. He is currently working as an analyst for the New York Rangers on MSG Network.Keenan was a player for the St...
, the management team dealt McLean to the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
on January 3, 1998. He was sent in a trade, along with winger Martin Gélinas
Martin Gelinas
Martin Gélinas is a former professional ice hockey forward and the current director of player development with the Nashville Predators.-Playing career:Gelinas made a splash in 1987–88 with the Hull Olympiques of the QMJHL with a 63-goal, 131-point campaign...
, in exchange for goaltender Sean Burke and wingers Geoff Sanderson
Geoff Sanderson
Geoff M. Sanderson is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger, most notably for the Hartford Whalers and Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League . Sanderson is currently a scout for the New York Islanders...
and Enrico Ciccone
Enrico Ciccone
Enrico Ciccone is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman.Ciccone was drafted in 1990 by the Minnesota North Stars. After playing just 31 games with the North Stars, he was traded to the Washington Capitals prior to the 1993–94 NHL season. After just 51 games, he was traded to the Tampa Bay...
.
After ten-and-a-half seasons in Vancouver, McLean left as the franchise's all-time leader in regular season games played (516), wins (211) and shutouts (20), as well as playoff games played (68), wins (34) and shutouts (6). (Luongo surpassed McLean's regular season shutouts total with his 21st on October 26, 2009.) McLean's departure marked the beginning of an unstable period of time for Canucks goaltending. In the seven-and-a-half seasons between the time McLean was traded away and Luongo was acquired by the Canucks, a total of 18 goaltenders played for the club. General manager Brian Burke, who succeeded the four-man committee, coined the term "goalie graveyard" during his time in Vancouver to describe the club's goaltending fortunes.
McLean entered his first game with the Hurricanes with the NHL's worst GAA at 3.68, but helped his new club to a 4–1 win to record his first victory with Carolina. His tenure in Carolina was brief, as the Hurricanes traded him after eight appearances to the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
for forward Ray Sheppard
Ray Sheppard
Raymond Sheppard is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played in the NHL from 1987 to 2000.Sheppard was selected 60th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. He played 817 career NHL games, scoring 357 goals and 300 assists for 657 points...
on March 24, 1998. He made his debut with the Panthers two days later on March 26 and recorded a 5–4 win against the Canadiens. The following season, McLean recorded his first shutout with the Panthers in a 1–0 win against the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. He went on to match his personal best 2.74 GAA in his first and only full season with the Panthers in 1998–99, playing in 30 games as Sean Burke's backup.
The following off-season, he signed a two-year deal, worth an approximate $1.64 million with bonus incentives for games played, as an unrestricted free agent with the New York Rangers on July 13, 1999. McLean was brought in to replace Dan Cloutier
Dan Cloutier
Dan Cloutier is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey goaltender. In his 10-year National Hockey League career, Cloutier played with the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver Canucks, and Los Angeles Kings, spending the majority of his career in Vancouver...
, who had been traded away, as Mike Richter's backup. With Richter experiencing back problems early in the 1999–2000 season, McLean filled in as the Rangers' starter during the first month. He made his Rangers debut in the season opener, making 25 saves in a 2–1 loss on October 5, 1999. He completed the season with a 2.89 GAA in 22 games. The following campaign in 2000–01, McLean's GAA rose to 3.49 GAA in 23 games. After two seasons in New York and 17 seasons in the NHL overall, McLean retired in 2001.
International play
Over the course of his career, McLean represented Canada in international competition once. On March 28, 1990, McLean was among the players named to Canada's roster for the 1990 World Championships1990 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
-Final Round:-Consolation Round:Norway needing to keep their final game within four goals, lost four to nothing to the Germans, and were relegated....
in Bern and Fribourg
Fribourg
Fribourg is the capital of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and the district of Sarine. It is located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss plateau, and is an important economic, administrative and educational center on the cultural border between German and French Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. McLean was given the role of starting goaltender, with Ken Wregget
Ken Wregget
Kenneth Wregget is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He won the Stanley Cup in 1992 with the Pittsburgh Penguins.-Playing career:...
serving as his backup. Canada won its first four round robin games with McLean in net, including an 8–0 shutout victory versus Norway in which McLean split goaltending duties with Wregget, thus clinching a spot in the medal round. As the round robin continued, Canada added to their perfect record with a 5–3 victory over Czechoslovakia in which McLean stopped 25 of 28 shots for the victory. McLean started Canada's next game, a 3–1 victory versus Sweden, but was replaced in the second period by third string goaltender Bob Essensa
Bob Essensa
Robert Earle Essensa is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey goaltender who spent 12 seasons in the National Hockey League...
who had yet to play in the tournament. Following a 3–3 tie with the Soviet Union, Canada clinched first place in the round robin. The game was one of McLean's best of the tournament, as he managed to keep the Soviet Union at bay during the third period in which they had a 14–2 margin in shots on goal.
After suffering a 3–2 loss versus Czechoslovakia in the opening game of the medal round, Canada opted to start Essensa versus the Soviet Union. Essensa let in four early goals before being replaced by McLean, who let in another three in a 7–1 loss to move Canada out of contention for the gold medal. In the final game of the tournament versus Sweden, Canada suffered a 6–4 loss and finished fourth overall for the tournament, missing out on their opportunity for a bronze medal that would have come with a win versus Sweden.
Post-playing career
Following McLean's retirement, he was hired as a goaltending coach for the Kamloops BlazersKamloops Blazers
The Kamloops Blazers are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League based out of Kamloops, British Columbia. They play their home games at Interior Savings Centre.-History:...
of the WHL
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
. He served in that capacity for one season, in 2002–03. McLean also returned to the Canucks organization as a broadcaster for the team's pay-per-view telecasts.
McLean has also pursued the restaurant business in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. He co-owns McLean's restaurant (opened June 24, 2010), the result of buying out other owners of So.cial at Le Magasin, a restaurant in the Gastown
Gastown
Gastown is a national historic site in Vancouver, British Columbia, at the northeast end of Downtown adjacent to the Downtown Eastside. Its historical boundaries were the waterfront , Columbia Street, Hastings Street, and Cambie Street, which were the borders of the 1870 townsite survey, the proper...
neighbourhood that opened in April 2007, with his former Canucks head coach, Bob McCammon
Bob McCammon
Robert "Bob" McCammon is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre and a former National Hockey League and American Hockey League head coach and general manager. He was a pro scout with the Detroit Red Wings....
. McLean is also a part-owner in the Burnaby Express
Burnaby Express
The Coquitlam Express are a Junior "A" ice hockey team based in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Coastal Conference of the British Columbia Hockey League...
, a Junior A team in the BCHL
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...
. The ownership group includes several other former NHLers, including Darcy Rota
Darcy Rota
Darcy Irwin Rota is a retired professional ice hockey player who spent eleven seasons in the National Hockey League...
, Bill Ranford
Bill Ranford
William Edward Ranford is a former professional ice hockey goaltender and current goaltending coach for the Los Angeles Kings. He graduated from New Westminster Secondary School in 1985. He was selected in the third round of the 1985 NHL Entry Draft, 52nd overall, by the Boston Bruins...
and Dave Lowry
Dave Lowry
David John Lowry is a retired professional ice hockey player from Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. He played in the National Hockey League from 1985 to 2004...
.
On September 3, 2010, the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
announced they had hired McLean as their goaltending consultant; he worked part-time with the Avalanche in that capacity. During the 2010–11 season
2010–11 NHL season
The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
, McLean was honoured by the Canucks in a ceremony prior to a game against the Avalanche on November 25, 2010. The organization made him the second inductee of the Canucks' Ring of Honour, commemorating the team's best players of all-time with plaques circling the Rogers Arena stands.
Personal life
Following his retirement, McLean moved back to Vancouver, where he joined the Canucks' alumni squad. The group is active in the local community, participating in fundraisers and working alongside Hockey CanadaHockey Canada
Hockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
and BC Hockey for minor hockey associations. In September 2011, his off-ice efforts as a member of the Canucks' alumni were recognized and he was presented the Jake Milford
Jake Milford
John Calverley "Jake" Milford was a general manager in the National Hockey League....
Award.
McLean has pursued various interests besides hockey during and after his playing career. An avid golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er, he is part of the Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver and the Nicklaus North Golf Club in Whistler
Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
. He was also accepted into the Royal Portrush Golf Club
Royal Portrush Golf Club
Royal Portrush Golf Club is a private golf club in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is the only golf club outside of the UK Mainland which has hosted The Open Championship, the oldest of golf's major championships. The club has two links courses, the Dunluce Links and the Valley Links.The...
in Northern Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in 2008. McLean began playing regularly at the age of 10.
Involved in thoroughbred horse racing
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
, he co-owned Regal Discovery
Regal Discovery
Regal Discovery was a Canadian Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1995 Queen's Plate, Canada's most prestigious race and North America's oldest annually run stakes race....
, a colt who won the 136th Queen's Plate
Queen's Plate
The Queen's Plate is Canada's oldest thoroughbred horse race. It is run at a distance of 1¼ miles for 3-year-old thoroughbred horses foaled in Canada. The race takes place each summer in June or July at Woodbine Racetrack, Etobicoke , Ontario...
in 1995, with his wife Lesley and her parents Anne and Ron Shaddock. McLean and Lesley have since divorced.
Regular season
| 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 | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA Goals against average Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender.... |
SA Shot on goal In ice hockey, a shot on goal is a shot that will enter the goal if it is not stopped by the goaltender. A shot on goal must result in either a goal or a save.... |
SV | SV% Save percentage Save percentage is an ice hockey and lacrosse statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal a goaltender stops... |
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... |
PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982–83 | Don Mills Flyers | MTHL Greater Toronto Hockey League The Greater Toronto Hockey League , formerly known as the "Metro Toronto Hockey League", is a minor level ice hockey organization based out of the Toronto region of Ontario. The league was founded in 1911 as the Beaches Hockey League by Fred C. Waghorne, Sr., and it is the largest minor hockey... |
26 | 1575 | 52 | 0 | 2.01 | |||||||||
| 1983–84 | Oshawa Generals Oshawa Generals The Oshawa Generals are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They are based in Oshawa, Ontario. The team is named for General Motors, an early sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. The Generals are one of the most successful franchises in Canadian Hockey League... |
OHL Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada.... |
17 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 940 | 67 | 0 | 4.28 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| 1984–85 1984–85 OHL season The 1984–85 OHL season was the 5th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Fifteen teams each played 66 games. The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Peterborough Petes. The Greyhounds also set an OHL record that still stands, going 33–0 at home in the regular... |
Oshawa Generals | OHL | 47 | 23 | 17 | 2 | 2,581 | 143 | 1 | 3.32 | — | — | — | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 1985–86 1985–86 OHL season The 1985–86 OHL season was the 6th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Fifteen teams each played 66 games. The Guelph Platers won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Belleville Bulls.-Final standings:-Scoring leaders:-Division Quarterfinals:... |
Oshawa Generals | OHL | 51 | 24 | 21 | 2 | 2,380 | 169 | 1 | 3.58 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 1985–86 | New Jersey Devils New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL 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... |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 111 | 11 | 0 | 5.95 | 59 | 48 | .814 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986–87 1986–87 AHL season The 1986–87 AHL season was the 51st season of the American Hockey League. Thirteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The league institutes awarding one point in the standings, for an overtime loss... |
Maine Mariners Maine Mariners The Maine Mariners were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Portland, Maine, USA at the Cumberland County Civic Center.-History:... |
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... |
45 | 15 | 23 | 4 | 2,606 | 140 | 1 | 3.22 | 1,316 | 1,176 | .894 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 1986–87 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 160 | 10 | 0 | 3.75 | 73 | 63 | .863 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987–88 | 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 | 41 | 11 | 27 | 3 | 2,380 | 147 | 1 | 3.71 | 1,178 | 1,031 | .875 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| 1988–89 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 42 | 20 | 17 | 3 | 2,477 | 127 | 4 | 3.08 | 1,169 | 1,042 | .891 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 1989–90 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 63 | 21 | 30 | 10 | 3,739 | 216 | 0 | 3.47 | 1,804 | 1,588 | .880 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| 1990–91 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 41 | 10 | 22 | 3 | 1,969 | 131 | 0 | 3.99 | 983 | 852 | .867 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 1991–92 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 65 | 38 | 17 | 9 | 3,852 | 176 | 5 | 2.74 | 1,780 | 1,604 | .901 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 1992–93 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 54 | 28 | 21 | 5 | 3,261 | 184 | 3 | 3.39 | 1,615 | 1,431 | .886 | 0 | 1 | 16 |
| 1993–94 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 52 | 23 | 26 | 3 | 3,128 | 156 | 3 | 2.99 | 1,430 | 1,274 | .891 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| 1994–95 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 40 | 18 | 12 | 10 | 2,374 | 109 | 1 | 2.75 | 1,140 | 1,031 | .904 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 1995–96 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 45 | 15 | 21 | 9 | 2,644 | 156 | 2 | 3.54 | 1,292 | 1,136 | .879 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| 1996–97 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 44 | 21 | 18 | 3 | 2,581 | 138 | 0 | 3.21 | 1,247 | 1,109 | .889 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 1997–98 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 29 | 6 | 17 | 4 | 1,583 | 97 | 1 | 3.68 | 800 | 703 | .879 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997–98 | Carolina Hurricanes Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center... |
NHL | 8 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 401 | 20 | 0 | 2.99 | 180 | 160 | .889 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1997–98 | Florida Panthers Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the... |
NHL | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 406 | 22 | 0 | 3.25 | 207 | 185 | .894 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998–99 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 30 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 1,597 | 73 | 2 | 2.74 | 727 | 654 | .900 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1999–00 | New York Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
NHL | 22 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 1,206 | 58 | 0 | 2.89 | 558 | 500 | .896 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2000–01 | New York Rangers | NHL | 23 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 1,220 | 71 | 0 | 3.49 | 639 | 568 | .889 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NHL totals | 612 | 245 | 262 | 72 | 35,090 | 1,904 | 22 | 3.26 | 16,882 | 14,978 | .887 | 0 | 23 | 58 | ||
Playoffs
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SA | SV | SV% | G | A | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Oshawa Generals | OHL | 5 | 1 | 3 | 271 | 21 | 0 | 4.65 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1986 | Oshawa Generals | OHL | 4 | 1 | 2 | 201 | 18 | 0 | 5.37 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1989 1989 Stanley Cup playoffs The 1989 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League began on April 5, after the conclusion of the 1988–89 NHL season... |
Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 5 | 2 | 3 | 302 | 18 | 0 | 3.57 | 167 | 149 | .892 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1991 1991 Stanley Cup playoffs The 1991 Stanley Cup playoffs for the National Hockey League championship began on April 3, 1991, following the 1990–91 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, from the top four teams of the four divisions, played best-of-seven series with re-seeding after the division finals... |
Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 2 | 1 | 1 | 123 | 7 | 0 | 3.41 | 66 | 59 | .894 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 1992 Stanley Cup playoffs The 1992 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League began on April 18, after the conclusion of the 1991–92 NHL season... |
Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 13 | 6 | 7 | 785 | 33 | 2 | 2.54 | 364 | 331 | .909 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1993 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs The 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began at the conclusion of the 1992–93 NHL season on April 18, and ended with the Stanley Cup win on June 9.... |
Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 12 | 6 | 6 | 754 | 42 | 0 | 3.34 | 369 | 327 | .886 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1994 1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs The 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began after the conclusion of the 1993–94 NHL season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the... |
Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 24 | 15 | 9 | 1,544 | 59 | 4 | 2.29 | 820 | 761 | .928 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1995 1995 Stanley Cup Playoffs The 1995 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League was played between May 6 and June 24, 1995. In the Final, the New Jersey Devils swept the favored Detroit Red Wings in four games to win their first championship. The Quebec Nordiques played their last ever playoff series... |
Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 11 | 4 | 7 | 660 | 21 | 0 | 3.27 | 336 | 315 | .893 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1996 1996 Stanley Cup Playoffs The 1996 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began in April, 1996. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions played a... |
Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 8.57 | 12 | 9 | .750 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NHL totals | 68 | 34 | 34 | 4,188 | 198 | 6 | 2.84 | 2,134 | 1,936 | .907 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
International
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SA | SV | SV% | G | A | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 1990 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -Final Round:-Consolation Round:Norway needing to keep their final game within four goals, lost four to nothing to the Germans, and were relegated.... |
Canada | WC Ice Hockey World Championships The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European... |
10 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 457 | 27 | 0 | 3.54 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| International totals | 10 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 457 | 27 | 0 | 3.54 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
- Bold denotes league-leading statistic.
All-Star Games
| Year | Location | Decision | MIN | GA | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 41st National Hockey League All-Star Game The 41st National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, home to the Pittsburgh Penguins, on January 21, 1990. The game saw the team of all-stars from the Wales conference defeat the Campbell conference all-stars 12–7... |
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original... |
— | 30:46 | 4 | 7.80 |
| 1992 43rd National Hockey League All-Star Game The 43rd NHL All-Star Game featured 16 goals as the Campbell Conference defeated the Wales Conference, 10–6. Brett Hull was named as the All-Star M.V.P... |
Philadelphia Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
— | 20:00 | 3 | 9.00 |
| All-Star totals | 0–0–0 | 50:46 | 7 | 8.27 | |
NHL
| Award | Year(s) |
|---|---|
| Vezina Trophy Vezina Trophy The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team... finalist |
1989, 1992 |
| NHL All-Star Game | 1990 41st National Hockey League All-Star Game The 41st National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, home to the Pittsburgh Penguins, on January 21, 1990. The game saw the team of all-stars from the Wales conference defeat the Campbell conference all-stars 12–7... , 1992 43rd National Hockey League All-Star Game The 43rd NHL All-Star Game featured 16 goals as the Campbell Conference defeated the Wales Conference, 10–6. Brett Hull was named as the All-Star M.V.P... |
| Second All-Star Team NHL All-Star Team The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are... |
1992 |
| Sporting News Second All-Star Team | 1992 |
Vancouver Canucks
| Award | Year(s) |
|---|---|
| Molson Cup (most three-star selections) | 1988, 1990, 1995 |
| Cyclone Taylor Trophy Cyclone Taylor Trophy The Cyclone Taylor Award is the award given each year to the most valuable player on the Vancouver Canucks . It is named after Cyclone Taylor, a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who led the Vancouver Millionaires to the Stanley Cup in 1915... (team MVP) |
1990, 1992 |
| Ring of Honour | 2010 |
| Jake Milford Award | 2011 |
All-time
- Regular season games played, goaltender - 516
- Regular season wins, goaltender - 211
- Regular season losses, goaltender – 228
- Playoff games played, goaltender - 68
- Playoff wins, goaltender - 34
- Playoff losses, goaltender – 34
- Playoff shutouts - 6
Single-season
- Playoff wins – 15 (19941994 Stanley Cup PlayoffsThe 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began after the conclusion of the 1993–94 NHL season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the...
) - Playoff shutouts – 4 (1994) (tied with Roberto LuongoRoberto LuongoRoberto Luongo is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . Born in Montreal, Quebec, he is of Italian and Irish ancestry. He employs the butterfly style of goaltending...
, 20112011 Stanley Cup playoffsThe 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 13, 2011, after the conclusion of the 2010–11 NHL regular season. Game 1 of the Finals was held on June 1, while Game 7 was held on June 15...
) - Playoff shots against – 820 (1994)
- Playoff saves – 761 (1994)
- Playoff minutes played – 1,543 (1994)
Transactions
- June 9, 1984 – Drafted in the sixth round, 107th overall by the New Jersey DevilsNew Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft1984 NHL Entry DraftThe 1984 NHL Entry Draft took place on June 9, 1984, at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec.The 1984 Entry Draft was noted for the unusually high number of future Hall of Famers picked, particularly in lower rounds. In addition to Mario Lemieux being taken first overall, Patrick Roy was chosen...
. - September 15, 1987 – Traded by the New Jersey Devils with Greg Adams and the Devils' second round selection (Leif RohlinLeif RohlinLeif J. Rohlin is a former professional ice hockey defenceman who spent 2 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks and enjoyed a long career in Europe...
) in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft1988 NHL Entry DraftThe 1988 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Forum in Montreal, Quebec.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft...
to the Vancouver CanucksVancouver CanucksThe 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,...
for Patrik SundstromPatrik SundströmPatrik Sundström is a retired professional ice hockey centre, who played in the NHL for ten seasons.- Playing career :Sundström was drafted 175th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft....
, the Canucks' second round selection (Jeff ChristianJeff ChristianJeff Christian is a retired Canadian ice hockey Left Winger. He played 18 games in the National Hockey League for the New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins and the Phoenix Coyotes.-Playing career:...
) in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft, and the Canucks' fourth round selection (Matt RuchtyMatt RuchtyMatt Ruchty is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger. He was drafted by the New Jersey Devils 65th overall in 1988, but never played a game in the National Hockey League...
) in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. - January 3, 1998 – Traded by the Vancouver Canucks with Martin GélinasMartin GelinasMartin Gélinas is a former professional ice hockey forward and the current director of player development with the Nashville Predators.-Playing career:Gelinas made a splash in 1987–88 with the Hull Olympiques of the QMJHL with a 63-goal, 131-point campaign...
to the Carolina HurricanesCarolina HurricanesThe Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
for Sean BurkeSean BurkeSean Burke is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New Jersey Devils, Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, Florida Panthers, Phoenix Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning and Los Angeles...
, Enrico CicconeEnrico CicconeEnrico Ciccone is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman.Ciccone was drafted in 1990 by the Minnesota North Stars. After playing just 31 games with the North Stars, he was traded to the Washington Capitals prior to the 1993–94 NHL season. After just 51 games, he was traded to the Tampa Bay...
, and Geoff SandersonGeoff SandersonGeoff M. Sanderson is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger, most notably for the Hartford Whalers and Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League . Sanderson is currently a scout for the New York Islanders...
. - March 24, 1998 – Traded by the Carolina Hurricanes to the Florida PanthersFlorida PanthersThe Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
for Ray SheppardRay SheppardRaymond Sheppard is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played in the NHL from 1987 to 2000.Sheppard was selected 60th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. He played 817 career NHL games, scoring 357 goals and 300 assists for 657 points...
. - July 13, 1999 – Signed as an unrestricted free agent by the New York RangersNew York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
.