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| == Later career == | == Later career == | ||
| Widely viewed at the time as a personal favor from Edmonton general manager ] to his best friend, then-Bruins' general manager ], the Oilers took a chance on MacTavish and signed him for the ]. Sather's gamble turned out to be a good one, as MacTavish spent eight full seasons with the Oilers, helping the Oilers win three ]s 1987, 1988, 1990 and serving as team captain from 1992 to 1994. MacTavish was traded to the ] in 1994, just in time to help several other former Oilers (including ], ], ], ], ], and ]) win the Stanley Cup.<ref name="StephenCole">{{cite book|last=Cole|first=Stephen|title=The Best of Hockey Night in Canada|year=2004|publisher=McArthur & Company|location=Toronto|page=128|isbn=978-1-55278-408-2}}</ref> | Widely viewed at the time as a personal favor from Edmonton general manager ] to his best friend, then-Bruins' general manager ], the Oilers took a chance on MacTavish and signed him for the ]. (Sather insisted, however, that MacTavish agree contractually that he would not ever be allowed to drive the team bus. MacTavish readily agreed to this contractual term.) Sather's gamble turned out to be a good one, as MacTavish spent eight full seasons with the Oilers, helping the Oilers win three ]s 1987, 1988, 1990 and serving as team captain from 1992 to 1994. MacTavish was traded to the ] in 1994, just in time to help several other former Oilers (including ], ], ], ], ], and ]) win the Stanley Cup.<ref name="StephenCole">{{cite book|last=Cole|first=Stephen|title=The Best of Hockey Night in Canada|year=2004|publisher=McArthur & Company|location=Toronto|page=128|isbn=978-1-55278-408-2}}</ref> | ||
| The next season MacTavish signed with the ] as a free agent, and was traded to the ] during the ]. MacTavish retired following the ]. He was the last helmetless player, having begun his career before ] became mandatory (then-current players were allowed to remain bare-headed under a ]). | The next season MacTavish signed with the ] as a free agent, and was traded to the ] during the ]. MacTavish retired following the ]. He was the last helmetless player, having begun his career before ] became mandatory (then-current players were allowed to remain bare-headed under a ]). | ||
Revision as of 00:36, 25 January 2011
Ice hockey player| Craig MacTavish | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
(1958-08-15) August 15, 1958 (age 66) London, ON, CAN | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Played for |
Boston Bruins (1979–1984) Edmonton Oilers (1985–1994) New York Rangers (1994) Philadelphia Flyers (1994–1996) St. Louis Blues (1996–1997) | ||
| NHL draft |
153 overall, 1978 Boston Bruins | ||
| Playing career | 1979–1997 | ||
Craig "MacT" MacTavish (born August 15, 1958) is a former ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League. He played centre for 19 NHL seasons with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis Blues. MacTavish later coached the Oilers from 2000 to 2009. He has also served as assistant coach with the Rangers and Oilers. He is known for being the last NHL player to play without a helmet. He is also remembered as the player who took the last faceoff for the New York Rangers in Game Seven of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals against the Vancouver Canucks with two seconds left, helping give the Rangers their first Stanley Cup in 54 years.
Early career
MacTavish played two years of NCAA hockey with the University of Massachusetts Lowell, from 1977 to 1979. He was drafted by the Boston Bruins in the 1978 NHL Entry Draft with their ninth pick, 153rd overall, and spent the next several years splitting time between the Bruins and various American Hockey League teams. He finally made the Bruins for good in 1982–83 and played two full seasons with them.
Manslaughter conviction
MacTavish missed the 1984–85 season after being convicted of vehicular homicide, having struck and killed a young woman while he was driving under the influence of alcohol. MacTavish pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol in an accident the night of January 25, 1984 in Peabody, Massachusetts. Kim Radley, 26, of West Newfield, Maine, died four days later of injuries sustained in the crash. MacTavish spent a year in jail as punishment for this offence. While incarcerated, he watched most of the games that were televised. After MacTavish was released from prison, the Bruins offered to let him out of his contract. MacTavish accepted.
Later career
Widely viewed at the time as a personal favor from Edmonton general manager Glen Sather to his best friend, then-Bruins' general manager Harry Sinden, the Oilers took a chance on MacTavish and signed him for the 1985–86 season. (Sather insisted, however, that MacTavish agree contractually that he would not ever be allowed to drive the team bus. MacTavish readily agreed to this contractual term.) Sather's gamble turned out to be a good one, as MacTavish spent eight full seasons with the Oilers, helping the Oilers win three Stanley Cups 1987, 1988, 1990 and serving as team captain from 1992 to 1994. MacTavish was traded to the New York Rangers in 1994, just in time to help several other former Oilers (including Kevin Lowe, Glenn Anderson, Adam Graves, Jeff Beukeboom, Esa Tikkanen, and Mark Messier) win the Stanley Cup.
The next season MacTavish signed with the Philadelphia Flyers as a free agent, and was traded to the St. Louis Blues during the 1995–96 season. MacTavish retired following the 1996–97 season. He was the last helmetless player, having begun his career before helmets became mandatory (then-current players were allowed to remain bare-headed under a grandfather clause).
Coaching career
MacTavish returned for the 1997–98 season as an assistant coach with the Rangers. After two seasons in New York, he joined the Oilers as an assistant coach in the 1999–2000 season. He was subsequently promoted to the top job after head coach Kevin Lowe was promoted to general manager of the Oilers.
In the 2005–06 season, MacTavish led the Oilers on their run to the Stanley Cup Finals. In the first round of the playoffs, MacTavish shocked the hockey world by utilizing a trapping defensive system to neutralize a potent Detroit Red Wings offense. This closed defensive system, while popular in the pre-2004 lockout NHL, had been deemed by many to be unworkable under the league's new anti-obstruction regulations. The Oilers were able to deny scoring chances by blocking shots with their bodies—something for which MacTavish was known for during his playing career. This proved effective; the eighth-seeded Oilers won the opening round 4–2, against the #1 seed, the Detroit Red Wings. Along the way the Oilers defeated the San Jose Sharks and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, by scores of 4–2 and 4–1 respectively. The Oilers could not complete their run, losing a thrilling seven-game Finals series to the Carolina Hurricanes, though they rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to even it. The Oilers had not reached the Stanley Cup Finals since their championship season of 1990 during MacTavish's playing tenure in Edmonton.
On November 4, 2006, one day after the Oilers lost to the Dallas Stars due to an apparent blown call in the last five seconds of the third period by referee Mick McGeough, MacTavish was fined $10,000 for expressing his anger after the game, referring to the call as "retarded". After this incident, Oilers fans collected over $10,000 and gave it to MacTavish, who subsequently donated the money to charity.
On April 15, 2009, Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini announced that MacTavish had been relieved of his duties as head coach of the club. The Oilers had failed to reach the playoffs for the third year in a row. He finished his tenure with the Oilers at 36th on the all-time NHL list with 301 wins.
TSN Commentator
Failing to be picked up by another team in the coaching department, on September 21, 2009, MacTavish began the first of twenty-five in-studio appearances with TSN as a hockey commentator. He is known for his large vocabulary, keen wit and sense of humour with the media.
Awards and achievements
- 1986–87 – Stanley Cup (Edmonton)
- 1987–88 – Stanley Cup (Edmonton)
- 1989–90 – Stanley Cup (Edmonton)
- 1993–94 – Stanley Cup (New York)
- 1995–96 – Played in NHL All-Star Game
Coaching record
| Team | Year | Regular season | Post season | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | Finish | W | L | Win % | Result | ||
| EDM | 2000–01 | 82 | 39 | 28 | 12 | 3 | 93 | 2 in Northwest | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost in 1st Round (Dallas) |
| EDM | 2001–02 | 82 | 38 | 28 | 12 | 4 | 92 | 3 in Northwest | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
| EDM | 2002–03 | 82 | 36 | 26 | 11 | 9 | 92 | 4 in Northwest | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost in 1st Round (Dallas) |
| EDM | 2003–04 | 82 | 36 | 29 | 12 | 5 | 89 | 4 in Northwest | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
| EDM | 2005–06 | 82 | 41 | 28 | — | 13 | 95 | 3 in Northwest | 15 | 9 | .625 | Lost in Stanley Cup Finals (Carolina) |
| EDM | 2006–07 | 82 | 32 | 43 | — | 7 | 71 | 5 in Northwest | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
| EDM | 2007–08 | 82 | 41 | 35 | — | 6 | 88 | 4 in Northwest | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
| EDM | 2008–09 | 82 | 38 | 35 | — | 9 | 85 | 4 in Northwest | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
| Career Total | 656 | 301 | 252 | 47 | 56 | 694 | 19 | 17 | .528 | |||
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1979–80 | Binghamton Dusters | AHL | 34 | 17 | 15 | 32 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 46 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | ||
| 1980–81 | Springfield Indians | AHL | 53 | 19 | 24 | 43 | 89 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 8 | ||
| 1980–81 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 24 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Erie Blades | AHL | 72 | 23 | 32 | 55 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 75 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 18 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 18 | ||
| 1983–84 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 70 | 20 | 23 | 43 | 35 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1984-85 | Did not play (incarcerated) | |||||||||||||
| 1985–86 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 74 | 23 | 24 | 47 | 70 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 11 | ||
| 1986–87 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 79 | 20 | 19 | 39 | 55 | 21 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 16 | ||
| 1987–88 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 80 | 15 | 17 | 32 | 47 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 31 | ||
| 1988–89 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 80 | 21 | 31 | 52 | 55 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 1989–90 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 80 | 21 | 22 | 43 | 89 | 22 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 29 | ||
| 1990–91 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 80 | 17 | 15 | 32 | 76 | 18 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 20 | ||
| 1991–92 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 80 | 12 | 18 | 30 | 98 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 28 | ||
| 1992–93 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 82 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 110 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 66 | 16 | 10 | 26 | 80 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | New York Rangers | NHL | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 23 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 22 | ||
| 1994–95 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 45 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 23 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 20 | ||
| 1995–96 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 55 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 1996–97 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 50 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 33 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| NHL totals | 1093 | 213 | 267 | 480 | 891 | 193 | 20 | 38 | 58 | 218 | ||||
See also
Notes
- Craig MacTavish—A Student of the Game
- Last Helmetless Player in the NHL Video - NHL VideoCenter
- Edmonton Oilers Legends: Craig MacTavish
- ^ Cole, Stephen (2004). The Best of Hockey Night in Canada. Toronto: McArthur & Company. p. 128. ISBN 978-1-55278-408-2.
- "SPORTS PEOPLE; MacTavish Is Free". New York Times. May 14, 1985. Retrieved 2009-09-14.
- http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=282409&page=NewsPage&service=page
- MacTavish relieved of duties as Oliers head coach
- ^ Staples, David (15 September 2009). "Witty MacTavish finds "safe haven" at TSN". Edmonton Journal.
- Staples, David (30 September 2007). "Behind the man behind the bench". Edmonton Journal.
External links
| Links to related articles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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- 1958 births
- Binghamton Dusters players
- Boston Bruins draft picks
- Boston Bruins players
- Canadian ice hockey centres
- Canadian sportspeople of Scottish descent
- Edmonton Oilers coaches
- Edmonton Oilers players
- Erie Blades players
- Ice hockey personnel from Ontario
- Living people
- National Hockey League All-Stars
- National Hockey League assistant coaches
- New York Rangers players
- People from London, Ontario
- Philadelphia Flyers players
- St. Louis Blues players
- Springfield Indians players
- Stanley Cup champions
- UMass Lowell River Hawks men's ice hockey players