Brad McCrimmon was selected 15th overall in what could now be considered the great draft: 1979. Selected in the same set as McCrimmon were names like Gartner, Bourque, Messier, Goulet, Hunter, Broten, and Lowe. And although McCrimmon wasn't as flashy as some of the above mentioned names, he proved to be a bluechip blueliner whose specialty was keeping his crease clear of traffic.
McCrimmon jumped straight from the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WCJHL into the Boston Bruins line-up in 1979. He lasted three seasons, until the Bruins netminder, Rogie Vachon, retired. McCrimmon was the necessary collateral used to secure Pete Peeters from the Philadelphia Flyers.
In Philly, McCrimmon continued his solid play, ending each season on the upside of the plus/minus scale. He remained in orange and black until the heavens brought a gift, spiriting him back to Western Canada to play for the Calgary Flames. McCrimmon figures that half the people in Alberta are from his home province of Saskatchewan, so the Flames were the equivalent of a homecoming.
In 1988, McCrimmon came in as the league's plus/minus leader with a +48 reading. He was also chosen as a second-team All-Star. The following season, 1989, brought the summit of his career as the Flames beat the Canadiens, in the Montreal Forum, to take the Stanley Cup.
After the glory of Calgary, McCrimmon continued to perform like a rock for the Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers and finally, the Phoenix Coyotes where he retired from on-ice duty in 1996-97.
McCrimmon has since moved behind the bench as an assistant coach with the New York Islanders before heading back home to coach the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL.
