Former NHL captain, GM Mel Bridgman passes away at age 70
A longtime pro and for executive has died.
On Saturday, the NHL Alumni Association announced that former NHLer and general manager Mel Bridgman had passed away at the age of 70.
The NHL Alumni Association is heartbroken to learn that Mel Bridgman has passed away at the age of 70.
After recording 157 points in just 66 games for the Victoria Cougars of the Western Canada Hockey League (now the WHL) in 1974-75, the Philadelphia Flyers selected Mel first… pic.twitter.com/4NYUDVokoz
Bridgman burst onto the scene with a successful junior career with the Victoria Cougars of the Western Hockey League (then known as the Western Canada Hockey League), scoring an incredible 157 points in 66 games during the 1974-75 season. That led to the defending Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers taking the Trenton, Ont. native with the first overall pick in that summer’s draft.
Bridgman went on to play parts of seven seasons with the Flyers, three of which came as a captain. He helped lead the team to the 1980 Stanley Cup Final, ultimately losing to the New York Islanders. He was traded to the Calgary Flames early in the 1981-82 season, but would be on the move a couple of years later, joining the New Jersey Devils.
There, he played parts of four seasons, three of which also saw him wear the ‘C,’ before he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings during the 1986-87 campaign. Bridgman’s last stop came with the Vancouver Canucks in the 1988-89 season. He also played a handful of games with HC Sierre of the Swiss National League as well.
In 977 regular-season NHL games, Bridgman scored 252 goals and 449 assists for 701 points, with another 67 points in 125 playoff contests.
In 1991, Bridgman was hired as the first general manager of the current rendition of the Ottawa Senators. He would hold the role until 1993.
He Mel was inducted into the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.