Craig MacTavish

Last updated

Craig MacTavish
Craig MacTavish.JPG
MacTavish in 2011
Born (1958-08-15) August 15, 1958 (age 65)
London, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for Boston Bruins
Edmonton Oilers
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
St. Louis Blues
Coached for Edmonton Oilers
New York Rangers
Lausanne HC
Yaroslavl Lokomotiv
St. Louis Blues
NHL Draft 153rd overall, 1978
Boston Bruins
Playing career 19791997
Coaching career 1997present

Craig MacTavish (born August 15, 1958) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player, formerly an assistant coaching position with the St. Louis Blues. He played center for 17 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis Blues, winning the Stanley Cup four times (1987, 1988, 1990, 1994). He was the last NHL player not to wear a helmet during games. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

MacTavish later coached the Oilers from 2000 to 2009 and also served as assistant coach with the Rangers and Oilers. He last coached Team Canada at the 2019 Spengler Cup, after a short stint with Russian team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL. He served as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues from 2022 to 2023.

Early life and education

MacTavish was born on August 15, 1958, in London, Ontario. [4]

After retiring as NHL player in 1997, MacTavish was accepted as an MBA student at the University of Alberta. He didn't start the program, following the decision to take a coaching position with the New York Rangers. In 2011, he obtained an EMBA from Queen's School of Business. [5]

Career

Early career

MacTavish played two years of NCAA hockey with the University of Lowell Chiefs (now University of Massachusetts Lowell River Hawks) 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. [5]

During his early days with the Bruins, the young MacTavish was involved in the infamous brawl between several Boston players and a group of New York Rangers fans in 1979. [6]

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 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. [7] MacTavish was sentenced to a year's imprisonment for the offence. While incarcerated, he watched most of the games that were televised.

Later career

Widely viewed, at the time, as a personal favour from Edmonton general manager Glen Sather to his best friend, then-Bruins general manager Harry Sinden (who felt that MacTavish ought to have a fresh start away from Boston and had offered to let him out of his contract, which MacTavish had accepted), the Oilers took a chance on MacTavish and signed him for the 1985–86 season. Sather's intuition turned out to be good, as MacTavish spent eight full seasons with the Oilers, helping them to win three Stanley Cups in 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. [8]

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 signed a professional contract with the Bruins before the mandatory cutoff date in 1979 (then-current players were allowed to remain bare-headed under a grandfather clause); incidentally, MacTavish had worn a helmet in his earliest days as he can be seen wearing one during the aforementioned fight with Rangers fans in 1979.

Coaching career

MacTavish turned to coaching immediately after retiring as a player, signing on as an assistant with the Rangers. After two seasons in New York, he returned to the Oilers as an assistant coach in the 1999–2000 season under former teammate Kevin Lowe. He was subsequently promoted to the top job when Lowe succeeded Sather as general manager.

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 offence. 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 in six games, against the no. 1 seed, the Detroit Red Wings for their first postseason victory since 1998. Along the way the Oilers defeated the San Jose Sharks in six games and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in five games to advance to their first Stanley Cup since their championship season of 1990. However, the Oilers could not complete their run, losing a thrilling seven-game final series to the Carolina Hurricanes after nearly rallying from a 3–1 series deficit to force a Game 7. As it would turn out, this was the only season in MacTavish's tenure where the Oilers won a postseason series.

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". [9] [10] 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. [11] He finished his tenure with the Oilers at 36th on the all-time NHL list with 301 wins, and second on the Oilers' all-time wins list behind only Sather.

During the 2011–12 season, MacTavish coached the Chicago Wolves, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks. After the season, MacTavish left the Canucks organization, returned to the Oilers as Senior Vice-president of Hockey operations and was named general manager on April 15, 2013.

On December 15, 2014, MacTavish fired head coach Dallas Eakins from his duties as head coach of the Oilers. MacTavish named himself as interim coach with the intention of transitioning minor league coach Todd Nelson into the role of interim head coach in the near future.

On May 16, 2019, he returned to coaching, signing a two-year contract with the Russian KHL team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. [12] On September 24, 2019, it was announced that Lokomotiv Yaroslav fired MacTavish after only eight games. [13] In December 2019, he served as head coach of Team Canada and led the squad to the title at the Spengler Cup. [14] He took over the head coaching job at Swiss team Lausanne HC on February 27, 2020. [15]

On July 1, 2022, MacTavish was hired by the St. Louis Blues as an assistant coach for the 2022-2023 season, after the Boston Bruins acquired Jim Montgomery as their head coach. [16] In April 2023, the Blues announced that MacTavish, along with fellow assistant coach Mike Van Ryn, would not return for the next season. [17]

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. [18] [19]

Management career

On June 11, 2012, Edmonton Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini announced that McTavish was added to the club's hockey operations management team as senior vice-president of hockey operations. [20]

On April 15, 2013, general manager Steve Tambellini was relieved of his position, and the Oilers named MacTavish as the new general manager. Former Columbus Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson replaced MacTavish as the vice-president of hockey operations. [21] After two seasons, MacTavish was relieved of his position as general manager, and the Oilers named Peter Chiarelli the new general manager and president of hockey operations.

On April 24, 2015, Oilers Entertainment Group CEO, Bob Nicholson announced that Peter Chiarelli had been hired as the new general manager and president of hockey operations. Nicholson did not provide details on what MacTavish's new position would be within the Oilers organization. [22]

On September 12, 2015, general manager Peter Chiarelli revealed in an interview with TSN's Bob McKenzie that MacTavish had been given the title of Vice-president of Hockey Operations; most of his duties would circulate around the Oilers' new affiliate team the Bakersfield Condors, his other main focus will be on pro scouting. [1]

Personal life

MacTavish and his wife Debbie have a daughter and two sons.

While playing with the Flyers, MacTavish was a resident of Voorhees Township, New Jersey. [23]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1977–78 University of Massachusetts Lowell ECAC II 24261945
1978–79 University of Massachusetts LowellECAC II31365288
1979–80 Binghamton Dusters AHL 3417153220
1979–80 Boston Bruins NHL 461117288102357
1980–81 Springfield Indians AHL531924438975498
1980–81 Boston BruinsNHL2435813
1981–82 Erie Blades AHL7223325537
1981–82 Boston BruinsNHL20110
1982–83 Boston BruinsNHL75102030181731418
1983–84 Boston BruinsNHL702023433510000
1985–86 Edmonton Oilers NHL74232447701044811
1986–87 Edmonton OilersNHL792019395521191016
1987–88 Edmonton OilersNHL80151732471901131
1988–89 Edmonton OilersNHL802131525570118
1989–90 Edmonton OilersNHL80212243892226829
1990–91 Edmonton OilersNHL80171532761833620
1991–92 Edmonton OilersNHL80121830981630328
1992–93 Edmonton OilersNHL82102030110
1993–94 Edmonton OilersNHL6616102680
1993–94 New York Rangers NHL12426112314522
1994–95 Philadelphia Flyers NHL453912231514520
1995–96 Philadelphia FlyersNHL55581362
1995–96 St. Louis Blues NHL130118130226
1996–97 St. Louis BluesNHL502573310002
NHL totals1,093213267480891193203858218

North American professional coaching record

TeamYear Regular season Post season
GWLTOTLPtsFinishWLWin %Result
EDM 2000–01 823928123932nd in Northwest24.333Lost in 1st round
EDM 2001–02 823828124923rd in NorthwestMissed playoffs
EDM 2002–03 823626119924th in Northwest24.333Lost in 1st round
EDM 2003–04 823629125894th in NorthwestMissed playoffs
EDM 2005–06 82412813953rd in Northwest159.625Lost in Stanley Cup Finals
EDM 2006–07 8232437715th in NorthwestMissed playoffs
EDM 2007–08 8241356884th in NorthwestMissed playoffs
EDM 2008–09 8238359854th in NorthwestMissed playoffs
Career total65630125247566941917.528

Awards and achievements

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 "Video". TSN. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  2. McGran, Kevin (June 5, 2013). "Place in trivia history awaits NHL's last visor-less player". The Toronto Star. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  3. Johnston, Chris (November 27, 2015). "Visor-less NHLers an increasingly rare sight". Sportsnet.ca. Sportsnet. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  4. "Edmonton Oilers Heritage Website - Craig MacTavish". archive.is. April 7, 2004. Archived from the original on April 7, 2004. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  5. 1 2 Holloway, Andy (February 28, 2011). "MBA All-Stars: Craig MacTavish". National Post. ISSN   1486-8008 . Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  6. Rotter, Adam (May 15, 2013). "Flashback: When The Bruins and Mike Milbury Went Into The Stands". sny.tv. SportsNet New York. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  7. "SPORTS PEOPLE; MacTavish Is Free". New York Times. May 14, 1985. Retrieved September 14, 2009.
  8. Cole, Stephen (2004). The Best of Hockey Night in Canada. Toronto: McArthur & Company. p. 128. ISBN   978-1-55278-408-2.
  9. "Oilers' MacTavish fined". cbc.ca. November 4, 2006. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  10. http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=282409&page=NewsPage&service=page%5B%5D
  11. "404". TSN.{{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  12. "КРЭЙГ МАКТАВИШ – ГЛАВНЫЙ ТРЕНЕР "ЛОКОМОТИВА"" [Craig MacTavish is the head coach of Lokomotiv] (in Russian). Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. May 16, 2019.
  13. "Craig MacTavish fired after eight games as coach of KHL's Lokomotiv - Sportsnet.ca".
  14. Beaud, Grégory; Davos (December 31, 2019). "Le Team Canada détient le record de Coupes Spengler". TDG (in French). ISSN   1010-2248 . Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  15. "Zwei Runden vor Quali-Ende: Lausanne trennt sich per sofort von Trainer und Sportchef". Eishockey Schweiz: Hockey News und Resultate für die Schweiz. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  16. "Bruins hire Montgomery as next head coach, Blues replace him with MacTavish". Sportsnet.ca. July 1, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  17. "St. Louis Blues fire assistant coaches Craig MacTavish and Mike Van Ryn". TSN. April 14, 2023. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  18. Staples, David (September 15, 2009). "Witty MacTavish finds "safe haven" at TSN". Edmonton Journal. Archived from the original on September 24, 2009. Retrieved November 1, 2009.
  19. Staples, David (September 30, 2007). "Behind the man behind the bench". Edmonton Journal. Archived from the original on May 23, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2009.
  20. "Oilers Add MacTavish to Hockey Operations Management Team". NHL.com.
  21. "404". TSN.{{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  22. Spector, Mark (April 24, 2015). "Oilers set to announce Peter Chiarelli hire". Sportsnet.ca. Sportsnet. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  23. Anderson, Dave. "Sports of The Times; MacT's Muscular Art: The Crucial Face-Off", The New York Times , May 22, 1995. Accessed March 17, 2011. "Despite their age difference, MacTavish and the 22-year-old Lindros are roommates on Flyer road trips, and the Flyer captain often hangs out at the MacTavish home in nearby Voorhees, N.J."

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edmonton Oilers</span> National Hockey League team in Alberta, Canada

The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which opened in 2016. Kris Knoblauch is the head coach as of November 12, 2023, and Ken Holland was named general manager on May 7, 2019. The Oilers are one of two NHL franchises based in Alberta, the other being the Calgary Flames. Their close proximity has led to a fierce rivalry known as the "Battle of Alberta".

The 2002–03 NHL season was the 86th regular season of the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup winners were the New Jersey Devils, who won the best of seven series 4–3 against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Lowe</span> Canadian ice hockey player and executive

Kevin Hugh Lowe is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive, former coach and former player. Lowe was the vice-chairman of Oilers Entertainment Group until his retirement on August 2, 2022, having formerly served as head coach and then general manager of the Edmonton Oilers. As a defenceman, he played for the Edmonton Oilers and the New York Rangers from 1979 to 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Sather</span> Canadian ice hockey player, coach and executive

Glen Cameron “Slats” Sather is a Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and executive. He is the current senior advisor and alternate governor of the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was the Rangers' general manager until stepping down on July 1, 2015, and then served as their president until April 4, 2019.

The 1996–97 NHL season was the 80th regular season of the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup winners were the Detroit Red Wings, who swept the Philadelphia Flyers in four games and won the Stanley Cup for the first time in 42 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1990 Stanley Cup Finals</span> 1990 ice hockey championship series

The 1990 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1989–90 season, and the culmination of the 1990 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested by the Edmonton Oilers and the Boston Bruins; the Oilers won, four games to one. The series was a rematch of the 1988 Finals, albeit with the notable absence of Wayne Gretzky who was traded from Edmonton to the Los Angeles Kings during the 1988 off-season. For the Oilers, it was their fifth Cup win in seven years, and the team's only championship after trading Gretzky. This was the last of eight consecutive Finals contested by a team from Alberta and nine by a team from Western Canada.

The 1997–98 NHL season was the 81st regular season of the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup champions were the Detroit Red Wings, who swept the Washington Capitals in four games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Muckler</span> Canadian ice hockey coach (1934–2021)

John Muckler was a professional hockey coach and executive, who last served as the general manager of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). Muckler had over 50 years of professional hockey experience as a part owner, general manager, director of player personnel, director of hockey operations, head coach, assistant coach and player. He had been a part of five Stanley Cup championships in various roles with the Edmonton Oilers.

Neil Smith is a Canadian ice hockey broadcaster, and previously the general manager of both the New York Rangers from 1989–2000 and (briefly) the New York Islanders in 2006. He was also the owner and head coach of the Johnstown Chiefs of the ECHL. He last was the president, general manager, and governor of the Greenville Road Warriors of the ECHL. He now is an on-air analyst for the NHL Network.

The Sutter family, originally from Viking, Alberta, Canada, are one of the most famous families in the National Hockey League (NHL). Six brothers: Brent, Brian, Darryl, Duane, Rich and Ron, reached the NHL in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Four brothers, Brian, Duane, Darryl and Brent, have gone on to become coaches and general managers as well, with Brian, Darryl, and Brent each having a stint as head coach of the Calgary Flames. All brothers played for either the Chicago Blackhawks or the St. Louis Blues at one point or another. A seventh brother named Gary is said by his brothers to have been the best hockey player of all seven boys. Rather than making his living as a hockey player, Gary stayed home to work on the family farm, as Rich remarked on an episode of the Canadian sports show Off the Record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Green</span> Canadian ice hockey player and coach (1940–2019)

Edward Joseph "Terrible Ted" Green was a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and player. Green played defence in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins and in the World Hockey Association (WHA) for the New England Whalers and Winnipeg Jets, and was noted for his physical play. Green served as a head coach with the Edmonton Oilers, and was an assistant coach with the Oilers and the New York Rangers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Tambellini</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Steven Anthony Tambellini is a Canadian former ice hockey player and former general manager for the Edmonton Oilers. He is currently a scout for the Anaheim Ducks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Chiarelli (ice hockey)</span> Canadian former ice hockey player and executive

Peter Chiarelli is a Canadian ice hockey executive and former player. He is the Vice President of Hockey Operations for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League. He previously served as general manager of both the Boston Bruins and the Edmonton Oilers, winning the Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011. Both of his tenures as general manager ended with his being fired, with his Oilers managerial career in particular a source of controversy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Stanley Cup Finals</span> 2006 ice hockey championship series

The 2006 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2005–06 season, and the culmination of the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs. The first Stanley Cup Finals since 2004 after a lockout in 2004 and 2005, it was contested between the Eastern Conference champion Carolina Hurricanes and the Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers. It was Carolina's second appearance in the Finals, the other being in 2002, a loss to the Detroit Red Wings. It was Edmonton's seventh appearance in the Finals and their first since winning their fifth Stanley Cup in 1990. It was also the first Finals matchup between teams that entered the league in 1979. Carolina defeated Edmonton in seven games to win the franchise's first Stanley Cup and become the tenth post-1967 expansion team and third former WHA team to win the Cup. Carolina's 2006 win was also the team's second league championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Howson</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Donald Scott Howson is a Canadian ice hockey executive and former player. He was formerly the general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played 18 games in the NHL with the New York Islanders between the 1984–85 and 1985–86 seasons. The rest of his playing career, which lasted from 1981 to 1986, was spent in the minor leagues. He later turned to coaching and managing, working for several years in the American Hockey League before moving to the NHL.

The 1988 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1987–88 season, and the culmination of the 1988 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins. The Oilers would win the series in a four game sweep to win their fourth championship. This was the seventh of nine consecutive Finals contested by a team from Western Canada, sixth of eight by a team from Alberta, and the last of five consecutive Finals to end with the Cup presentation on Alberta ice. The series is remembered for the power failure that occurred during game four at Boston Garden, which caused that game to be suspended. The league decided to replay game four at Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton, at the site, date and time that was originally scheduled for game five. Game 5 is also the final time that Wayne Gretzky appeared in an Edmonton Oilers uniform as he was traded to Los Angeles just prior to the next season.

The 2000–01 Edmonton Oilers season was the Oilers' 22nd season in the NHL. They were coming off a 32–26–16–8 record in 1999–2000 earning 88 points, their highest point total since 1989–90. They made the playoffs for the fifth-straight season. The Oilers would lose to the Dallas Stars in six games in the first round, the fifth consecutive season the two teams met in the playoffs and their fourth consecutive elimination at the hands of the Stars.

The history of the Edmonton Oilers dates back to 1972, when the team was established as a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta. The team originally played in the World Hockey Association (WHA), before joining the National Hockey League (NHL) in 1979. The team played its first season in 1972–73 as one of 12 founding franchises of the major professional World Hockey Association (WHA). They were originally supposed to be one of two WHA teams in Alberta. However, when the Broncos folded before the WHA's first season began, the Edmonton Oilers were renamed the Alberta Oilers. They returned to using the Edmonton Oilers name for the 1973–74 season, and have been called that ever since. The Oilers subsequently joined the NHL in 1979; one of four franchises introduced through the NHL merger with the WHA.