Basil McRae

Basil McRae
Basil McRae
Born	January 5, 1961 (age 62); Beaverton, Ontario, Canada
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb)
Position	Left wing
Shot	Left
Played for	Quebec Nordiques ; Toronto Maple Leafs ; Detroit Red Wings ; Minnesota North Stars ; St. Louis Blues ; Tampa Bay Lightning ; Chicago Blackhawks
NHL Draft	87th overall, 1980 ; Quebec Nordiques
Playing career	1981–1997

Last updated July 23, 2023

Basil Paul McRae (born January 5, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is a part owner and alternate governor of the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League and he is the director of player personnel for the Columbus Blue Jackets. McRae was known as an enforcer with over 2,000 penalty minutes in his career.

Playing career

McRae played his major junior hockey with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA).

In the 1980 NHL Entry Draft, the Quebec Nordiques drafted McRae in the third round, 87th overall. He played twenty regular season games and nine playoff matches with the big club in 1981, later spending some time with the Fredericton Express of the American Hockey League (AHL). He was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Richard Turmel and spent a couple of years toiling in the minors with the St. Catharines Saints of the AHL. In 1985 McRae signed as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings but was traded back to his original team, the Nordiques along with John Ogrodnick and Doug Shedden for Brent Ashton, Gilbert Delorme and Mark Kumpel.^[1]

At the start of the 1987 season, McRae signed with the Minnesota North Stars, the team he would have the most success with. The 1987–88 season saw McRae play the whole 80 game season with the North Stars, the first time he played a full season in the NHL. He formed a tough enforcer duo along with Shane Churla, leading the league in penalty minutes with 351 in 1990. The Tampa Bay Lightning claimed him in the 1992 NHL Expansion Draft and traded him to the St. Louis Blues in 1993.^[1] After a couple of seasons in the Blues organization, McRae signed with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1996 and only managed to play in eight games before retiring from professional hockey.^[2]

McRae made a cameo appearance in the movie The Mighty Ducks along with then-teammate Mike Modano.^[3]

Post-NHL

McRae is a part-owner of the London Knights with Dale Hunter and Mark Hunter. On October 21, 2014, the Knights announced that he would become the general manager and alternate governor of the team, replacing Mark Hunter, who had vacated the general manager position to become the director of player personnel for the Toronto Maple Leafs. McRae previously worked as a pro scout for the Columbus Blue Jackets and St. Louis Blues.^[4]

On July 6, 2016, McRae stepped down as general manager of the London Knights to become the director of player personnel for the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was replaced by former assistant general manager and former assistant coach of the London Knights, Rob Simpson.^[5]

Personal life

McRae is the older brother of Chris McRae and is the father of Philip McRae.

Career statistics

Bold indicates led league

			Regular season					Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1977–78	Seneca Nationals	MetJHL	36	21	38	59	80	—	—	—	—	—
1978–79	London Knights	OMJHL	66	13	28	41	79	7	0	0	0	0
1979–80	London Knights	OMJHL	67	23	35	58	116	5	0	0	0	18
1980–81	London Knights	OHL	65	29	23	52	266	—	—	—	—	—
1981–82	Quebec Nordiques	NHL	20	4	3	7	69	9	1	0	1	34
1981–82	Fredericton Express	AHL	57	11	15	26	175	—	—	—	—	—
1982–83	Quebec Nordiques	NHL	22	1	1	2	59	—	—	—	—	—
1982–83	Fredericton Express	AHL	53	22	19	41	146	12	1	5	6	75
1983–84	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL	3	0	0	0	19	—	—	—	—	—
1983–84	St. Catharines Saints	AHL	78	14	25	39	187	6	0	0	0	40
1984–85	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL	1	0	0	0	0	—	—	—	—	—
1984–85	St. Catharines Saints	AHL	72	30	25	55	186	—	—	—	—	—
1985–86	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	4	0	0	0	5	—	—	—	—	—
1985–86	Adirondack Red Wings	AHL	69	22	30	52	259	17	5	4	9	101
1986–87	Detroit Red Wings	NHL	36	2	2	4	193	—	—	—	—	—
1986–87	Quebec Nordiques	NHL	33	9	5	14	149	13	3	1	4	99
1987–88	Minnesota North Stars	NHL	80	5	11	16	382	—	—	—	—	—
1988–89	Minnesota North Stars	NHL	78	12	19	31	365	5	0	0	0	58
1989–90	Minnesota North Stars	NHL	66	9	17	26	351	7	1	0	1	24
1990–91	Minnesota North Stars	NHL	40	1	3	4	224	22	1	1	2	94
1991–92	Minnesota North Stars	NHL	59	5	8	13	245	—	—	—	—	—
1992–93	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL	14	2	3	5	71	—	—	—	—	—
1992–93	St. Louis Blues	NHL	33	1	3	4	98	11	0	1	1	24
1993–94	St. Louis Blues	NHL	40	1	2	3	103	2	0	0	0	12
1994–95	Peoria Rivermen	IHL	2	0	0	0	12	—	—	—	—	—
1994–95	St. Louis Blues	NHL	21	0	5	5	72	7	2	1	3	4
1995–96	St. Louis Blues	NHL	18	1	1	2	40	2	0	0	0	0
1996–97	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL	8	0	0	0	12	—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals			576	53	83	136	2,457	78	8	4	12	349

Related Research Articles

Dale Robert Hunter is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and the former head coach of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League and current co-owner, president, and head coach of the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. He was born in Petrolia, Ontario, but grew up in nearby Oil Springs, Ontario. He is the middle of three Hunter brothers, with older brother Dave and younger brother Mark, to play in the NHL.

The London Knights are a junior ice hockey team from London, Ontario, Canada, playing in the Ontario Hockey League, one of the leagues of the Canadian Hockey League. The Knights started out in 1965 as the London Nationals but changed to their current name in 1968. The Knights have won two Memorial Cup championships.

John Ferguson Jr. is the current assistant general manager for the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL). Ferguson previously served as the director of player personnel for the Boston Bruins and the general manager of their American Hockey League affiliate, the Providence Bruins. Ferguson previously was the vice president and general manager for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2003 to 2008.

Sylvain Jean Lefebvre is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman who played on five National Hockey League teams from 1989 to 2003. He won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996. Lefebvre was most recently an assistant coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Garth Butcher is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Butcher was a top prospect as a junior player and was a member of the first Canadian team to win gold at the world junior championship. Butcher played in the National Hockey League for 14 seasons, from 1981–82 to 1994–95, mostly with the Vancouver Canucks.

Tom Sestito is an American former professional ice hockey forward. He most recently played with the Toronto Marlies in the American Hockey League (AHL). He has previously played for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Vancouver Canucks in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Fredrick Brathwaite is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former player.

Mark William Hunter is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive, coach, and former player. He currently is the owner and general manager for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Hunter was born in Petrolia, Ontario, but grew up in nearby Oil Springs, Ontario, and was one of three brothers, with Dave and Dale, to play in the NHL.

Derek MacKenzie is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who most notably played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Columbus Blue Jackets and the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is currently an assistant coach for the NHL's Nashville Predators.

David Gregory Ling is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. Ling was selected by the Quebec Nordiques in the 7th round of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft.

Joakim Claes Lindström is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger currently playing for Skellefteå AIK of the Swedish Hockey League. Lindström has previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Phoenix Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues and, most recently, for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was drafted in the second round, 41st overall, by Columbus in 2002.

David Clarkson is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Columbus Blue Jackets. He is currently part owner and director of player development for the Colorado Grit in the NAHL south division. Clarkson was a member of the 2003 Memorial Cup-winning Kitchener Rangers.

Jarmo Kekäläinen is a Finnish professional ice hockey executive and former player who briefly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators. Kekäläinen serves as the general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Kenneth Duncan McRae is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. McRae is the former head coach of the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League. McRae is also a former right wing who played 137 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Quebec Nordiques and Toronto Maple Leafs. He was drafted by the Nordiques in the first round, 18th overall, in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft.

The 1990–91 Quebec Nordiques season was the Nordiques 12th season in the National Hockey League.

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

Nazem Kadri is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs seventh overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He played his junior career in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), first with the Kitchener Rangers and then the London Knights. He won the J. Ross Robertson Cup with Kitchener and was part of the Rangers team that lost to the Spokane Chiefs in the final of the 2008 Memorial Cup. Kadri has also represented Canada internationally at the 2010 World Junior Championships, where the team received the silver medal after losing the final to the United States 6–5.

Adam Cracknell is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who is currently playing with the Henderson Silver Knights in the American Hockey League (AHL).

Philip Christopher McRae is an American former professional ice hockey player who last played for Orli Znojmo in the Austrian Hockey League (EBEL). He was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the 2nd round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and would end up playing 15 games in the National Hockey League (NHL), all with the Blues.

Brent Regner is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Florida Panthers. Regner was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 5th round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Kyle Benjamin Dubas is a Canadian ice hockey executive who is the current president of hockey operations for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League. He previously served as the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He attended Brock University and graduated with a degree in Sports Management, and started his career by briefly acting as a player agent. Afterward, he served in various roles with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League, including a term as the team's general manager. Dubas joined the Maple Leafs organization as an assistant general manager in 2014, and played a key role in developing the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League (AHL). In 2018, the Marlies captured the Calder Cup as AHL Champions. At the time of his hire, Dubas was the second youngest general manager in NHL history, behind John Chayka of the Arizona Coyotes.

References

1 2 "Basil McRae player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2010-02-19.
↑ "McRae retires after 16 NHL seasons - UPI Archives". UPI. December 4, 1996. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
↑ "Basil McRae". IMDb .
↑ "Leafs name Mark Hunter new director of player personnel". CBC.ca. October 21, 2014.
↑ "London Knights' GM Basil McRae steps down". The Hockey Writers. July 6, 2016.

External links

Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com , or Hockey-Reference.com , or The Internet Hockey Database

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[LOH-1] 1 2 "Basil McRae player profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2010-02-19.

[2] "McRae retires after 16 NHL seasons - UPI Archives". UPI. December 4, 1996. Retrieved July 22, 2023.

[Appearances_by_Basil_McRae_from_the_Internet_Movie_Database-3] "Basil McRae". IMDb .

[4] "Leafs name Mark Hunter new director of player personnel". CBC.ca. October 21, 2014.

[5] "London Knights' GM Basil McRae steps down". The Hockey Writers. July 6, 2016.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]