Kirk McLean

McLean played major junior in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for three seasons with the Oshawa Generals. Following his rookie season with the Generals, he was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft with their sixth pick, 107th overall. He debuted with the Devils in 1985–86, appearing in two games after being called up from Oshawa on April 2, 1986.[9] McLean had to compete with numerous other goaltenders in the Devils' system for ice time. Following the club's 1987 training camp, he and Craig Billington were sent to their AHL affiliate, the Maine Mariners, while Karl Friesen and Chris Terreri were chosen to backup Alain Chevrier.[10] Sean Burke was also in the Devils' system, although he was playing for the Canadian National Team at the beginning of the season.[11]

McLean was called up from Maine on December 19, 1986, after Friesen was released and Terreri was sidelined with the flu.[10][11] He arrived in New Jersey three hours before game-time against the Washington Capitals that day. He appeared in relief of Chevrier after the starter allowed three goals in the first 81 seconds. McLean allowed one goal on 24 shots for the rest of the game while earning the win in a 6–4 comeback victory.[12] He appeared in four games during his call-up before being reassigned on January 6, 1987.[11] After his return to the AHL, McLean suffered an injury, damaging cartilage in his right knee during a game on February 15. The injury required arthroscopic surgery.[13] He finished the campaign in Maine with a 15-23-4 record and 3.22 GAA in 45 games. While training in the off-season, McLean injured his left knee and underwent his second arthroscopic surgery on July 29, 1987.[14]

Leading up to the 1987–88 season, McLean was traded, along with Greg Adams and a second round choice (Leif Rohlin) in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft, to the Vancouver Canucks for centre Patrik Sundström and the Canucks' second- (Jeff Christian) and fourth-round draft picks (Matt Ruchty) in 1988, on September 15, 1987.[15] The deal constituted the first major transactions by newly appointed Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils general managers Pat Quinn and Lou Lamoriello, respectively.[16][17] McLean's acquisition was an integral part of Vancouver's rebuilding process, led by Quinn. Within the next two years, McLean was joined in the Canucks organization by additional franchise cornerstones Trevor Linden and Pavel Bure.[16] He became known to fans as "Captain Kirk", in reference to the Star Trek protagonist.[18]

McLean made 14 saves in his Canucks debut, recording an 8–2 win over the St. Louis Blues in the season opener on October 8, 1987.[19] He notched his first NHL career shutout later that season on February 17, 1988, making 27 saves in a 5–0 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins.[20] McLean split playing time with long-time Canucks starter Richard Brodeur in his first season in Vancouver,[15] playing in 41 games with an 11-27-4 record, 3.71 GAA and .875 save percentage. He won his first of three Molson Cups with the Canucks at the end of the season, having earned the most three stars selections on the team.[21]

McLean emerged the following season in 1988–89 with a winning 20-17-3 record, 3.08 GAA and .891 save percentage. Early in the season, he returned to New Jersey in a game against the Devils and recorded a shutout against his former team in a 4–0 Canucks win on October 20, 1988.[22] He went on to receive his first Vezina Trophy nomination as the league's best goaltender and finished third in voting, losing to Patrick Roy of the Montreal Canadiens. In 1989–90, McLean appeared in his first NHL All-Star Game in Pittsburgh and was the top goaltender at the Skills Competition by allowing the fewest goals against for the Breakaway Relay and Rapid Fire events.[23] He led the league in games and minutes played with 63 and 3,738, respectively.[24][25] McLean also set Canucks records with 1,797 shots against and 1,581 saves (both marks have since been surpassed).[notes 1] Backstopping the Canucks to 21 wins, 33 losses and 10 ties, he won his first Cyclone Taylor Trophy as Canucks MVP and second Molson Cup.[21]

Early in the 1990–91 season, McLean re-signed with the Canucks to a one-year contract with a second year option on October 16, 1990.[28] He was set to make $145,000 prior to re-organizing his contract for the season.[24] McLean struggled in his fourth year with the Canucks, however, recording a career-worst 3.99 GAA with a 10-22-3 record in 41 games.

McLean bounced back the following season in 1991–92, starting the season with five consecutive wins to be named league player of the week for October 3 to 13, 1991.[29] He set an NHL record for wins in October with nine (McLean's mark was matched by the Toronto Maple Leafs' Felix Potvin and Philadelphia Flyers' Dominic Roussel in October 1993 and surpassed by the Detroit Red Wings' Manny Legace's 10 wins in October 2005);[30] he was named player of the month.[31] Another season and historic highlight for McLean occurred at the Montreal Forum on December 4 when he stopped 45 shots in a 3–0 win, not only earning him his third shutout of the season but also the Canucks first shutout against the Montreal Canadiens in franchise history;[32] the performance garnered a standing ovation from Canadiens' fans in attendance.[33] McLean went on to lead the league with five shutouts (tied with the Chicago Blackhawks' Ed Belfour, the Canadiens' Patrick Roy and the Winnipeg Jets' Bob Essensa)[34] and 38 wins in 65 games (tied with the Red Wings' Tim Cheveldae),[35] as Vancouver won their first Smythe Division title since 1975. He appeared in his second All-Star Game, won his second Cyclone Taylor Trophy and was named to the second All-Star team. He earned his second Vezina Trophy nomination, finishing second in voting[36] as Roy won the award once more. He recorded personal bests with a 2.74 GAA and 38 wins, the latter of which set a Canucks single-season goaltending record. (The mark stood for 15 years before Roberto Luongo recorded 47 wins in 2006–07.)[37] In the subsequent 1992 playoffs, McLean recorded his first post-season shutout by stopping 33 shots in a 5–0 win against the Winnipeg Jets in game seven of the opening round.[35] The win eliminated the Jets after the Canucks overcame a 3–1 series deficit.[35]

McLean appeared in 54 games in 1992–93, posting a 28-21-3 record. He recorded three shutouts, which included back-to-back blankings in January 1993.[38] Playing against the Los Angeles Kings in the second round of the 1993 playoffs, McLean recorded his 15th playoff win in a 7–2 Game 4 victory, establishing himself as the winningest playoff goaltender in Canucks history.[39] The Canucks were, however, eliminated in six games by Los Angeles, the eventual Western Conference champions.

Towards the end of the 1993–94 season, McLean became a part of hockey history in a game against the Los Angeles Kings on March 23, 1994, by allowing Wayne Gretzky's 802nd career NHL goal. The goal broke Gordie Howe's record of 801, making Gretzky the all-time leading goal-scorer in NHL history. Despite allowing the historic goal, the Canucks won the game 6–3.[40] McLean finished the season with a losing 23–26–3 record, as the Canucks finished with the seventh seed in the Western Conference.

McLean's peak with the Canucks came during the subsequent 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs, when he backstopped them to the seventh game of the Stanley Cup Finals. Facing the Calgary Flames in the opening round, he made one of the most memorable plays in Canucks and NHL playoff history[41][42] – a series saving stop on Flames forward Robert Reichel during the first overtime of the seventh game. Reichel had one-timed a pass from Theoren Fleury on a 3-on-1 when McLean threw out both his pads to make the stop and preserve the series. With McLean out of position and Reichel having had an open net to shoot at, the red light even came on at the Olympic Saddledome to signal a goal.[43] The following overtime, Bure scored to eliminate the Flames and advance the Canucks to the second round.[43]

Vancouver defeated the Dallas Stars the following round to advance to the semi-finals against the Toronto Maple Leafs. McLean posted back-to-back shutouts against the Leafs in the third and fourth games to tie the NHL playoff record of four shutouts in a single year (the New York Rangers' Mike Richter also recorded four that year; they became the seventh and eighth goaltenders to tie the record. Five more goaltenders went on to record four shutouts until the Red Wings' Dominik Hašek broke the record with six in 2002).[44][45][46] He also became the first goaltender to record back-to-back shutouts in the semifinals since the Red Wings' Terry Sawchuk did so against the Maple Leafs in 1952.[47] McLean's shutout streak lasted a total of 143 minutes and 17 seconds.[48]

The Canucks went on to capture the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl as Western Conference champions to meet the New York Rangers in the Finals. McLean opened the series with a 52-save performance, including 17 in overtime, to win the first game 3–2. It was the second-most saves by a goaltender in a Stanley Cup Finals game, coming within four stops of Canadiens goaltender Ken Dryden's 56 saves in 1971 against the Chicago Blackhawks.[49] It also remained the most saves by a Canucks goaltender in a playoff game until Luongo made 72 stops in 2007.[50] Canucks head coach Pat Quinn commented after the game that McLean's performance should be sent "in an instructional package...to young goaltender[s]."[18] Although the Canucks managed to force a game seven after falling 3–1 in the series, they eventually lost the Stanley Cup to the Rangers by a 3–2 score in the final game. McLean finished the 1994 playoffs with a 15–9 record, a 2.29 GAA and .928 save percentage. His 1,544 minutes played, 820 shots against and 761 saves all set playoff records (they have since been surpassed).[notes 2]

The following lockout-shortened 1994–95 season, McLean appeared in 40 of the Canucks' 48 games and recorded all 18 wins for the team.[55] Winning his third and final Molson Cup,[21] he posted a career-high .904 save percentage along with a 2.75 GAA. Before the season ended, McLean signed a five-year contract extension that included the 1994–95 season, worth an approximate $2.4 million per season,[2][56][57] on April 5, 1995.[58] Vancouver failed to defend their Western Conference title of the previous year's playoffs, however, as the Chicago Blackhawks swept them in the second round.

McLean's play began to slip in 1995–96 as his GAA inflated to 3.54 and he recorded a losing 15-21-9 record. He was sidelined for six weeks during the season, beginning in January 1996, due to a cartilage tear in his left knee that required arthroscopic surgery.[59][60] Rookie Corey Hirsch, who began the season as McLean's backup, in comparison recorded a 2.93 GAA and a 17-14-6 record. McLean was chosen to start in the opening series against the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche, but was pulled in favour of Hirsch during Game 1 after allowing three goals on 12 shots.[61] The game marked McLean's final playoff appearance of his career as Hirsch played the remaining five games. The Avalanche eliminated Vancouver in six games and went on to win the Stanley Cup.

McLean reinjured his knee during the 1996–97 season during a game against the Dallas Stars on November 11, 1996.[59] He missed approximately a month after undergoing his second arthroscopic surgery of the year in mid-November 1996.[62] McLean and Hirsch continued to share starts in 1996–97, as McLean appeared in 44 games with a 21-18-3 record and 3.21 GAA.

McLean's tenure with the Canucks ended the following season in 1997–98. Pat Quinn was dismissed as general manager early in the campaign and was replaced by a four-man committee of team executives. On the recommendation of newly hired head coach Mike Keenan, the management team dealt McLean to the Carolina Hurricanes on January 3, 1998.[63] He was sent in a trade, along with winger Martin Gélinas, in exchange for goaltender Sean Burke, winger Geoff Sanderson and defenceman Enrico Ciccone.[15]

After ten-and-a-half seasons in Vancouver, McLean left as the franchise's all-time leader in regular season games played (516), wins (211) and shutouts (20), as well as playoff games played (68), wins (34) and shutouts (6). (Luongo surpassed McLean's regular season shutouts total with his 21st on October 26, 2009.)[64] McLean's departure marked the beginning of an unstable period of time for Canucks goaltending. In the seven-and-a-half seasons between the time McLean was traded away and Luongo was acquired by the Canucks, a total of 18 goaltenders played for the club.[65] General manager Brian Burke, who succeeded the four-man committee, coined the term "goalie graveyard" during his time in Vancouver to describe the club's goaltending fortunes.[66]

McLean entered his first game with the Hurricanes with the NHL's worst GAA at 3.68, but helped his new club to a 4–1 win to record his first victory with Carolina.[67] His tenure in Carolina was brief, as the Hurricanes traded him after eight appearances to the Florida Panthers for forward Ray Sheppard on March 24, 1998.[15] He made his debut with the Panthers two days later on March 26 and recorded a 5–4 win against the Canadiens.[68] The following season, McLean recorded his first shutout with the Panthers in a 1–0 win against the Nashville Predators.[69] He went on to match his personal best 2.74 GAA in his first and only full season with the Panthers in 1998–99, playing in 30 games as Sean Burke's backup.[70]

The following off-season, he signed a two-year deal, worth an approximate $1.64 million with bonus incentives for games played, as an unrestricted free agent with the New York Rangers on July 13, 1999.[2] McLean was brought in to replace Dan Cloutier, who had been traded away, as Mike Richter's backup.[2] McLean was forced to switch his number upon joining the club, as his customary number 1 was retired in honor of Ed Giacomin, he opted to wear number 30. McLean was thrust into the starter's role in the first month of the 1999–2000 season, as Richter was sidelined with back problems early[71] He made his Rangers debut in the season opener, making 25 saves in a 2–1 loss on October 5, 1999.[72] He completed the season with a 2.89 GAA in 22 games. The following campaign in 2000–01, McLean's GAA rose to 3.49 GAA in 23 games. After two seasons in New York and 17 seasons in the NHL overall, McLean retired in 2001.

• Regular season games played, goaltender - 516[95]
• Regular season wins, goaltender - 211[96]
• Regular season losses, goaltender – 228[97]
• Playoff games played, goaltender - 68[98]
• Playoff wins, goaltender - 34[99]
• Playoff losses, goaltender – 34[100]
• Playoff shutouts - 6[101]

• Playoff wins – 15 (1994)[102]
• Playoff shutouts – 4 (1994) (tied with Roberto Luongo, 2011)[103]
• Playoff shots against – 820 (1994)[104]
• Playoff saves – 761 (1994)[105]
• Playoff minutes played – 1,543 (1994)[106]