Max McNab

Maxwell Douglas McNab (June 21, 1924 – September 2, 2007) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player, coach, and National Hockey League (NHL) general manager. He played in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings between 1947 and 1951, winning the Stanley Cup with them in 1950. The rest of his playing career, which lasted from 1945 to 1959, was spent in various minor leagues.

Max McNab
Born (1924-06-21)June 21, 1924
Watson, Saskatchewan, Canada
Died September 2, 2007(2007-09-02) (aged 83)
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for Detroit Red Wings
Playing career 1945–1959

McNab's coaching and management career included stints as the general manager of the Washington Capitals and New Jersey Devils between 1976 and 1987. He also spent time as president of the Central Hockey League; the Max McNab Trophy, awarded to the MVP of the league playoffs, would later be named in his honour. In 1998, McNab was awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy in recognition of his contributions to hockey in the United States.

Playing career

After playing junior hockey in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, McNab played on the Omaha Knights of the USHL in the 1946–48 season before being called up to the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League in 1947. He would play on and off with the Red Wings until 1951, playing on the team that won the Stanley Cup in 1950, centering a line with Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay.[1] He played for the Indianapolis Capitols of the American Hockey League in 1950–51. Before the 1951–52 season, he was traded by the Red Wings to the Chicago Black Hawks, but never played for the team. Back surgery kept him out of action in 1951–52 and McNab then joined the New Westminster Royals of the Western Hockey League, where he played for seven seasons, retiring in 1959. He was voted league MVP in 1955, scoring 32 goals and 81 points.[2]

Coaching and managing

In 1961, McNab became general manager and coach of the San Francisco Seals of the WHL. He was then coach of the WHL's Vancouver Canucks and in 1966 was hired as coach and general manager of the San Diego Gulls. He rose in the front office to vice-president by 1971. In 1974 he was named president of the Central Hockey League. Although he would only remain with the CHL for a year, the Max McNab Trophy, awarded to the most valuable player in the league's playoffs, would be named in his honor.

Near the end of 1975, he joined the NHL as general manager of the Washington Capitals, succeeding Milt Schmidt. McNab remained in that job until 1982. Under his watch, the team drafted players such as Rick Green, Ryan Walter, Mike Gartner, and Bobby Carpenter.

Midway through the 1983–84 season, McNab joined the New Jersey Devils as vice-president and general manager. He would remain their general manager until 1987, and then retired from the team and hockey in the 1990s. During his tenure as Devils' GM, players such as Chris Terreri, Kirk Muller, Sean Burke, and Eric Weinrich would be drafted.

In 1998, McNab was recognized for his contribution to ice hockey in the United States by the NHL and USA Hockey as co-recipient of the Lester Patrick Trophy.

Family

Two of McNab's three sons have hockey-related careers. Peter McNab played in the NHL for 14 seasons, scoring 363 goals and 813 points, before becoming a television color analyst. David McNab spent 43 seasons working as a scout and executive for four NHL franchises before retiring in May 2021[3] as the senior vice president of hockey operations for the Anaheim Ducks after 28 years with the club from its inaugural season.[4]

McNabs Island in Nova Scotia is named in honour of the McNab family, who first settled the island in the 1780s.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
1942–43 Saskatoon Quakers N-SJHL 478156 21230
1945–46 Regina Capitals WCSHL 58190 —————
1946–47 Omaha Knights USHL 3720193915 1166120
1946–47 Detroit Metal Mouldings IHL 34266 —————
1946–47 Indianapolis Capitals AHL 60002 —————
1947–48 Omaha Knights USHL 4444327610 33250
1947–48 Detroit Red Wings NHL 122242 30002
1948–49 Detroit Red Wings NHL 5110132314 101012
1949–50 Detroit Red Wings NHL 654488 100000
1950–51 Indianapolis Capitals AHL 7036488436 31232
1950–51 Detroit Red Wings NHL ————— 20000
1951–52 New Westminster Royals PCHL ————— —————
1952–53 New Westminster Royals WHL 682832604 72020
1953–54 New Westminster Royals WHL 672239618 62132
1954–55 New Westminster Royals WHL 703249814 —————
1955–56 New Westminster Royals WHL 7029326119 41120
1956–57 New Westminster Royals WHL 561928472 1348124
1957–58 New Westminster Royals WHL 6724507414 40110
1958–59 New Westminster Royals WHL 652632584 —————
WHL totals 46318026244255 34911206
NHL totals 12816193524 251014

References
  1. Litsky, Frank (6 September 2007). "Max McNab, 83, Who Spent 50 Years in Hockey, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  2. McGourty, John (4 September 2007). "The hockey world mourns the loss of Max McNab". nhl.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  3. NHL.com. "Ducks Senior VP of Hockey Operations McNab Announces Retirement". NHL.com. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  4. "Front Office - Anaheim Ducks". nhl.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
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