NHL icon Mel Bridgman is dead.
He lived to be 70 years old.
“Our deepest sympathies to Mel’s loved ones at this difficult time,” writes the Ottawa Senators.
Mel Bridgman played over 1,000 games in the NHL – 977 in the regular season and 125 in the playoffs.
In total, he scored 768 points for the clubs Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, Detroit Red Wings and Vancouver Canucks.
In 1975, he was selected first in the draft by the Philadelphia Flyers.
He died on Saturday, aged 70.
Iconic general manager
In addition to the clubs Mel Bridgman played for, he is also seen as an icon in the Ottawa Senators. In the 1992–1993 season, he was the general manager of the club, which was the Canadian capital team’s first season in the NHL after an almost 60-year hiatus.
Bridgman is now being cared for by the Senators.
”The Ottawa Senators are saddened by the passing of Mel Bridgman. After a great playing career in the NHL, Mel was our first general manager when we returned to the NHL for the 1992-93 season. He led our first draft, where the club selected Alexei Yashin second overall. The Ottawa Senators organization sends its deepest sympathies to Mel’s loved ones at this difficult time”, they write on X.
