Kevin Lowe

Kevin Lowe
File:Kevlowe.jpg
Born	(1959-04-15) April 15, 1959 Lachute, QC, CAN
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position	Defence
Played for	Edmonton Oilers New York Rangers
National team	Canada
NHL draft	21st overall, 1979 Edmonton Oilers
Playing career	1979–1998

Kevin Hugh Lowe (born April 15, 1959 in Lachute, Quebec) is a retired defenceman and coach in the National Hockey League and the current President of Hockey Operations for the Edmonton Oilers. As a defenceman, he played for the Edmonton Oilers and the New York Rangers. He is married to Canadian Olympian Karen Percy. Lowe is the younger brother of the former Edmonton Oilers Head Medical Trainer Ken Lowe and the father of Edmonton Oil Kings defenceman Keegan Lowe.

Background and early career

Lowe played 3 seasons starting in 1976 with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL. He scored 42–131–173 in 201 games played, with 245 PIM. In the 1978–79 season, he was named the first English-speaking captain of a QMJHL team. He was drafted in the first round, 21st overall, of the 1979 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers.

NHL playing career

Lowe played 13 full seasons in his first stint with the Oilers, winning 5 Stanley Cups. He was team captain for the 1991–92 season.

File:Kevinlowe.jpg

Lowe as an Oiler

The Oilers traded him to the New York Rangers, in December 1992 (Lowe was a restricted free-agent). There he helped other ex-Oilers Glenn Anderson, Jeff Beukeboom, Adam Graves, Craig MacTavish, Mark Messier, and Esa Tikkanen to win another Stanley Cup, bringing his personal total to 6. As Stephen Cole said in The Best of Hockey Night in Canada, the Rangers winning the Stanley Cup in 1994 was a win for "New York's Oilers," as the team consisted of members of the great Edmonton team of the 1980s. In fact, it was the last hurrah for the great Oilers dynasty of the 1980s, according to Cole.

In 1996, he re-joined the Oilers as a free agent, and played another full season. He started the 1997–98 season with the Oilers as well, but only played 7 games due to illness - an inner-ear virus that affected his balance, thus ending his playing career.

In total, Lowe played in 1254 career regular season games, scoring 84–347–431 with 1498 penalty minutes. He added another 214 playoff games, scoring 10–48–58 and earning 192 penalty minutes.

Post playing career

Lowe joined the Oilers staff in 1998 as an assistant coach. In 1999, he took over head coaching duties from Ron Low. He was head coach for just a single season, getting the Oilers to the first round of the playoffs. He was promoted to general manager of the Oilers in 2000 when long-time GM Glen Sather left for the New York Rangers. He remained the Oilers' Executive Vice President and General Manager until the 2008-09 season when he was promoted to President of Hockey Operations.

Lowe has also been responsible for assisting Canadian national hockey teams. He was a member of the management team for the Canadian men's ice hockey team at the 2002 Winter Olympics that won the gold medal, and was also named a manager for the 2004 World Cup of Hockey team. In addition, he has managed Team Canada at World Hockey Championships.

In 2005, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League created the Kevin Lowe Trophy (Trophée Kevin Lowe), awarded annually to the player in the QMJHL judged to be the best defensive defenceman.

In the 2006 - 2007 NHL offseason Lowe offered contracts to restricted free agents Thomas Vanek, which was matched by the Buffalo Sabres, then to Anaheim forward Dustin Penner, which was signed. Brian Burke, GM of The Anaheim Ducks, has publicly blamed Lowe for an inflation in player salaries, accusing Lowe of "colossal stupidity". Then head coach Craig MacTavish responded by referring Burke to The Wizard of Oz, "You comb his hair, put a white shirt on, wheel him out in front of the camera and he'll say whatever you guys want". Lowe did not respond to Burkes' attacks until July 4, 2008 on a local radio show, Total Sports with Bob Stauffer, calling Burke a "moron" and "a media junkie".

Notable achievements

Lowe holds the Edmonton Oilers record for most regular season and playoff games played as an Oiler (1037 and 172). He was the team's first-ever NHL draft pick, and scored their first NHL goal (a power play goal against the Chicago Blackhawks assisted by Wayne Gretzky and Brett Callighen). During his professional hockey career, Lowe did not play a single game in the minor leagues, and his teams only once failed to make the playoffs.

Lowe was named an NHL all-star in 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1993. He also won the league's King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 1990.

In 1988, Lowe never missed any playoff games, despite nursing a broken wrist and wearing a full cast. On the night the Oilers won their fourth Championship, Wayne Gretzky informed the media that Lowe was also hiding broken ribs throughout the playoffs, adding, "That's what it takes to win a Stanley Cup."

Awards and achievements

• 1983–84 - NHL - Stanley Cup (Edmonton)
• 1984–85 - NHL - Stanley Cup (Edmonton)
• 1986–87 - NHL - Stanley Cup (Edmonton)
• 1987–88 - NHL - Stanley Cup (Edmonton)
• 1989–90 - NHL - Stanley Cup (Edmonton)
• 1993-94 - NHL - Stanley Cup (New York Rangers)

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1976–77	Quebec Remparts	QMJHL		69	3	19	22	39		—	—	—	—	—
1977–78	Quebec Remparts	QMJHL		64	13	52	65	86		—	—	—	—	—
1978–79	Quebec Remparts	QMJHL		68	26	60	86	120		—	—	—	—	—
1979–80	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		64	2	19	21	70		3	0	1	1	0
1980–81	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		79	10	24	34	94		9	0	2	2	11
1981–82	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		80	9	31	40	63		5	0	3	3	0
1982–83	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		80	6	34	40	43		16	1	8	9	10
1983–84	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		80	4	42	46	59		19	3	7	10	16
1984–85	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		80	4	22	26	104		16	0	5	5	8
1985–86	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		74	2	16	18	90		10	1	3	4	15
1986–87	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		77	8	29	37	94		21	2	4	6	22
1987–88	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		70	9	15	24	89		19	0	2	2	26
1988–89	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		76	7	18	25	98		7	1	2	3	4
1989–90	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		78	7	26	33	140		20	0	2	2	10
1990–91	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		73	3	13	16	113		14	1	1	2	14
1991–92	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		55	2	8	10	107		11	0	3	3	16
1992–93	New York Rangers	NHL		49	3	12	15	58		—	—	—	—	—
1993–94	New York Rangers	NHL		71	5	14	19	70		22	1	0	1	20
1994–95	New York Rangers	NHL		44	1	7	8	58		10	0	1	1	12
1995–96	New York Rangers	NHL		53	1	5	6	76		10	0	4	4	4
1996–97	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		64	1	13	14	50		1	0	0	0	0
1997–98	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		7	0	0	0	0		1	0	0	0	4
NHL totals				1254	84	348	432	1498		214	10	48	58	192

Coaching record

Team	Year	Regular season							Post season
		G	W	L	T	OTL	Pts	Finish	W	L	Win %	Result
EDM	1999–00	82	32	26	16	8	88	2nd in Northwest	1	4	.200	Lost in 1st round (Dallas}

External links

• Kevin Lowe biography at Legends of Hockey (archived)
• Kevin Lowe career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
• An Oiler Original.
• HockeyDraft Central.
• Edmonton Oilers Heritage site Video of Oilers 1st NHL goal by Kevin Lowe