Peter McNab

Peter McNab
Born	(1952-05-08) May 8, 1952 Vancouver, BC, CAN
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight	210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Boston Bruins Buffalo Sabres Vancouver Canucks New Jersey Devils
National team	United States
NHL draft	85th overall, 1972 Buffalo Sabres
Playing career	1973–1987

Peter Maxwell McNab (born May 8, 1952, in Vancouver, British Columbia) is a retired American professional ice hockey player who appeared in 954 NHL regular season games between 1973 and 1987. McNab belongs to one of ice hockey's most prominent families. His father Max McNab was a journeyman center who won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 1950. Max's long career as a player and coach was honored by his hometown of Watson, Saskatchewan, where a recreational park is named after him. Peter's brother David was an NHL scout and is now Assistant G.M. of the Anaheim Ducks.

Biography

Amateur career

McNab spent his early childhood in British Columbia before moving to San Diego, California at age 14, where his father was head coach of the minor-league San Diego Gulls. Peter initially excelled as a baseball player; he entered the University of Denver (DU) on a baseball scholarship and later made the hockey team, becoming an all-WCHA selection in 1973. In the early 1970s NCAA players rarely made it to the NHL, but McNab was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres while playing forward for the DU Pioneers in 1972.

Professional career

McNab led the Cincinnati Swords of the AHL in scoring in 1973–74, despite just playing in 49 of 76 games, and debuted with Buffalo that same season. While with Buffalo, he got his first NHL goal on December 15, 1973, against the Minnesota North Stars.

After a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1975, McNab was traded to the Boston Bruins. He enjoyed the best years of his NHL career in Boston, scoring at least 35 goals and 75 points six seasons in a row and playing in the 1977 NHL All-Star Game. He twice scored a playoff overtime winning goal. On December 23, 1979, during a game at Madison Square Garden in New York, McNab, teammate Mike Milbury, and several other Bruins climbed into the stands to confront fans. McNab engaged in a physical confrontation with one fan, and was soon joined by Milbury, who removed the fan's shoe and proceeded to strike the fan with the shoe at least once. On April 9, 1981, North Stars goaltender Don Beaupre stopped a McNab penalty shot. As a result, McNab holds the distinction of being the only Bruin ever awarded a penalty shot in a playoff game. Today, McNab is among the team's top 10 leaders in goals, points and playoff scoring.

The Bruins traded McNab to the Vancouver Canucks in 1984; he played in Vancouver for two seasons before signing with the New Jersey Devils, for whom his father Max was the general manager at the time. He also made his international debut for Team USA at the 1986 Ice Hockey World Championship tournament in Moscow. He retired from professional hockey at the end of the 1986–87 season after playing two seasons in New Jersey.

Post playing career

After retiring, McNab began his broadcasting career as a color analyst for the Devils starting in the 1987–88 season. After eight years broadcasting on SportsChannel for the Devils, he moved to Colorado for the inaugural season of the Colorado Avalanche. He was also a TV announcer on NBC as an analyst on NHL on NBC during the 2006 Winter Olympic games in Torino, Italy, and as a color analyst on TNT for the Olympic games in Nagano, Japan. He also served as TSN’s studio analyst and host for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.

On June 8, 2009, McNab signed a multi-year deal with Altitude, where he started his 14th season as color commentator for the Colorado Avalanche at the beginning of the 2009-2010 NHL season.

Awards and honours

Award	Year
All-WCHA First Team	1972–73
All-NCAA All-Tournament Team	1973

• Played in NHL All-Star Game (1977)

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1973–74	Cincinnati Swords	AHL		49	34	39	73	16		5	2	6	8	0
1973–74	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		22	3	6	9	2		—	—	—	—	—
1974–75	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		53	22	21	43	8		17	2	6	8	4
1975–76	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		79	24	32	56	16		8	0	0	0	0
1976–77	Boston Bruins	NHL		80	38	48	86	11		14	5	3	8	2
1977–78	Boston Bruins	NHL		79	41	39	80	4		15	8	11	19	2
1978–79	Boston Bruins	NHL		76	35	45	80	10		11	5	3	8	0
1979–80	Boston Bruins	NHL		74	40	38	78	10		10	8	6	14	2
1980–81	Boston Bruins	NHL		80	37	46	83	24		3	3	0	3	0
1981–82	Boston Bruins	NHL		80	36	40	76	19		11	6	8	14	6
1982–83	Boston Bruins	NHL		74	22	52	74	23		15	3	5	8	4
1983–84	Boston Bruins	NHL		52	14	16	30	10		—	—	—	—	—
1983–84	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		13	1	6	7	10		3	0	0	0	0
1984–85	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		75	23	25	48	10		—	—	—	—	—
1985–86	New Jersey Devils	NHL		71	19	24	43	14		—	—	—	—	—
1986–87	New Jersey Devils	NHL		46	8	12	20	8		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				954	363	450	813	179		107	42	40	82	20

External links

• Peter McNab career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
• Peter McNab biography at Legends of Hockey (archived)
• McNab bio at hockeydraftcentral.com