Kirk McLean
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Kirk Alan McLean (born June 26, 1966 in Willowdale, Ontario, now part of Toronto), is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender most famous for his long and successful stint with the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks.
McLean played junior hockey for the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League. The New Jersey Devils drafted him in 1984 with their 6th pick (107th Overall), but he only appeared in six games over two seasons for the Devils before Vancouver Canucks' general manager Pat Quinn spotted a diamond in the rough and acquired McLean, along with sniper Greg "Gus" Adams, for star winger Patrik Sundström and the Canucks' 1988 fourth-round draft pick (Matt Ruchty), on September 15, 1987.
It was from there that McLean's career took off, as he set a number of franchise records for the Canucks, and appeared in NHL All-Star Games in 1990 and 1992, and was named first runner-up for the Vezina Trophy (for outstanding goaltender) for the 1991-92 NHL season. He became known to fans as 'Captain Kirk,' in reference to the Star Trek protagonist.
His peak with the Canucks undoubtedly came during the 1994 playoffs, when he backstopped them to within two goals of the Stanley Cup, displaying arguably the best run of goaltending in Canucks' history. A heartbreaking seventh-game loss to the New York Rangers eventually ended the run for the Cup, but not before a series of personal highlights. These included a series-saving highlight-reel save in overtime against the Calgary Flames in the seventh game of the first round, as well as a 52-save performance in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Rangers, which Quinn would later quip ought to have been put on videocasette and used as a tutorial for young goaltenders.
McLean's play declined steadily for the Canucks in the mid-1990s following a messy divorce (see below) and injury problems.
A persistent rumor exists that defenseman Jeff Brown (a close friend of McLean's) had been having an affair with McLean's wife. According to this rumor, this is why Brown was traded to the Hartford Whalers. Although some credibility was lent to this rumor by McLean's messy divorce and other factors, this remains a rumor with no one with direct involvement acknowledging it. It has been repeated by so many that it has been called the worst kept secret in Vancouver, but may be only an urban legend.
After Quinn had been dismissed by the club, new management traded him to the new Carolina Hurricanes franchise along with Martin Gelinas for Sean Burke, Geoff Sanderson, and Enrico Ciccone on January 3, 1998. His tenure in Carolina was brief, as the Hurricanes swapped him later that season to the Florida Panthers for Ray Sheppard, on March 24, 1998. He signed as a free agent with the New York Rangers on July 13, 1999, where he would end his career in 2001. McLean will always be remembered for his stellar play as a Vancouver Canuck and perhaps being the greatest Canuck goalie of all-time.
McLean now does color commentary for the Canucks' pay-per-view broadcasts.
