Brendan Shanahan

Brendan Frederick Shanahan (born January 23, 1969) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player who currently serves as the president and alternate governor for the Toronto Maple Leafs, having previously served as the director of player safety for the National Hockey League (NHL). Originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils second overall in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft, Shanahan played in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils (two stints), St. Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers, Detroit Red Wings, and New York Rangers.

For the Australian author and journalist, see Brendan Shanahan (author).

Brendan Shanahan
Hockey Hall of Fame, 2013
Shanahan in 2015
Born	(1969-01-23) January 23, 1969 Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight	220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb)
Position	Left Wing
Shot	Right
Played for	New Jersey Devils St. Louis Blues Hartford Whalers Detroit Red Wings New York Rangers
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	2nd overall, 1987 New Jersey Devils
Playing career	1987–2009

While playing with the Red Wings, he won three Stanley Cup championships (1997, 1998, 2002). In 2017 Shanahan was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.[1]

With his physical play and goal scoring ability, Shanahan scored 656 goals in his NHL career spanning over 1,500 NHL games and, at the time of his retirement, was the leader among active NHL players for goals scored. Shanahan is the only player in NHL history with over 600 goals and 2,000 penalty minutes.

Competing for Canada internationally, Shanahan won a gold medal at the 1994 World Championships, 2002 Winter Olympics, and a 1991 Canada Cup championship. Having won what are considered the three most prominent team titles in ice hockey, an Olympic gold medal, a World Championship and a Stanley Cup, Shanahan is a member of the elite Triple Gold Club.[2] Shanahan was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 8, 2013 as a member of the Red Wings.[3]

Playing career

Start in New Jersey (1988–1991)

Shanahan was drafted by the New Jersey Devils second overall in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft after Pierre Turgeon. Expectations for Shanahan were high after a stellar career with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), with whom his number 19 has been retired. In his rookie season with the Devils, in 1987–88, he scored 26 points in 65 games as an 18-year-old. The following season, in 1988–89, he improved to 22 goals and 50 points. In his third NHL season, he emerged as a point-per-game producer with 72 points in 73 games and a top scorer with the Devils; his 30 goals finished tied for second in team goal-scoring behind John MacLean.[4] In his fourth and final year of his initial stint with the Devils in 1990–91, he scored 29 goals and 66 points. At the age of 22, Shanahan was already an established scorer in the NHL. He had also played well in the Devils' playoff runs.

To the St. Louis Blues (1991–1995)

Becoming a free agent following the 1990–91 season, Shanahan was signed by the St. Louis Blues on July 25, 1991.[5] According to the collective bargaining agreement, he was a restricted free-agent, and therefore, the Devils were due compensation. Ordinarily, this compensation would be in the form of draft picks, but the Blues already owed four first-round draft picks to the Washington Capitals for signing defenceman Scott Stevens the previous year. The Blues made an offer for compensation that consisted of Curtis Joseph, Rod Brind'Amour and two draft picks even further down the road. However, the Devils were only interested in Scott Stevens. An arbitrator eventually decided that Stevens was to be the compensation, so Shanahan joined the Blues in exchange for Scott Stevens.[5]

While Shanahan's first season for the Blues yielded similar statistics to his seasons with the Devils, he would reach another level in 1992–93 with 51 goals and 94 points in 71 games. He finished second in team goal-scoring to Brett Hull and third in team point-scoring overall. Continuing at that pace the next season, in 1993–94, he recorded personal bests of 52 goals, 50 assists and 102 points. In addition to leading the Blues in points, he was named to the 1994 NHL All-Star Game at mid-season and the NHL First All-Star Team at the end of the year.

During the 1994–95 NHL lockout, Shanahan played three games for Düsseldorf EG of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), scoring five goals and three assists in his short stay overseas. When NHL play resumed, he continued to play well for the Blues, recording 41 points in the lockout-shortened season. In the 1995 playoffs, he led the team in scoring with nine points in five games.

Year in Hartford (1995–1996)

After four seasons with the Blues, on July 27, 1995, Shanahan was traded to the Hartford Whalers in exchange for defenceman Chris Pronger,[5] succeeding Pat Verbeek as team captain. In Shanahan's only full season for Hartford, he scored a team-high 44 goals and 78 points and for his efforts was selected to the 1996 All-Star Game. With the uncertainty of the franchise, however, Shanahan requested a trade,[5] and on October 9, 1996, just two games into the 1996–97 season, he was moved, along with Brian Glynn, to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for forward Keith Primeau, defenceman Paul Coffey and a first-round draft pick.[5]

Three Stanley Cup championships with Detroit (1996–2006)

Shanahan finished off the 1996–97 season with his usual productivity, scoring a total of 47 goals for the season, and also being named to the 1997 NHL All-Star Game. In the 1997 playoffs, he also contributed with nine goals and eight assists, helping the Red Wings to their first Stanley Cup since 1955. They repeated as Cup champions the next year, despite an off-season for Shanahan in which he managed just 57 points. The following season, in 1998–99, Shanahan continued at that pace with 58 points, but was still invited to another All-Star Game. Entering the 1999 playoffs as back-to-back Stanley Cup champions, the Red Wings were eliminated by the rival Colorado Avalanche. The next year, in 1999–2000, Shanahan scored 41 goals, indicating a return to his usual form, however the Red Wings were once again eliminated by the Avalanche in the 2000 Playoffs. After the season, he was named to the First All-Star Team for the second time in his career. He followed up his resurgent season scoring 76 points in 2000–01, although Detroit were upset in the first round of the 2001 playoffs by the Los Angeles Kings.

The 2001–02 season was a banner one for both Shanahan and the Red Wings. Having picked up future Hall-of-Famers Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille and Dominik Hašek in the off-season, the team was primed to win its third Cup since 1997. They cruised to victory and Shanahan continued to play a big role in their success, scoring 37 goals during the regular season and 19 points in their ultimately-victorious Stanley Cup run. Shanahan also picked up an Olympic gold medal in Salt Lake City with Team Canada and was named to the Second NHL All-Star Team. The season was also of particular statistical significance for Shanahan, as shortly preceding his Olympic gold medal victory, he recorded his 1,000th point in the NHL after scoring two goals against Marty Turco in a 4–2 victory over the Dallas Stars on January 12, 2002.[6] Then, later in the season, Shanahan also reached the 500-goal mark, scoring the game-winner against Patrick Roy in a 2–0 victory over Colorado on March 23. The win also marked a team accomplishment as it clinched a Presidents' Trophy as the top ranked regular-season team.[7]

In the season following Detroit's third Stanley Cup, Shanahan scored 30 goals and 68 points and won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy at the end of the year for his humanitarian efforts. In the following season, however, his production dipped to 25 goals and 53 points, his lowest totals in 15 years. After a one-year absence due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Shanahan showed yet another return to form in 2005–06, tallying an impressive 40 goals and 81 points, good for third among Red Wings in scoring.

More success with the Rangers (2006–2009)

Shanahan became a free agent following the 2005–06 season and subsequently signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the New York Rangers.[8] After completing a successful nine-year stay in Detroit, he expressed a desire to move on in his NHL career, stating, "It really came down to an instinct I had. Detroit has a great past and a great future ahead of them as well, but I guess I just felt that maybe I was identified with the past a little bit more than the future."

Shanahan (with the "A" on his jersey) warms up during a September 2007 pre-season game.

Shanahan began his Rangers career by scoring his 599th and 600th career goals against Olaf Kölzig on October 5, 2006, in a 5–3 season opening win against the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden.[9] With assists coming from Petr Průcha on both goals, he became just the 15th player in NHL history to reach the 600-goal mark. Shortly thereafter, on November 14, 2006, Shanahan received the inaugural Mark Messier Leadership Award, an award given monthly to a player selected by Mark Messier who best exemplifies leadership skills on and off the ice. Then, selected to his eighth All-Star Game, he was named captain of the Eastern Conference for the 2007 All-Star Game.[10] On February 1, 2007, he made headlines after expressing frustration in a press conference about his perception that NHL referees are biased against team captain Jaromír Jágr.[11] Later in the month, he was involved in a severe on-ice collision with Philadelphia Flyers forward and former Red Wings teammate Mike Knuble in a game on February 17. Shanahan and Knuble caught each other skating in opposite directions as Shanahan was headed for the bench, at which point Shanahan hit his head on the ice and was left unconscious for ten minutes. He was carried off on a stretcher and taken to hospital where he was released the next day.[12] After missing 15 games, Shanahan returned to the lineup in time for the 2007 playoffs, where the Rangers were defeated by the Buffalo Sabres in the second round. Shanahan completed his first season with the Rangers fourth in team scoring with 62 points in 67 games as an alternate captain to Jágr.[9]

After re-signing to another one-year contract with the Rangers,[13] Shanahan struggled to produce offensively as his points total dipped to just 46 points in 2007–08, his lowest total since his rookie season in 1987–88. With his contract expiring in the off-season, he was not tendered an offer by the Rangers, believed to be a result of the Rangers' pursuit of free agent Mats Sundin.[5]

Return to the Devils (2009)

Unable to come to terms with the Rangers, Shanahan sat out the first half of the 2008–09 season. Then, on January 10, 2009, it was announced that Shanahan agreed to join the New Jersey Devils for his second stint with the team. Four days later, on January 14, the terms of the contract were finalized and Shanahan signed a one-year, $800,000 prorated contract.[14] The time between Shanahan's departure from and return to the Devils was 17 years, 294 days, the longest gap in tenure with one team in NHL history.[15] Playing in his first game back with the Devils since 1990–91, he scored the first goal of the game against the Nashville Predators on a 5-on-3 power play by toe dragging the puck around the opposition player and then shooting it on the pad side on January 19 in a 3–1 win.[16] On August 5, 2009, Shanahan agreed to a one-year deal with the Devils returning for a 22nd season,[17] to play during the 2009–10 season. This would have been Shanahan's sixth season as a Devil. However, on October 1, 2009, the Devils and Shanahan parted ways, with Shanahan saying, "When I signed this past summer, Lou Lamoriello, Jacques Lemaire and I agreed that if we were unable to find a suitable fit in which I would be able to compete and contribute at the level I expect from myself, then I would simply step aside." Shanahan had played just four pre-season games of the 2009–10 season. He scored the Devils' last pre-season goal that year, on one of his last NHL shifts.[18]

Legacy

During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Shanahan was the mastermind of what was dubbed "The Shanahan Summit," a two-day conference in Toronto. It gathered players, coaches and other influential voices to discuss improvements to the flow and tempo of the game. Ten recommendations were presented to both the NHL and National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA).

At the time of his retirement, Shanahan led active NHL players in Gordie Howe hat tricks with 17,[19] and he remains tied for second atop the all time leaderboard. Not all teams have kept records of this feat, however, and it is even believed that Gordie Howe himself only officially had two. According to a Yahoo! Sports article, Shanahan would choose to go into the Hall of Fame as a Red Wing, if he had to choose.[20]

Executive career

Shanahan with the Maple Leafs in 2020

National Hockey League

On November 17, 2009, Shanahan officially announced his retirement after 21 years in the NHL. Shanahan said, "I would like to thank my family and all of the friends who have helped me achieve and maintain my childhood dream of playing in the National Hockey League," Shanahan said in a news release. "I am enormously grateful to all of my coaches and teammates I've had the privilege of learning from and playing along side of, throughout my career. While I always dreamed of playing in the NHL, I can't honestly say that I would have ever imagined that I'd be this fortunate and blessed. I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has helped me fulfill this dream."[21]

In December 2009, Shanahan accepted an offer from the NHL to become the NHL's vice president of hockey and business development.[22] "In a broad sense, I think obviously, I am going to be another voice in the hockey ops, but at the same time people like [NHL COO] John Collins and [NHL EVP Communications] Gary [Meagher] and [NHL Deputy Commissioner] Bill [Daly] are going to allow me and teach me the business of hockey," Shanahan told NHL.com. "What I was excited about in their offer to bring me on board is that it was wide open for me. There was not going to be any room with a closed door and I would be given an opportunity to see and learn. As time goes by there will be some days where my role is more hockey specific and some days where my role is more business or marketing specific."

Shanahan spoke at the World Hockey Summit in 2010, and sought to bring the fun back into youth developing skills for the game. He felt that, "Anytime you can get a kid out on the ice and just make it fun and he is developing and improving without knowing he's developing and improving, and all he cares about is that he is having a great deal of fun out there, that's when you have really locked onto something valuable".[23]

On June 1, 2011, Shanahan succeeded Colin Campbell as the NHL's Senior Vice President. When handing out rulings on plays that were sent to his office for review, Shanahan posted videos to the NHL's official Website in which he explained how they either did or did not breach NHL rules. He narrated all videos except French-language videos involving the Montreal Canadiens or Ottawa Senators; these were narrated by a deputy, Stéphane Quintal.

In his very first season as Senior Vice President, Shanahan delivered multiple suspensions to players for illegal hits.

Toronto Maple Leafs

On April 11, 2014, Shanahan was officially announced as the Toronto Maple Leafs' president and alternate governor. He is expected to oversee all operations for the hockey club. On the same day, the NHL announced that Quintal would succeed him as the league's chief disciplinarian.[24]

International play

Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Representing Canada
Winter Olympics
	2002 Salt Lake City
World Championships
	1994 Italy
Canada Cup
	1991 Canada Cup
	1996 World Cup of Hockey

Shanahan has participated in seven international tournaments for Canada:

• 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (Disqualified)
• 1991 Canada Cup (Gold Medal)
• 1994 World Championships (Gold Medal)
• 1996 World Cup of Hockey (Silver Medal)
• 1998 Winter Olympics (4th place)
• 2002 Winter Olympics (Gold Medal)
• 2006 World Championships (Captain, 4th place)

Personal life

The son of Irish parents, Rosaleen and Donal, Shanahan also excelled in lacrosse.[25] As a youth, he played in the 1982 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Mississauga.[26] He grew up in Mimico, a neighbourhood of Etobicoke (now a part of Toronto), where he attended St. Leo's Catholic School and his family attended St. Leo's Roman Catholic Church. Shanahan briefly attended Catholic Central High School in London, Ontario, where he graduated.

Shanahan has three brothers—Danny, Brian and Shaun. He also attended Michael Power/St. Joseph High School, where he played on the hockey team and won an Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) gold medal in 1985.

Shanahan married his wife Catherine on July 4, 1998, and the couple has three children together.[27][28] Shanahan became an American citizen on May 17, 2002. Shanahan has also had small roles in a few films. He appeared in a generic role in Me, Myself & Irene starring Canadian actor Jim Carrey.[29]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1985–86	London Knights	OHL		59	28	34	62	70		5	5	5	10	5
1986–87	London Knights	OHL		56	39	53	92	128		—	—	—	—	—
1987–88	New Jersey Devils	NHL		65	7	19	26	131		12	2	1	3	44
1988–89	New Jersey Devils	NHL		68	22	28	50	115		—	—	—	—	—
1989–90	New Jersey Devils	NHL		73	30	42	72	137		6	3	3	6	20
1990–91	New Jersey Devils	NHL		75	29	37	66	141		7	3	5	8	12
1991–92	St. Louis Blues	NHL		80	33	36	69	171		6	2	3	5	14
1992–93	St. Louis Blues	NHL		71	51	43	94	174		11	4	3	7	18
1993–94	St. Louis Blues	NHL		81	52	50	102	211		4	2	5	7	4
1994–95	Düsseldorfer EG	DEL		3	5	3	8	4		—	—	—	—	—
1994–95	St. Louis Blues	NHL		45	20	21	41	136		5	4	5	9	14
1995–96	Hartford Whalers	NHL		74	44	34	78	125		—	—	—	—	—
1996–97	Hartford Whalers	NHL		2	1	0	1	0		—	—	—	—	—
1996–97	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		79	46	41	87	131		20	9	8	17	43
1997–98	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		75	28	29	57	154		20	5	4	9	22
1998–99	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		81	31	27	58	123		10	3	7	10	6
1999–2000	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		78	41	37	78	105		9	3	2	5	10
2000–01	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		81	31	45	76	81		2	2	2	4	0
2001–02	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		80	37	38	75	118		23	8	11	19	20
2002–03	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		78	30	38	68	103		4	1	1	2	4
2003–04	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		82	25	28	53	117		12	1	5	6	20
2005–06	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		82	40	41	81	105		6	1	1	2	6
2006–07	New York Rangers	NHL		67	29	33	62	47		10	5	2	7	12
2007–08	New York Rangers	NHL		73	23	23	46	35		10	1	4	5	8
2008–09	New Jersey Devils	NHL		34	6	8	14	29		7	1	2	3	2
NHL totals				1524	656	698	1354	2489		184	60	74	134	280

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1987	Canada	WJC	DQ		6	4	3	7	4
1991	Canada	CC			8	2	0	2	6
1994	Canada	WC			6	4	3	7	6
1996	Canada	WCH			7	3	3	6	8
1998	Canada	OG	4th		6	2	0	2	0
2002	Canada	OG			6	0	1	1	0
2006	Canada	WC	4th		8	3	1	4	10
Junior totals					6	4	3	7	4
Senior totals					41	14	8	22	54

Awards and honours

• Three-time Stanley Cup champion – 1997, 1998, 2002;
• Played in the NHL All-Star Game – 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2007 (captain);
• Named to the NHL First All-Star Team in 1994 and 2000;
• Named to the NHL Second All-Star Team in 2002;
• Awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2003;
• Won the Primus Challenge Bowl with World-Stars team in 2004;
• Led NHL in short-handed goals in 1994;
• Led NHL in powerplay goals in 1997;
• Second-most goals by a left winger – 656;
• Second-most consecutive 20 goal seasons – 19;
• Only player with over 600 goals and 2,000 penalty minutes;
• Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
• Holds unofficial record for most Gordie Howe hat tricks by a player during the regular season (17).

See also

• Power forward (ice hockey)
• List of NHL players with 1000 games played
• List of NHL players with 2000 career penalty minutes
• List of NHL players with 100-point seasons

References

1. "100 Greatest NHL Players". NHL.com. January 27, 2017. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
2. "Triple Gold Club". International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved January 19, 2009.
3. Cheli, Shanny headed to Hall of Fame
4. "1989-90 New Jersey Devils [NHL]". Hockeydb. Retrieved January 19, 2009.
5. "Brendan Shanahan - Legends of Hockey". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 19, 2009.
6. "Shanahan gets 1,000th point". CBC. January 13, 2002. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
7. "Bad blood flows as Wings blank Avs, Shanahan scores 500th". CBC. March 23, 2002. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
8. "Shanahan signs 1-year deal with Rangers". Associated Press. July 9, 2006. Archived from the original on February 25, 2008. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
9. Zinser, Lynn (October 6, 2006). "Jagr and Shanahan Ignite Rangers in Their Opener". The New York Times. Retrieved January 19, 2009.
10. "Sakic and Shanahan named All-Star captains". The Washington Post. January 18, 2007. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
11. "Angry Shanahan says refs are biased against Jagr". Associated Press.
12. Podell, Ira (February 18, 2007). "Rangers' Shanahan Released From Hospital". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 19, 2009.
13. Podell, Ira (July 10, 2007). "Rangers re-sign Shanahan". The New York Times. Retrieved January 19, 2009.
14. "Veteran forward Brendan Shanahan signs with Devils". The Hockey News. January 15, 2009. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2009.
15. "The Newark Star Ledger. April 7, 2013. section 4 pg, 5".
16. "Devils dump Predators". National Post. January 19, 2009. Retrieved January 19, 2009.
17. "It's official: Shanahan re-signs with Devils". North Jersey Media Group. August 5, 2009. Archived from the original on August 10, 2009. Retrieved August 5, 2009.
18. "New Jersey Devils Defeat New York Islanders 4-2, End Preseason at 4-0-1". In Lou We Trust. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
19. The NHL without Brendan Shanahan is sadly now a reality
20. Puck Daddy chats with Brendan Shanahan about coaching vs. Bowman, fixing NHL and his finale theory about 'Lost'
21. "Shanahan announces his retirement". Tsn.ca. November 17, 2009. Archived from the original on March 25, 2010. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
22. "Shanahan named NHL's new VP for Hockey and Business Development - NHL.com - News". NHL.com. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
23. Cribb, Robert (August 25, 2010). "Walking in the footsteps of hockey inaction". Toronto Star. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
24. "Brendan Shanahan officially hired as Maple Leafs president". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. April 11, 2014. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
25. Canoe inc. (February 4, 2005). "Shanny set to Rock?". Slam.canoe.ca. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
26. "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
27. A day in the life of Brendan Shanahan
28. Glittering night on Broadway
29. "Brendan Shanahan". International Movie Database.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
• Men's Vogue profile on Brendan Shanahan
• Brendan Shanahan Press Conference introducing him as President of the Toronto Maple Leafs

Preceded by Neil Brady	New Jersey Devils first round draft pick 1987	Succeeded by Corey Foster
Preceded by Pat Verbeek	Hartford Whalers captain 1995–1996	Succeeded by Kevin Dineen
Preceded by Ron Francis	King Clancy Memorial Trophy winner 2003	Succeeded by Jarome Iginla