Before tonight’s match up against the Detroit Red Wings, first game back since the All Star Game, the Calgary Flames will take a pregame pause to remember former defencemen and assistant coach Brad McCrimmon who was lost this fall in the Russian plane with the Kontinental Hockey League team, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, that crashed Sept. 7, 2011.
With 18 season in the NHL, McCrimmon played in 1,222 games, racked up 81 goals, 322 assists, and 1,416 PIM.
McCrimmon was drafted by the Boston Bruins in 1979, 15th over all, and spent 3 season with them until moving to the Philadelphia Flyers, spent 3 seasons and won the Stanley Cup with the Calgary Flames before moving on to the Detroit Red Wings, and then finished up his career with the Hartford Whalers and Phoenix Coyotes.
After he retired in 1997, McCrimmon returned to Calgary in 2000 to assist in coaching. He spent some time with the Atlanta Thrashers as an assistant coach from 2003 to 2008 before returning to Detroit as as an assistant coach until this past summer when he took the head coaching job with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.
The Flames will pay tribute tonight with a pregame ceremony and the players will be wearing the logo “4 Brad” on their helmets. The FanAttic will be selling Love For Lokomotiv bracelets in support of the efforts to help Lokomotiv and their families rebuild as well.
Go Flames Go