Scott Mellanby

Scott Edgar Mellanby (born June 11, 1966 in Montreal, Quebec) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He primarily played right wing throughout his career, on occasion shifting over to the left side. He is the son of former Hockey Night in Canada producer Ralph Mellanby.

Playing career
Scott Mellanby was selected 27th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. After being drafted, Mellanby went to the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he played for two seasons. After his second season in the WCHA was finished, he promptly played his first two NHL games.

In 1989 Mellanby suffered a serious injury in a barroom brawl when he tried to help a friend and he wound up getting a severe cut from a broken beer bottle on his left arm. The cut sliced four tendons, a nerve and an artery in the arm. Doctors repaired it through surgery, but Mellanby had been close to amputation. Mellanby would play for Philadelphia until the summer of 1991, when he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in a 6-player deal that included Jari Kurri going to Philadelphia.

Mellanby was left unprotected by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1993 NHL Expansion Draft, allowing him to be claimed by the new Florida Panthers. This was the team where Mellanby would have his best years. In fact he became a fan favorite in Florida when he killed a rat with his hockey stick in the team dressing room, spawning the "rat trick" craze, where fans would litted the ice with thousands of plastic rats after each Panthers goal. It was brought to the hockey world's attention during the Panthers' run to the final in 1996. He also scored the Panthers' first ever goal in franchise history on October 9, 1993.

He was traded to the St. Louis Blues in February 2001, and the move revitalized his declining career. He scored 57 points during the 2002–03 season, his highest total since 1996. Mellanby then signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Thrashers in the summer of 2004 and he resigned with Atlanta for the 2006–07 season.

Mellanby left the game having played the 3rd most NHL games without a Stanley Cup victory, only behind Phil Housley and Mike Gartner. The closest Mellanby came to the cup was when his Philadelphia Flyers lost to Edmonton in the 1987 Stanley Cup Finals, 4 games to 3.

He announced his retirement on April 24, 2007, becoming the first player to retire as a Thrashers captain (the four previous Thrashers captains, were either traded or signed elsewhere via free-agency).

Mellanby had played in 1431 NHL games and scored 364 goals and 476 assists. In the playoffs, he played in 134 games with 24 goals and 29 assists.

Mellanby is currently employed with the Vancouver Canucks organization as a special consultant to Canucks' General Manager, Mike Gillis and the hockey operations department.