Peter McNab

Peter McNab
Position	Centre
Height Weight	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 210 lb (95 kg)
Teams	Boston Bruins Buffalo Sabres Vancouver Canucks New Jersey Devils
Nationality	American & Canadian
Born	May 8, 1952(1952-05-08), Vancouver, BC, CAN
Died	November 6, 2022(2022-11-06) (aged 70), Denver, Colorado
Pro Career	1973 – 1987

Peter McNab (born on May 8, 1952 in Vancouver, British Columbia, died November 6, 2022 in Denver, Colorado) was a retired 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

Peter McNab spent his early childhood in British Columbia before moving to San Diego, CA 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 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 U.of Denver Pioneers in 1972.

Professional career

He 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, Peter McNab was traded to the Boston Bruins in 1976. He enjoyed the best years of his NHL career in Boston, scoring at least 35 goals and 75 points 6 seasons in a row and played 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 several times. On April 9, 1981, Minnesota 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.

Peter McNab was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in 1984, and played 2 seasons with the New Jersey Devils, where his father Max was the team's 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.

Broadcasting Career

Upon his retirement he would serve as color commentator for SportsChannel America's coverage of the New Jersey Devils broadcasts from the 1987-88 season to until the 1994-95 season.

He served as a color commentator for Altitude Sports and Entertainment's coverage of the Colorado Avalanche from their first season after relocating from Quebec City to Denver in 1995 until his passing in 2022.

He would also serve as The Sports Network's studio analyst for the 1998 Olympics in Nagano. and color commentator for Turner Network Television for the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, and color commentator for NHL on NBC for their coverage of the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy.

Awards and accomplishments

Award	Year
All-WCHA First Team	1972–73
All-NCAA All-Tournament Team†	1973†
National Hockey League All-Star Game	1997 NHL All-Star Game

• † (participation later vacated)

Personal life

McNab was part of a prominent ice hockey family. His father Max McNab was a center who won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 1950, and later became a coach and general manager. Peter's brother, David, spent 43 seasons as an NHL scout and executive before retiring from his position as the senior vice president of hockey operations for the Anaheim Ducks in May 2021.

In 2021, McNab was diagnosed with cancer. He continued his role as Avalanche color analyst throughout his chemotherapy. In February 2022, doctors informed McNab that his cancer was in remission. McNab died on November 6, 2022, at the age of 70.

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	58	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's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
• Peter McNab's biography at Legends of Hockey
• McNab bio at hockeydraftcentral.com