Lanny McDonald's Short Time With The Colorado Rockies

On December 29, 1979, Lanny McDonald was traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Colorado Rockies with Joel Quenneville for Wilf Paiement and Pat Hickey. McDonald hit the ground running (or skating) in Denver, scoring 25 goals in 46 games to finish out the 1979-80 NHL season.

Time In Denver

Lanny was with the Rockies for the full 1980-81 season and 16 games at the start of 1981-82. He scored a total of 66 goals for Colorado over 142 games (all in the regular season as the Rockies did not qualify for the post season). Interestingly, a few years later in 1982-83, McDonald scored that same number of goals in 80 games over one season with the Calgary Flames.

McDonald had just one hat trick over his time with the Rockies. On February 6, 1981, he scored three and added two assists in a 6-4 home win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Nick Ricci was in goal for the Pens for the first two goals and the third was scored into the empty net. Lanny assisted on markers by Lucien DeBlois and Mike Gillis.

In 1980-81, the Rockies won just 22 games. Lanny scored two game winning goals that year. The first was against the Minnesota North Stars in a 4-2 win. It was his only goal of the game but McDonald had a three point night, assisting on goals by Ed Cooper and Walt McKechnie. The second was in a 5-4 win over the Hartford Whalers when he scored at 13:48 of the third period on Mike Veisor, assisted by Mike McEwen and Merlin Malinowski.

Departure From The Rockies

On November 25, 1981, McDonald was traded to the Calgary Flames for Don Lever and Bob MacMillan. He played 16 games for the Rockies prior to the trade, including a three point game at Maple Leafs Gardens against the team that drafted him fourth overall at the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft.

Interestingly, Lanny's final game with the Rockies was against the Calgary Flames. In a 9-2 blowout loss, McDonald had one point, an assist on a Steve Tambellini goal. Two days later, he was playing for the Flames.

1973 NHL Amateur Draft: 3 First Rounders Now in the Hockey Hall of Fame

In today’s National Hockey League, with advanced scouting and technology added to the fact that there are 30 teams and plenty of job openings, the first round picks at the NHL Entry Draft often, but not always, stick. In the 1970’s, it wasn’t so much the case. The fact that three of the top eight picks at the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft are now in the Hockey Hall of Fame is quite astounding.

 

Bob Gainey

Bob Gainey was selected eighth overall in 1973 by the Montreal Canadiens. 20 years later, in 1992, Gainey was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Also picked fourth overall in the WHA amateur draft in 1973 by the Minnesota Fighting Saints, Gainey chose the NHL route and was a regular on the league’s top team in 1973-74.

Bob was taken from the OHA’s Peterborough Petes after playing just one season, 1972-73. He played his entire NHL career with Montreal from 1973-74 to 1988-89, winning five Stanley Cups with the team. He was a four time Frank J. Selke Trophy winner as the league’s most defensive forward. In fact, he won the trophy in its first four years of existence and is the only four-time winner to date. Gainey’s number 23 was retired by the Canadiens in 2008.

 

Lanny McDonald

Lanny McDonald was taken fourth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs, one of three first round picks by Toronto at the 1973 NHL Draft. Like Bob Gainey, McDonald was also taken in the first round of the WHA draft, 10^th overall by the Cleveland Crusaders. He had played two seasons of junior hockey in the WCHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers in 1971-72 and 1972-73. In his two seasons, Lanny contributed 114 and 139 points.

Over his NHL career that spanned from 1973-74 to 1988-89, McDonald played 1,111 regular season games with an additional 117 in the playoffs. He began with Toronto, made a stop with the Colorado Rockies then finished off his career with the Calgary Flames. With Calgary, he scored 66 goals in 1982-83 and won the Stanley Cup in 1985-86. He finished his career with exactly 500 goals and entered the Hockey Hall of Fame along with Bob Gainey in 1992.

 

Denis Potvin

Denis Potvin was the first overall pick at the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft, going to the New York Islanders. After five years of junior hockey with the OHA’s Ottawa 67’s, Potvin jumped right into a starring role with New York for the 1973-74 season, winning the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year. Denis played his entire career with the Islanders, retiring after the 1987-88 season. He captained the team for eight years, from 1979-80 to 1986-87, including the team’s four year Stanley Cup championship run from 1979-80 to 1982-83.

In all, Potvin played 1,052 NHL games and scored 310 goals. He was a three time Norris Trophy winner as the NHL’s top defenseman, winning in 1975-76, 1977-78 and 1978-79. In 1991, his number 5 was the first jersey number ever retired by the New York Islanders. Denis had a one year head start on Gainey and McDonald, being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991.