Max McNab

Max McNab
Born	(1924-06-21)June 21, 1924 Watson, Saskatchewan, Canada
Died	September 2, 2007(2007-09-02) (aged 83) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Detroit Red Wings
Playing career	1945–1959

Maxwell Douglas McNab (June 21, 1924 – September 2, 2007) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player, coach, and National Hockey League (NHL) general manager. He played in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings between 1947 and 1951, winning the Stanley Cup with them in 1950. The rest of his playing career, which lasted from 1945 to 1959, was spent in various minor leagues.

McNab's coaching and management career included stints as the general manager of the Washington Capitals and New Jersey Devils between 1976 and 1987. He also spent time as president of the Central Hockey League; the Max McNab Trophy, awarded to the MVP of the league playoffs, would later be named in his honour. In 1998, McNab was awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy in recognition of his contributions to hockey in the United States.

Playing career

After playing junior hockey in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, McNab played on the Omaha Knights of the USHL in the 1946–48 season before being called up to the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League in 1947. He would play on and off with the Red Wings until 1951, playing on the team that won the Stanley Cup in 1950, centering a line with Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay. He played for the Indianapolis Capitols of the American Hockey League in 1950–51. Before the 1951–52 season, he was traded by the Red Wings to the Chicago Black Hawks, but never played for the team. Back surgery kept him out of action in 1951–52 and McNab then joined the New Westminster Royals of the Western Hockey League, where he played for seven seasons, retiring in 1959. He was voted league MVP in 1955, scoring 32 goals and 81 points.

Coaching and managing

In 1961, McNab became general manager and coach of the San Francisco Seals of the WHL. He was then coach of the WHL's Vancouver Canucks and in 1966 was hired as coach and general manager of the San Diego Gulls. He rose in the front office to vice-president by 1971. In 1974 he was named president of the Central Hockey League. Although he would only remain with the CHL for a year, the Max McNab Trophy, awarded to the most valuable player in the league's playoffs, would be named in his honor.

Near the end of 1975, he joined the NHL as general manager of the Washington Capitals, succeeding Milt Schmidt. McNab remained in that job until 1982. Under his watch, the team drafted players such as Rick Green, Ryan Walter, Mike Gartner, and Bobby Carpenter.

Midway through the 1983–84 season, McNab joined the New Jersey Devils as vice-president and general manager. He would remain their general manager until 1987, and then retired from the team and hockey in the 1990s. During his tenure as Devils' GM, players such as Chris Terreri, Kirk Muller, Sean Burke, and Eric Weinrich would be drafted.

In 1998, McNab was recognized for his contribution to ice hockey in the United States by the NHL and USA Hockey as co-recipient of the Lester Patrick Trophy.

Family

Two of McNab's three sons have hockey-related careers. Peter McNab played in the NHL for 14 seasons, scoring 363 goals and 813 points, before becoming a television color analyst. David McNab spent 43 seasons working as a scout and executive for four NHL franchises before retiring in May 2021 as the senior vice president of hockey operations for the Anaheim Ducks after 28 years with the club from its inaugural season.

McNabs Island in Nova Scotia is named in honour of the McNab family, who first settled the island in the 1780s.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1942–43	Saskatoon Quakers	N-SJHL		4	7	8	15	6		2	1	2	3	0
1945–46	Regina Capitals	WCSHL		5	8	1	9	0		—	—	—	—	—
1946–47	Omaha Knights	USHL		37	20	19	39	15		11	6	6	12	0
1946–47	Detroit Metal Mouldings	IHL		3	4	2	6	6		—	—	—	—	—
1946–47	Indianapolis Capitals	AHL		6	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
1947–48	Omaha Knights	USHL		44	44	32	76	10		3	3	2	5	0
1947–48	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		12	2	2	4	2		3	0	0	0	2
1948–49	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		51	10	13	23	14		10	1	0	1	2
1949–50	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		65	4	4	8	8		10	0	0	0	0
1950–51	Indianapolis Capitals	AHL		70	36	48	84	36		3	1	2	3	2
1950–51	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		—	—	—	—	—		2	0	0	0	0
1951–52	New Westminster Royals	PCHL		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1952–53	New Westminster Royals	WHL		68	28	32	60	4		7	2	0	2	0
1953–54	New Westminster Royals	WHL		67	22	39	61	8		6	2	1	3	2
1954–55	New Westminster Royals	WHL		70	32	49	81	4		—	—	—	—	—
1955–56	New Westminster Royals	WHL		70	29	32	61	19		4	1	1	2	0
1956–57	New Westminster Royals	WHL		56	19	28	47	2		13	4	8	12	4
1957–58	New Westminster Royals	WHL		67	24	50	74	14		4	0	1	1	0
1958–59	New Westminster Royals	WHL		65	26	32	58	4		—	—	—	—	—
WHL totals				463	180	262	442	55		34	9	11	20	6
NHL totals				128	16	19	35	24		25	1	0	1	4

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
• Ex-Devils GM Dead
• Summerlin resident reunited with Cup
• Picture of 1950 Stanley Cup plaque