| Round | Overall |
| 8 | 103 |
 |
 |
Left-hand catcher
Pre-Draft Statistics
| Year | Team | League | GP | W-L-T | GAA | SO | SV% | ||
| 1967-68 | Winnipeg | WCJHL | 16 | -- | 5.75 | 0 | n/a | ||
| 1968-69 | Dauphin | MJHL | -- | -- | -- | - | n/a | ||
| 1969-70 | Dauphin | MJHL | 33 | -- | 3.57 | 0 | n/a |
Pre-Draft Notes
Played for Dauphin (MJHL) in 1969 and 1970 Memorial Cup tournaments.
Career Vitals
| First contract: | 1971 |
| Debut: | October 21, 1972 (Toronto vs. Detroit) |
| Final NHL game: | April 7, 1985 (New Jersey vs. Philadelphia) |
| Retired: | 1986 |
| Stanley Cup: | 1990 |
| Numbers worn: | 30 (Toronto); 1, 30 (Washington); 30 (Detroit); 1 (Quebec); 30 (Edmonton); 30 (New Jersey) |
Career NHL Statistics
Teams:
Toronto, Wash., Detroit, Quebec, Edmonton,
New Jersey
Years: 1972-1985. Playoffs: 1978-1980
| Regular Season | |||||
| GP | W-L-T | GAA | SO | SV% | |
| 11 years | 382 | 102-203-38 | 4.28 | 4 | n/a |
| Stanley Cup Playoffs | |||||
| GP | W-L | GAA | SO | SV% | |
| 2 years | 7 | 1-6 | 3.85 | 0 | n/a |
| Complete statistics available at NHL.com | |||||
Career Highlights
Led MJHL goalies with 33 games for Dauphin in 1969. ... Named EHL Southern Division Rookie of Year with Jacksonville in 1970-71. ... Led CHL with 2,428 minutes for Tulsa in 1971-72. ... Led CHL playoffs in goals-against average (1.89) and shutouts (1) with Tulsa in 1972. ... Named to CHL All-Star Second Team with Tulsa in 1973-74. ... Played on first Washington Capitals team during franchise's inaugural 1974-75 season and was the starting goaltender in the team's first-ever game on Oct. 9, 1974, at N.Y. Rangers, stopping 37 shots in a 6-3 loss at Madison Square Garden. ... Became the first Washington Capitals goaltender to record a victory when he made 33 saves to beat Chicago 4-3 at home on Oct. 17, 1974. ... Became the first Capitals goaltender to record a shutout when he blanked Kansas City 3-0 with 32 saves at home on Feb. 16, 1975. ... Led Washington in home-game Three Star selections in 1974-75. ... Stopped 48 of 52 shots for Washington in 5-4 win at Pittsburgh on April 3, 1976. ... Left Washington in 1977 with Capitals career records (since broken) for shots faced (5,261) and saves (4,630). ... Recorded his only NHL playoff victory for Detroit on April 11, 1978, at Atlanta. ... Led CHL in games played by a goalie (63), minutes (3,795), and wins (33) with Kansas City in 1978-79. ... Won CHL Tommy Ivan Trophy as league MVP with Kansas City in 1978-79. ... Named to CHL All-Star First Team in 1978-79. ... Played on first Quebec Nordiques NHL team after franchise merged into NHL from WHA for the 1979-80 season. ... Played on first Edmonton Oilers NHL team after franchise merged into NHL from WHA for the 1979-80 season after being traded to team by Quebec. He went 8-2-1 in his 11 starts for the team to help it clinch its first playoff berth. ... Was member of first New Jersey Devils team during 1982-83 season after franchise relocated from Denver, although he did not join team until February 1983 trade from Edmonton. ... Named No. 1 star of New Jersey's 7-3 win at Montreal on March 12, 1983. ... Was goaltending coach and scout for Ottawa team that lost to Anaheim in 2007 Stanley Cup Final.
Team Awards and Honors
| (with Washington) | |
| 1974-75: | Team MVP (inaugural winner) |
| (with New Jersey) | |
| 1983-84: | Unsung Hero Award |
Team Records
| Washington Capitals Records | |
| Most losses in one season: | 36 in 1974-75 |
| Most goals allowed, one season: | 235 in 1974-75 |
Transaction History
June 12, 1974 -- Claimed by
Washington from Toronto in NHL Expansion Draft.
Aug. 17, 1977 -- Signed with Detroit
as a restricted free agent. In order to secure his rights, the Red Wings
agreed to a trade that sent Walt McKechnie, draft picks, and cash to
Washington as part of a compensation package.
The draft picks and cash were initially listed as future considerations.
June 13, 1979 -- Claimed by Quebec
from Detroit in NHL Expansion Draft. March
11, 1980 -- Traded
by Quebec to Edmonton in exchange for Ron Chipperfield.
Feb. 19, 1983 -- Traded by Edmonton
with Jim McTaggart to New Jersey in exchange for Lindsay Middlebrook and
Paul Miller. June 1985 -- Bought out
and released by New Jersey. September 1985
-- Signed with Edmonton organization as player-coach for Nova Scotia (AHL). Nov. 7, 1985
-- Claimed by Philadelphia off waivers from Edmonton, but rights were
retained by Edmonton after deal was negotiated with Flyers which would
guarantee Low to Philadelphia if Edmonton did not need his services as a
backup netminder after Grant Fuhr recovered from injury. Low was
returned to Nova Scotia on Dec. 3, 1985, after Philadelphia had
determined it no longer needed to trade for him.
Life Outside the NHL
Full Name: Ronald
Albert Low
Nickname: "Low Tide"
Other Post-Draft Teams: Jacksonville (EHL); Tulsa (CHL); Richmond (AHL); Kansas City (CHL); Syracuse (AHL); Wichita (CHL); Nova Scotia (AHL)
Career Beyond Hockey: Returned to
Edmonton and became an oilfield sales executive with Smith Tools after his
coaching career. He also continued to own and operate
Dauphin Lake
Golf Club in
Dauphin, Manitoba, which he had purchased while coaching.
•
Low on LinkedIn
Significant Injuries
Missed part of 1974-75 season with broken toe, an injury suffered during Washington's Dec. 1, 1974, game vs. California. He did not return until Washington's Dec. 14, 1974, game at Boston. ... Missed start of 1980-81 season with sprained ligaments in knee, an injury suffered during Edmonton's 1980 training camp. He did not make his 1980-81 season debut until Edmonton's Oct. 15, 1980, game at Buffalo. ... Missed part of 1980-81 season with broken left thumb, an injury suffered while making a glove save during Edmonton's Dec. 17, 1980, game at Washington. He did not return until Edmonton's Jan. 23, 1981, game vs. N.Y. Rangers. ... Missed remainder of 1980-81 season with re-fracture of left thumb, an injury suffered during a Wichita (CHL) practice on Feb. 1, 1981, while he was there on a conditioning stint. The injury required season-ending surgery. ... Missed part of 1984-85 season with hyperextended left knee, an injury suffered during New Jersey's Dec. 19, 1984, game vs. Pittsburgh. He did not return until New Jersey's Jan. 25, 1985, game at Edmonton.
Non-Playing Career
|
COACHING CAREER Named Nova Scotia (AHL) player-assistant coach in September 1985, stopped playing after the 1985-86 season, and remained in assistant coach position through 1986-87 season. ... Served as Edmonton goaltending coach while also working in Nova Scotia during 1986-87 season. ... Named Nova Scotia (AHL) head coach prior ot 1987-88 season, relocated with team from Halifax to Cape Breton prior to 1988-89 season, and remained position as Cape Breton (AHL) head coach until Aug. 3, 1989. ... Named Edmonton assistant coach on Aug. 3, 1989, and remained in that position until April 6, 1995. ... Named Edmonton head coach on April 6, 1995, and remained in that position until June 6, 1999. ... Named Houston (IHL) head coach on Aug. 4, 1999, and remained in that position until July 12, 2000. ... Named N.Y. Rangers |
head coach on July 12, 2000, and remained in that position until
April 15, 2002. ... Named Ottawa goaltending coach on July 30,
2004, and remained in that position until Aug. 15, 2007. ...
Named Ottawa assistant coach on Aug. 15, 2007, and remained in
that position until Feb. 27, 2008. MANAGEMENT CAREER Named Houston (IHL) general manager on Aug. 4, 1999, and remained in that position until July 12, 2000. SCOUTING CAREER Named N.Y. Rangers pro scout on April 15, 2002, and remained in that position until July 30, 2004. ... Named Ottawa pro scout on July 30, 2004, and remained in that position until Aug. 15, 2007. |
Miscellaneous:
| Got first NHL start after Jacques Plante had an asthma attack in parking lot prior to home game. | Shared two shutouts with Hall of Famer Jacques Plante for Toronto in 1972-73 season. | Started all eight of Washington's victories during its inaugural 1974-75 season. | Listed Johnny Bower and Jean Beliveau as his favorite NHL players during boyhood. |
| Ran Manitoba hockey school with Butch Goring during off-seasons of his playing days. | Active in charitable causes in 1990s, including Children's Heath Foundation of Alberta. | Inducted into Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame in '03 as member of 1972 Senior A title team. | Required surgery and hospital stay in Calgary after attack by mugger on Feb. 17, 2010. |
| SNAPSHOT '70 | |
| Total Selected: | 115 |
| Forwards: | 67 |
| Defense: | 36 |
| Goaltenders: | 12 |
| Major Junior: | 87 |
| College Players: | 18 |
| Canadian: | 109 |
| Euro-Canadian: | 0 |
| American: | 6 |
| European: | 0 |
| Reached NHL: | 62 |
| Won Stanley Cup: | 12 |
| Hall of Fame: | 3 |
| All-Star Game: | 11 |
| Year-end All-Star: | 4 |
| Olympians: | 2 |
| Picks Traded: | 13 |
| 1970 PICKS BY TEAM | ||
| Boston | Buffalo | Chicago |
| Detroit | Los Angeles | Minnesota |
| Montreal | New York | Oakland |
| Philadelphia | Pittsburgh | St. Louis |
| Toronto | Vancouver | |
OTHERS DRAFTED IN 1970