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| 1975 NHL DRAFT PICK |
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Mel Bridgman
Selected in first round
No. 1 overall
by Philadelphia Flyers
Born April 28, 1955
 | Position:
Center / Left Wing
Height: 6-0 Weight: 185
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| BEFORE THE DRAFT |
Last Team:
Victoria (WCHL)
Birthplace: Trenton, Ontario (Canada)
Hometown:
Thunder Bay, Ontario |
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| PRE-DRAFT
STATISTICS | | Year |
Team | League |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1971-72 |
Nanaimo | BCJHL | -- |
-- | -- |
-- | -- | | |
Victoria | WCHL |
4 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
0 | | 1972-73 |
Nanaimo | BCJHL |
49 | 37 |
50 | 87 |
31 | | |
Victoria | WCHL |
4 | 1 |
1 | 2 |
0 | | 1973-74 |
Victoria | WCHL |
62 | 26 |
39 | 65 |
149 | | 1974-75 |
Victoria | WCHL |
66 | 66 |
91 | 157 |
175 |
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PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
World Junior Championships: 1975
(silver) (unofficial tournament)
WCHL Top Scorer Award (Points Leader): 1974-75 (Victoria) (157)
WCHL All-Star First Team: 1974-75 (Victoria)
Victoria Records:
Most points in one season (157 in 1974-75, tie)
Miscellaneous: Moved from Thunder Bay, Ontario, to Victoria, British
Columbia as a teen-ager, when his father, a meteorologist, was transferred
there. ... Led Victoria to 1974-75 WCHL regular-season title. ...
Scored 25 points in his final six major junior games. ...
Played in second World Junior Championships in Winnipeg and Brandon, Manitoba, an unofficial
tournament that helped set stage for first official World Juniors in 1977. ...
Set Victoria single-season records (since broken) for goals (66) and assists
(91) in 1974-75. |
| NHL CAREER |
Debut: October 9,
1975 (Washington at Philadelphia)
Numbers: 10 (Philadelphia);
26 (Calgary); 18 (N. Jersey); 15 (Detroit); 28 (Vancouver)
Stanley Cup: Never won.
Playing Status: Retired 1989 |
| CAREER NHL STATISTICS | | Years |
Teams | GP |
G | A |
TP | PIM | | 1975-1989 |
PHI, CGY, NJ, DET, VAN | 977 |
252 | 449 |
701 | 1,625 |
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| CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS | | Years |
Teams | GP |
G | A |
TP | PIM | | 1976-1989 |
PHI, CGY, DET, VAN | 125 |
28 | 39 |
67 | 298 |
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NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Stanley Cup Finals (Lost): 1976, 1980 (Philadelphia)
New Jersey
Star of Game (MVP): 1983-84
New Jersey Fan Club Player of Year:
1983-84
Philadelphia Captain: October 11, 1979, to November 11, 1981
New
Jersey Captain: January 9, 1984, to March 9, 1987
Philadelphia Playoffs PIM Leader: 1978 (36), 1980 (70)
Calgary Playoffs Goals Leader: 1982 (2, tie)
New Jersey Points
Leader: 1983-84 (61), 1984-85 (61)
New Jersey Goals Leader:
1983-84 (23)
New Jersey Assists Leader: 1983-84 (38)
Management Career: Named Ottawa's first general manager in August 1991 and
remained in that position until April 15, 1993.
Miscellaneous: Scored goal in his first NHL game. ... Finished fifth in
voting for 1974-75 Calder Trophy. ... Was involved in major altercation with
fans during Philadelphia's April 15, 1976, playoff game in Toronto. Fans had
been angry at Flyers players for targeting Toronto's Borje Salming and Inge
Hammarstrom during the playoff series. The crowd behavior led to a fight.
Bridgman was criminally charged with one count of assault causing bodily harm
for throwing a glove that hit a female usher. Charges against Bridgman and Don
Saleski were later dropped, although teammates Joe Watson and Bob Kelly
pleaded guilty to other charges related to the incident. All four had been
forced to surrender to Toronto police following the game. ... Missed part of 1976-77 season and part
of 1977 playoffs with charley horse. ... Played on Philadelphia team that set
NHL record with 35-game unbeaten streak from Oct. 14, 1979, to Jan. 6, 1980.
... Played left wing exclusively after
the 1984-85 season. ... Played on "Fossil Line" With Peter McNab and Rich
Preston for New Jersey in 1985-86. ... Missed part of 1986-87 season with
non-displaced fracture of left foot, an injury suffered in New Jersey's Jan.
12, 1987, game vs. Hartford. ... First goal in Detroit uniform came on first
penalty shot of his career when he beat Los Angeles' Roland Melanson on March
25, 1987, in Detroit. ... Served as NHLPA representative during his playing
days. ... Was youngest man in NHL history to take over an expansion team when
he was named Ottawa's first general manager at age 36. |
| NON-NHL CAREER |
Post-Draft Teams: Adirondack (AHL); Sierre
(Switzerland)
NON-NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
WHA Draft Pick: 1975 (by Denver,
No. 4 overall in Round 1)
Education: Attended Villanova
University and the University of Pennsylvania during his playing days. ...
Completed his MBA at Pennsylvania's prestigious Wharton School of Business in
1991.
Miscellaneous: Was first British Columbia resident drafted
first overall into NHL. ... Played only two minor-league games (for Adirondack
in 1987-88) during his pro career. .. Worked as project consultant at Wharton
Center for Applied Research from May to August 1991. ... Became a player agent
after leaving Ottawa management, working for CMG Sports.
Personal: Full name is Melvin John
Bridgman. |
| HOW HE GOT AWAY |
| TRADE: Philadelphia traded Bridgman to
Calgary in exchange for Brad Marsh on November 11, 1981. |
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|
SNAPSHOT '75 | | Total Selected: |
217 | | Forwards: |
126 | | Defense: |
65 | | Goaltenders: |
26 | | Major Junior: |
135 | | College Players: |
61 |
| Canadian: |
162 |
| Euro-Canadian: |
3 | | USA Citizens: |
46 | | U.S.-Born: |
45 |
| European: |
6 |
| Reached NHL: |
87 |
| Won Stanley Cup: |
8 | | Hall of Fame: |
0 |
| All-Star Game: |
6 |
| Year-end All-Star: |
3 |
| Olympians: |
11 |
| Picks Traded: |
21 |
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