Jack Gordon (ice hockey) explained

Jack Gordon
Position:Centre
Played For:New York Rangers
Shoots:Right
Height Ft:5
Height In:9
Weight Lb:154
Birth Date:1928 3, mf=yes
Birth Place:Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Death Place:Minnesota, U.S.
Career Start:1946
Career End:1961

John Gordon (March 3, 1928 – June 27, 2022) was a Canadian ice hockey manager, coach and player. Gordon played 36 games in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers between 1949 and 1951. The rest of his playing career, which lasted from 1946 to 1961, was mainly spent with the Cleveland Barons of the American Hockey League. He was also head coach of the Minnesota North Stars from 1970 to 1973, general manager of the North Stars from 1974 to 1978, and general manager of the Vancouver Canucks from 1985 to 1987.[1] [2]

AHL career

Despite seeing limited NHL action, Gordon was a consistent scoring threat over a long 14-year career in the American Hockey League. He made his first appearance as a 19-year-old in 1947 with the New Haven Ramblers. Two years later, he recorded 60 assists, good for second in the league, and 83 points. He was acquired by the Cincinnati Mohawks in 1951 and was the leading scorer in his one season with the club. Gordon then spent eight years as a major contributor with the Cleveland Barons. He scored 102 points in 1954, which was good for second in the AHL, as his team won the Calder Cup. In 1957, he also became coach of the Barons, and he led the squad to another Calder Cup in his first year. After the 1959 season, he retired as a player, but he served three more years as a coach. He returned to coach the team during the 1969 and 1970 teams, after a three-year stint as assistant GM of the New York Rangers concluded.[3]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGP PIMGP G A Pts PIM
1945–46Winnipeg RangersMAHA
1946–47New York RoversEAHL54 37 40 77 67 4 5 9 0
1947–48New Haven RamblersAHL37 11 24 35 24 0 3 3 0
1948–49New York RangersNHL31 3 9 12 0
1948–49New Haven RamblersAHL36 10 28 38 14
1949–50New York RangersNHL1 0 0 0 09 1 1 2 7
1949–50New Haven RamblersAHL70 23 60 83 2
1950–51New York RangersNHL4 0 1 1 0
1950–51Cincinnati MohawksAHL59 23 42 65 10
1951–52Cleveland BaronsAHL20 7 20 27 02 0 2 2 0
1952–53Cleveland BaronsAHL64 20 58 78 611 4 7 11 0
1953–54Cleveland BaronsAHL70 31 71 102 209 5 13 18 4
1954–55Cleveland BaronsAHL57 17 50 67 224 1 3 4 0
1955–56Cleveland BaronsAHL54 26 43 69 336 5 4 9 2
1956–57Cleveland BaronsAHL33 4 14 18 012 2 2 4 2
1957–58Cleveland BaronsAHL51 6 18 24 106 1 2 3 2
1958–59Cleveland BaronsAHL38 3 5 8 0
1959–60Cleveland BaronsAHL8 0 1 1 0
1960–61Cleveland BaronsAHL5 0 0 0 0
AHL totals602 181 434 615 11954 18 36 54 10
NHL totals36 3 10 13 09 1 1 2 7

NHL Coaching record

Team Year Regular season Post season
G W L T Pts Finish Result
Minnesota North Stars1970–7178 28 34 16 72 4th in WestLost in semi-finals
Minnesota North Stars1971–7278 37 29 12 86 2nd in WestLost in quarter-finals
Minnesota North Stars1972–7378 37 30 11 85 3rd in WestLost in quarter-finals
Minnesota North Stars1973–7417 3 8 6 12 7th in WestPromoted to GM
Minnesota North Stars1974–7538 11 22 5 27 4th in SmytheReturned to GM role
NHL Totals289 116 123 50

Notes and References

  1. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/john-gordon-obituary?id=35476472 John Gordon obituary
  2. Web site: Ex-Canucks GM Jack Gordon, the man who traded Cam Neely, has died .
  3. Web site: AHL Hall of Fame . ahlhalloffame.com . 13 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140219222814/http://ahlhalloffame.com/jack-gordon-p174195 . 19 February 2014 . dead.