Former NHL player and former Ottawa Senators general manager, Mel Bridgman, has passed away at the age of 70. The NHL Alumni Association confirmed his death over the weekend, though the exact cause was not provided.
Bridgman was the top selection in the 1975 NHL draft, chosen by the Philadelphia Flyers. He began his career with the Flyers and later moved on to play for the Calgary Flames in the 1981-82 season, achieving a career-high of 33 goals and 54 assists in 72 games. Subsequently, he joined the New Jersey Devils in 1983-84 and then the Detroit Red Wings in 1986-87 before concluding his playing career with the Vancouver Canucks in 1988-89.
Hailing from Trenton, Ontario, Bridgman accumulated a total of 701 points, comprising 252 goals and 449 assists, throughout 977 regular-season games. Following his retirement as a player, Bridgman transitioned into management and became the inaugural general manager of the Ottawa Senators in 1991, a role he held until 1993.