Duncan MacPherson

Duncan Alvin MacPherson (February 3, 1966 – August 9, 1989) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. In 1989, he went on a trip to Austria, and then disappeared. Searches proved fruitless, until 2003 when his body was found in a melting glacier. His death remains officially unsolved.

Early life and career MacPherson was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. A standout defenceman for the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League, he was drafted in the first round, 20th overall, of the 1984 NHL entry draft by the New York Islanders. He played minor league hockey for the Springfield Indians of the American Hockey League and the Indianapolis Ice of the International Hockey League.

Disappearance In the summer of 1989, MacPherson went to Europe. The New York Islanders had bought out and released the often injured MacPherson. MacPherson had intentions of taking a job as a player-coach for a semi-pro hockey team in Dundee, Scotland, commencing in August 1989. Despite having a bad feeling about the entrepreneur Ron Dixon who was backing the Scottish team,

Theories According to John Leake, author of Cold a Long Time: An Alpine Mystery, MacPherson's body was found to have suffered significant trauma, including amputation of arms, hands and legs. Leake believed the damage was consistent with rotating machinery; his snowboard also had a uniform pattern of damage and was cut apart, and Leake took this to indicate that it too had gone through a machine. Leake's conclusion was that MacPherson had a snowboard accident and injured his leg, and was lying on the slope waiting for rescue. During that very foggy day, a snowcat driver did not see MacPherson and ran him over by accident, killing him. Leake surmised that instead of reporting it, the snowcat driver (or his supervisor) buried MacPherson in the shallow crevasse. His body stayed hidden there for fourteen years, until the glacier melted enough for it to be seen.

Career statistics Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1982–83 Battleford Barons SJHL 5961117215 ————— 1982–83 Saskatoon Blades WHL 524616 20000 1983–84 Saskatoon Blades WHL 450141474 ————— 1984–85 Saskatoon Blades WHL 6992635116 30004 1985–86 Saskatoon Blades WHL 70105464147 13381138 1986–87 Springfield Indians AHL 2610186 ————— 1987–88 Springfield Indians AHL 7451419213 ————— 1988–89 Springfield Indians AHL 2415669 ————— 1988–89 Indianapolis Ice IHL 3314523 ————— WHL totals 1892198119353 18381142 AHL totals 12471926368 —————