Jack Gordon

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.

AHL career Although Gordon had limited playing time in the NHL, he enjoyed a productive 14-year career in the American Hockey League, where he was a consistent offensive force. He debuted at age 19 in 1947 with the New Haven Ramblers and quickly made his mark. By 1949, he tallied 60 assists and 83 points, ranking second in the league in assists. In 1951, he joined the Cincinnati Mohawks and led the team in scoring during his lone season there. He later became a key player for the Cleveland Barons over eight seasons, notably recording 102 points in 1954, second-highest in the AHL, and helping the Barons capture the Calder Cup. In 1957, he took on the role of player-coach and led the team to another Calder Cup in his first year behind the bench. Gordon retired from playing after the 1959 season but continued coaching the Barons for three more years. He returned for additional coaching stints in 1969 and 1970, following a three-year term as assistant general manager of the New York Rangers.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1945–46 Winnipeg Rangers MAHA — — — — — — — — — — 1946–47 New York Rovers EAHL 54 37 40 77 6 7 4 5 9 0 1947–48 New Haven Ramblers AHL 37 11 24 35 2 4 0 3 3 0 1948–49 New York Rangers NHL 31 3 9 12 0 — — — — — 1948–49 New Haven Ramblers AHL 36 10 28 38 14 — — — — — 1949–50 New York Rangers NHL 1 0 0 0 0 9 1 1 2 7 1949–50 New Haven Ramblers AHL 70 23 60 83 2 — — — — — 1950–51 New York Rangers NHL 4 0 1 1 0 — — — — — 1950–51 Cincinnati Mohawks AHL 59 23 42 65 10 — — — — — 1951–52 Cleveland Barons AHL 20 7 20 27 0 2 0 2 2 0 1952–53 Cleveland Barons AHL 64 20 58 78 6 11 4 7 11 0 1953–54 Cleveland Barons AHL 70 31 71 102 20 9 5 13 18 4 1954–55 Cleveland Barons AHL 57 17 50 67 22 4 1 3 4 0 1955–56 Cleveland Barons AHL 54 26 43 69 33 6 5 4 9 2 1956–57 Cleveland Barons AHL 33 4 14 18 0 12 2 2 4 2 1957–58 Cleveland Barons AHL 51 6 18 24 10 6 1 2 3 2 1958–59 Cleveland Barons AHL 38 3 5 8 0 — — — — — 1959–60 Cleveland Barons AHL 8 0 1 1 0 — — — — — 1960–61 Cleveland Barons AHL 5 0 0 0 0 — — — — — AHL totals 602 181 434 615 119 54 18 36 54 10 NHL totals 36 3 10 13 0 9 1 1 2 7

NHL Coaching record Team Year Regular season Postseason G W L T Pts Finish Result Minnesota North Stars 1970–71 78 28 34 16 72 4th in West Lost in semi-finals Minnesota North Stars 1971–72 78 37 29 12 86 2nd in West Lost in quarter-finals Minnesota North Stars 1972–73 78 37 30 11 85 3rd in West Lost in quarter-finals Minnesota North Stars 1973–74 17 3 8 6 12 7th in West Promoted to GM Minnesota North Stars 1974–75 38 11 22 5 27 4th in Smythe Returned to GM role NHL Totals 289 116 123 50