Jamie McLennan

Jamie McLennan (born June 30, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who is now an analyst for TSN.

A journeyman player in the National Hockey League (NHL), he played with the New York Islanders, St. Louis Blues, Minnesota Wild, Calgary Flames, New York Rangers and Florida Panthers.

Playing career Following his career with the Western Hockey League's Lethbridge Hurricanes, he was drafted in the third round, 48th overall by the New York Islanders in the 1991 NHL entry draft. After multiple years playing for minor league affiliates in the American, International and East Coast Hockey Leagues, McLennan was called up to the NHL and backed up veteran Ron Hextall in the 1993–94 season. He was shaky with the Islanders however, winning only 17 games with a .889 Save% over three seasons. Struggling to find confidence, he spent his last two seasons in the organization alternating between the NHL club and the minor leagues.

A few weeks after the 1995–96 NHL season had been completed, McLennan drove from Salt Lake City, Utah to Lethbridge, Alberta, on his way home to Edmonton. While visiting family in Lethbridge he fell ill. He went to a hospital on May 6, 1996, after feeling sick all evening, with immobility setting in. What was thought to be the flu turned out to be bacterial meningitis. After nearly dying that day, he spent the following week in intensive care. The Islanders declined to renew his contract at the conclusion of the season.

The St. Louis Blues signed him to a contract that summer and he spent the following season in the minors. He returned to the NHL as the Blues' backup goalie for the 1997–98 NHL season. That year he was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL player who best displays perseverance and dedication to hockey. In the 1999 off-season, the Blues acquired another backup goaltender, Roman Turek from the Dallas Stars, who easily won the Blues starting goaltender role. With the emergence of Turek and reduction of McLennan's games, the Blues won their first President's Trophy in franchise history. Turek was subsequently awarded as the sole winner of the William M. Jennings Trophy at season's end. That off-season, McLennan was left unprotected by the Blues in the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft and joined the Minnesota Wild franchise. In his only season playing for the Wild, he set a career high in games played with 38, but finished with 32 losses and only 5 wins. Ultimately, he returned to the minors the following season.

The Calgary Flames acquired him in a trade for a pick in the last round at the 2002 NHL entry draft, where he again played the role of NHL backup goalie, but only won two games that year. Despite his timid performances, he remained with the team, once again as Roman Turek's backup for the following season. When Turek became injured in the 2003–04 season, McLennan was thrust into the starting role. However the newly acquired Miikka Kiprusoff soon took over as starter, reversed the team's fortunes, and led the Flames to their first playoff berth in eight years. Turek returned later thus making McLennan expendable. With the Flames looking to add extra toughness into the lineup for the upcoming playoffs, they traded McLennan away in a package deal to the New York Rangers in March 2004.

Seeking an astute goaltender to partner with highly touted rookie Henrik Lundqvist, the Rangers signed free agent Kevin Weekes to replace McLennan. He then signed a two-year contract with the Florida Panthers, who were looking for a goalie that would only play sparingly with Roberto Luongo. After the Panthers declined their contract option for McLennan the next season, he was brought back to Calgary in 2006 to backup Miikka Kiprusoff.

On April 21, 2007, McLennan entered a first-round playoff game versus the Detroit Red Wings to provide relief to Kiprusoff. Immediately after entering the game, McLennan slashed Johan Franzén twice in the leg. Losing his cool, McLennan asininely slashed Franzén a third time and in the stomach after play was stopped, earning a game misconduct, and forcing Kiprusoff to return to the net. The NHL suspended McLennan for five games and fined coach Jim Playfair $25,000 and the team $100,000 for their actions late in the game. After retiring, the backup goalie admitted he slashed Franzen believing he could spark a line brawl. As he never played in the NHL again, he remained under suspension after his retirement.

That off-season, he signed with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Russian Super League but the team released him after 5 weeks due to poor performances and dislike from management and players.

On November 21, 2007, McLennan signed with the Nippon Paper Cranes of Asia League Ice Hockey. McLennan announced his retirement at the end of the 2007–08 season.

Coaching On July 10, 2008, he was added to the Calgary Flames front office staff as a professional scout. On June 23, 2009, McLennan moved into the coaching staff of the Flames after he was named as assistant to the head coach Brent Sutter.

Broadcasting career McLennan is a full-time NHL analyst on TSN and is a colour commentator for the Ottawa Senators. He is also a co-host on Overdrive on TSN 1050 and TSN2.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP W L T OTL MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV% 1987–88 St. Albert Royals AMHL 21 — — — — 1224 80 — 3.92 — — — — — — — — — 1988–89 Spokane Chiefs WHL 11 — — — — 578 63 — 6.54 — — — — — — — — — 1988–89 Lethbridge Hurricanes WHL 7 — — — — 368 22 — 3.59 — — — — — — — — — 1989–90 Lethbridge Hurricanes WHL 34 20 4 2 — 1690 110 1 3.91 — 13 6 5 677 44 0 3.90 — 1990–91 Lethbridge Hurricanes WHL 56 32 18 4 — 3230 205 0 3.81 — 16 8 8 970 56 0 3.46 — 1991–92 Richmond Renegades ECHL 32 16 12 2 — 1837 114 0 3.72 .891 — — — — — — — — 1991–92 Capital District Islanders AHL 18 4 10 2 — 952 60 1 3.78 .885 — — — — — — — — 1992–93 Capital District Islanders AHL 38 17 14 6 — 2171 117 1 3.23 .893 1 0 1 20 5 0 15.00 — 1993–94 New York Islanders NHL 22 8 7 6 — 1237 61 0 2.84 .905 2 0 1 82 6 0 4.39 .887 1993–94 Salt Lake Golden Eagles IHL 24 8 12 2 — 1320 80 0 3.64 .889 — — — — — — — — 1994–95 New York Islanders NHL 21 6 11 2 — 1185 67 0 3.39 .876 — — — — — — — — 1994–95 Denver Grizzlies IHL 4 3 0 1 — 239 12 0 3.00 .906 11 8 2 640 23 1 2.15 .929 1995–96 New York Islanders NHL 13 3 9 1 — 636 39 0 3.68 .886 — — — — — — — — 1995–96 Utah Grizzlies IHL 14 9 2 2 — 728 29 0 2.39 .911 — — — — — — — — 1995–96 Worcester IceCats AHL 22 14 7 1 — 1216 57 0 2.81 .905 2 0 2 119 8 0 4.03 — 1996–97 Worcester IceCats AHL 39 18 13 4 — 2152 100 2 2.79 .903 4 2 2 262 16 0 3.66 .894 1997–98 St. Louis Blues NHL 30 16 8 2 — 1658 60 2 2.17 .903 1 0 0 14 1 0 4.29 .800 1998–99 St. Louis Blues NHL 33 13 14 4 — 1763 70 3 2.38 .891 1 0 1 37 0 0 0.00 1.000 1999–00 St. Louis Blues NHL 19 9 5 2 — 1009 33 2 1.95 .903 — — — — — — — — 2000–01 Minnesota Wild NHL 38 5 23 9 — 2230 98 2 2.64 .905 — — — — — — — — 2001–02 Houston Aeros AHL 51 25 18 4 — 2852 130 3 2.74 .905 14 8 6 880 31 2 2.11 .929 2002–03 Calgary Flames NHL 22 2 11 4 — 1165 58 0 2.99 .892 — — — — — — — — 2003–04 Calgary Flames NHL 26 12 9 3 — 1446 53 4 2.20 .910 — — — — — — — — 2003–04 New York Rangers NHL 4 1 3 0 — 244 12 0 2.95 .876 — — — — — — — — 2004–05 Guildford Flames BNL 3 2 1 0 — 185 8 0 2.59 .941 7 4 3 385 13 0 2.02 .925 2005–06 Florida Panthers NHL 17 2 4 — 2 678 34 0 3.01 .906 — — — — — — — — 2006–07 Calgary Flames NHL 9 3 5 — 1 533 32 0 3.60 .895 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 — 2007–08 Nippon Paper Cranes ALH 14 8 4 0 — 791 33 0 2.50 .921 10 6 4 599 23 0 2.30 .924 NHL totals 254 80 109 33 3 13,834 617 13 2.68 .898 5 0 2 133 7 0 3.16 .892

Awards and honours Award Year Notes WHL East First All-Star Team 1990–91 Del Wilson Trophy 1990–91 NHL Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy 1997–98