Kirk Alan McLean

Last updated

BIOGRAPHY

BORN: Willowdale, Ontario, June 26, 1966.
HOME:
HEIGHT: 6'0"-6'1"
WEIGHT: 177-195 lbs
UNIFORM #: 1 (Vancouver, Carolina, Florida), 30 (NY Rangers)
CATCHES: Left
SALARY (1997-98): $2,450,000 ($2,350,000 1996-97)

STYLE: Inverted-V.
STRENGTHS: Great lateral movement. Advanced balance. Recovers quick from going down. Efficient positioning and good reflexes. Good confidence. Quick glove hand. Uses stick well around net.
WEAKNESSES: Vulnerable to low post shots, waist-high shots on the blocker side. Can be beaten early in the game.
Name pronounced muh-KLAYN.

OTHER KIRK MCLEAN PAGES:

Kirk McLean's Page (Frederic Legare)
McLean's Crease
The Kirk McLean Encyclopedia (Virginia Leong)
The Kirk McLean Photo Gallery (Trevor Mudrie)

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING:

"Management wants desperately for young Kirk McLean to take [the Canucks' starting job] by the scruff of the neck, but he wound up being a benchwarmer under coach Bob McCammon late last year." (The Hockey News 1988-89 Yearbook, p. 85)

"Vancouver wants to trade goalie Kirk McLean, but his hefty salary will make it difficult." (The Sporting News Hockey 1996-97, p. 79)

"Blew myriad chances to win back No. 1 spot last season." (ESPN Hockey 96, p. 95)

"Canuck netminders must steal more games for the team and stop surrendering soft, deflating, momentum-killing goals. McLean has become too vulnerable to wraparounds and five-hole slappers." (The Hockey News 1997-98 Yearbook, p. 177)

"McLean hasn't played with consistency since 1994-95." (The Hockey News 1997-98 Yearbook, p. 177)

"McLean may no longer be able to withstand the rigors of playing 55-60 games." (The Hockey News 1997-98 Yearbook, p. 177)

"Kirk McLean and Corey Hirsch were simply awful last year. They're both capable of playing better, with Hirsch the favorite to be the starter when the regular season starts." (The Sports Forecaster Hockey '97-'98, p. 51)

"Declining standup netminder with good technique. Quick glove hand. Very inconsistent. Hasn't been the same goalie since his 1996 marital breakup. Is he there mentally? A knee injury also bothered his play. Only Jim Carey and Bill Ranford - let down by Boston's pitiful defensive play - posted worse save percentages than McLean last year." (The Sports Forecaster Hockey '97-'98, p. 230)

"A one-time Conn Smythe Trophy candidate, he had a decent season, recording two shutouts in the process. Career highlight was coming within a goal of leading Vancouver to an upset Stanley Cup win over the Rangers in '94. Once traded for his former goaltending partner, Sean Burke (Carolina/Vancouver). McLean is a part of a dying breed - he's an angles goalie. A very smart goaltender that figures the best way to stop the puck is to give the opponent nothing to shoot at. Formerly one of the league's best, McLean is now going to have to settle for a back-up role." (The Sports Forecaster 1999-2000, p. 220)

"Formerly a No. 1 man between the pipes, this angle-savvy netminder was solid when called upon to act as the backup last season. Only took part in 22 games - a far cry from his usual load - but went about his business admirably and never complained. McLean, who posts a lifetime 3.25 GAA, has bettered that number in each of the last two years." (The Sports Forecaster 2000-01, p. 99)

"McLean's career has nearly reached the end of the line. With the New York Rangers the past two seasons, he never adjusted to the role of backup to Mike Richter. The stand-up goaltender could still be an effective NHLer but must learn to accept a backup role. McLean was once a franchise goalie with Vancouver, but that was almost a decade ago." (The Sports Forecaster 2001-02, p. 226)


TRANSACTIONS:

ACCOLADES:

VEZINA TROPHY BALLOTING:

PTS1st2nd3rdRANKSHARE
1988-891705230.16
1991-9262512120.56

ALL-STAR TEAM BALLOTING:

PTS1st2nd3rdRANKSHARE
1988-8913001350.04
1991-9218410411120.57

INJURIES:

RECORDS:

PENALTY SHOTS:

SEASON RECORDS:

REGULAR SEASON
Year  Team                        GP    Min   W   L   T    GA    GAA   Shots    Sv%   ShO   G   A   PiM     S/60    PERS
82-83 Don Mills Flyers MTHL       26   1575                52   2.01                    0
83-84 Oshawa Generals OHL         17    940   5   9   0    67   4.28                    0   0   0    11
84-85 Oshawa Generals OHL         47   2581  23  17   2   143   3.32                    1   0   1     6
85-86 Oshawa Generals OHL         51   2380  24  21   2   169   3.58                    1   0   0     8
      New Jersey Devils NHL        2    111   1   1   0    11   5.95      59   .814     0   0   0     0    31.89  866.71
86-87 New Jersey Devils NHL        4    160   1   1   0    10   3.75      73   .863     0   0   0     0    27.38  908.64
      Maine Mariners AHL          45   2606  15  23   4   140   3.22    1316   .894     1   0   1     6    30.30  944.12
87-88 Vancouver Canucks NHL       41   2380  11  27   3   147   3.71    1178   .875     1   0   2     8    29.70  924.71
88-89 Vancouver Canucks NHL       42   2477  20  17   3   127   3.08    1169   .891     4   0   1     6    28.32  938.55
89-90 Vancouver Canucks NHL       63   3739  21  30  10   216   3.47    1804   .880     0   0   3     6    28.95  928.51
      Canada WORLD                10    457   4   3   1    27   3.54                    0
90-91 Vancouver Canucks NHL       41   1969  10  22   3   131   3.99     983   .867     0   0   0     4    29.95  916.66
91-92 Vancouver Canucks NHL       65   3852  38  17   9   176   2.74    1780   .901     5   0   5     0    27.73  947.33
92-93 Vancouver Canucks NHL       54   3261  28  21   5   184   3.39    1615   .886     3   0   1    16    29.71  935.59
93-94 Vancouver Canucks NHL       52   3128  23  26   3   156   2.99    1430   .891     3   0   4     2    27.43  936.63
94-95 Vancouver Canucks NHL       40   2374  18  12  10   109   2.75    1140   .904     1   0   1     4    28.81  952.41
95-96 Vancouver Canucks NHL       45   2644  15  21   9   156   3.54    1292   .879     2   0   2     6    29.32  928.12
96-97 Vancouver Canucks NHL       44   2581  21  18   3   138   3.21    1247   .889     0   0   2     2    28.99  937.65
97-98 Vancouver Canucks NHL       29   1583   6  17   4    97   3.68     800   .879     1   0   0     0    30.32  929.29
      Carolina Hurricanes NHL      8    401   4   2   0    20   2.99     180   .889     0   0   1     0    26.93  933.78
      Florida Panthers NHL         7    406   4   2   1    22   3.25     207   .894     0   0   0     0    30.59  944.71
98-99 Florida Panthers NHL        30   1597   9  10   4    73   2.74     727   .900     2   0   0     2    27.31  945.11
99-00 New York Rangers NHL        22   1206   7   8   4    58   2.89     558   .896     0   0   1     2    27.76  942.33
00-01 New York Rangers NHL        23   1220   8  10   1    71   3.49     639   .889     0   0   0     0    31.43  941.27
SIXTEEN (16) NHL SEASONS         612  35090 245 262  72  1904   3.26   16882  0.887    22   0  23    58    28.87  935.33

POST-SEASON
Year  Team                        GP    Min   W   L   GA    GAA   Shots    Sv%   ShO   G   A   PiM     S/60    PERS
84-85 Oshawa Generals OHL          5    271   1   3   21   4.65                    0
85-86 Oshawa Generals OHL          4    201   1   2   18   5.37                    0
88-89 Vancouver Canucks NHL        5    302   2   3   18   3.57     167   .892     0   0   0     0    33.18  947.51
90-91 Vancouver Canucks NHL        2    123   1   1    7   3.41      66   .894     0   0   0     0    32.20  947.60
91-92 Vancouver Canucks NHL       13    785   6   7   33   2.52     364   .909     2   0   1     0    27.82  955.71
92-93 Vancouver Canucks NHL       12    754   6   6   42   3.34     369   .886     0   0   3     0    29.36  935.12
93-94 Vancouver Canucks NHL       24   1544  15   9   59   2.29     820   .928     4   0   1     0    31.87  981.16
94-95 Vancouver Canucks NHL       11    660   4   7   36   3.27     336   .893     0   0   1     0    30.55  943.77
95-96 Vancouver Canucks NHL        1     21   0   1    3   8.57      12   .750     0   0   0     0    36.00  810.00
SEVEN (7) NHL POSTSEASONS         68   4188  34  34  198   2.84    2134  0.907     6   0   6     0    30.57  958.17

NHL GAME DIRECTORY:

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