NHL Alumni Mourns Passing of Former Player and GM

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 without disclosing the cause. Bridgman was selected as the first overall pick in the 1975 NHL draft by the Philadelphia Flyers, playing over six seasons with the team. He later joined the Calgary Flames in the 1981-82 season, achieving career-high statistics with 33 goals and 54 assists in 72 games. Subsequently, he moved to the New Jersey Devils in 1983-84 before being traded to the Detroit Red Wings in 1986-87. Bridgman concluded his professional career with the Vancouver Canucks in 1988-89, accumulating a total of 701 points from 977 regular-season games (252 goals and 449 assists). In 1991, he became the inaugural general manager of the newly established Senators franchise, a position he held until 1993.