Login
Login

Kevin Lowe

{{Short description|Canadian ice hockey player and executive}}

{{About|the ice hockey player|the Hall of Fame lacrosse player|Kevin Lowe (lacrosse)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2011}}

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| image = Kevin Lowe 2006.png

| image_size = 230px

| caption = Lowe in 2006

| position = Defence

| played_for = Edmonton Oilers
New York Rangers

| coached_for = Edmonton Oilers

| career_start_coach = 1998

| career_end_coach = 2000

| shoots = Left

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 2

| weight_lb = 200

| ntl_team = Canada

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|4|15}}

| birth_place = Lachute, Quebec, Canada

| draft = 21st overall

| draft_year = 1979

| draft_team = Edmonton Oilers

| career_start = 1979

| career_end = 1998

| halloffame = 2020

}}

Kevin Hugh Lowe (born April 15, 1959) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive, former coach and former player. Lowe was the vice-chairman of Oilers Entertainment Group until his retirement on August 2, 2022, having formerly served as head coach and then general manager of the Edmonton Oilers.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/oilers/team/front-office|title = Front Office}} As a defenceman, he played for the Edmonton Oilers and the New York Rangers from 1979 to 1998.

Over his career, Lowe won the Stanley Cup six times. In 1990, he was awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020 and named to the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2021.

Background and early career

In 1976 Lowe joined the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. An Anglophone, he learned French as the team used it, and in 1978 was named captain, the first English captain in team history.{{harvnb|Lowe|Fischler|Fischler|1988|pp=121–122}} Over 201 games with the Remparts Lowe scored 42 goals and 131 assists for 173 points, along with 245 PIM. At one point he was in negotiations with the Birmingham Bulls of the World Hockey Association (WHA), but was reluctant to join them, and when it was announced the Bulls would not join the NHL the point was moot.{{harvnb|Lowe|Fischler|Fischler|1988|pp=117–118}}

He was drafted in the first round, 21st overall, of the 1979 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers, the franchise's first-ever NHL draft selection.

NHL playing career

Lowe played 13 full seasons in his first stint with the Oilers and helped lead them to five Stanley Cup championships. As one of the alternate captains during his first tenure, Lowe was regarded as the third among equals when it came to the leaders of the Oilers' 1980s dynasty, along with Wayne Gretzky (team captain) and Mark Messier (alternate captain).

During the Oilers' run to the 1988 Stanley Cup, Lowe played with a broken wrist and a full cast, a potential explanation for his point totals (0-2-2 in 19 games), yet he didn't miss a single playoff game. On the night the Oilers won the Cup, Wayne Gretzky informed the media that Lowe was also hiding broken ribs throughout the playoffs.{{cite news|last1=Matheson|first1=Jim|title=Edmonton Oilers history: Team sweeps Boston Bruins to win its fourth Stanley Cup, May 26, 1988|url=https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/edmonton-oilers/edmonton-oilers-history-team-sweeps-boston-bruins-to-win-its-fourth-stanley-cup-may-26-1988|access-date=16 December 2017|date=26 May 1988}}

Lowe became team captain for the 1991–92 season after Mark Messier was traded to the New York Rangers. Leading the Oilers to an ugly 1-5-1 start in early October, the team overcame the change of captaincy to finish with a 36-34-10 record.

The Oilers traded him to the New York Rangers, in December 1992 (Lowe was a restricted free agent). In 1994, he won the Stanley Cup with six other ex-Oilers—Glenn Anderson, Jeff Beukeboom, Adam Graves, Craig MacTavish, Mark Messier, and Esa Tikkanen—bringing his total to six.

In 1996, he re-joined the Oilers as a free agent and played another full season. He started the 1997–98 season with the Oilers as well but only played 7 games before being forced to retire due to an inner-ear virus that affected his balance.

In total, Lowe played in 1254 career regular season games, scoring 84–347–431 with 1498 penalty minutes. He added another 214 playoff games, scoring 10–48–58 and earning 192 penalty minutes.

Lowe played more regular season and playoff games in an Oilers uniform than anyone in franchise history (1037 and 172). He was the team's first-ever NHL draft pick and scored their first NHL goal (a power play goal against the Chicago Blackhawks assisted by Wayne Gretzky and Brett Callighen; Gretzky's first NHL point). Many, including Gretzky himself,{{cite web | url=https://edmontonsun.com/2015/10/04/edmonton-oilers-legend-wayne-gretzky-talks-about-rookie-connor-mcdavid | title=Edmonton Oilers legend Wayne Gretzky talks about rookie Connor McDavid }} believe the Great One tipped the puck on its way to the net. During his professional hockey career, Lowe did not play a single game in the minor leagues, and his teams only once failed to make the playoffs.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

Lowe was named to play in the NHL All-Star Game in 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1993. He also won the league's King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 1990.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

Post playing career

Lowe joined the Oilers staff in 1998 as an assistant coach. In 1999, he took over head coaching duties from Ron Low. He was head coach for just a single season, winning 32 out of 82 games (32-26-16-8), and getting the Oilers to the first round of the playoffs where they fell to the Dallas Stars in five games. He was promoted to general manager of the Oilers in 2000 when long-time GM Glen Sather left for the New York Rangers. He remained the Oilers' Executive Vice President and General Manager until the 2008–09 season when he was promoted to President of Hockey Operations.

Lowe has also been responsible for assisting Canadian national hockey teams. He was a member of the management team for the Canadian men's ice hockey team at the 2002 Winter Olympics that won the gold medal and was also named a manager for the 2004 World Cup of Hockey team. In addition, he has managed Team Canada at World Hockey Championships.

In 2005, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League created the Kevin Lowe Trophy (Trophée Kevin Lowe), awarded annually to the player in the QMJHL judged to be the best defensive defenceman.

In the 2006–2007 NHL offseason, Lowe offered contracts to restricted free agents Thomas Vanek, which was matched by the Buffalo Sabres, then to Anaheim forward Dustin Penner, which was signed. Following the offer sheet to Penner, Brian Burke, then-GM of the Anaheim Ducks, publicly blamed Lowe for inflation in player salaries, accusing Lowe of "colossal stupidity."{{cite web|last1=Cox|first1=Damien|title=It's all about the dough? Not so in this Burke-Lowe feud|url=http://www.espn.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=cox_damien&id=3056977|website=ESPN.com|publisher=ESPN|access-date=16 December 2017|date=10 October 2007}} Then head coach Craig MacTavish responded by referring Burke to the Wizard of Oz, "You comb his hair, put a white shirt on, wheel him out in front of the camera and he'll say whatever you guys want."{{cite web|title=Oilers GM Lowe fires back at Ducks' Burke|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/oilers-gm-lowe-fires-back-at-ducks-burke-1.728423|website=CBC.ca|publisher=CBC News|access-date=16 December 2017|date=5 July 2008}} Lowe did not respond to Burke's attacks until July 4, 2008, on a local radio show, Total Sports with Bob Stauffer, calling Burke a "moron" and "a media junkie."{{Cite web |url=https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=242742 |title=Bettman tries to put an end to Burke/Lowe feud |access-date=December 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019202315/http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=242742 |archive-date=October 19, 2012 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}{{cite web|title=Bettman Orders Burke, Lowe To "Cease and Desist" Bickering|url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2008/07/Issue-200/Franchises/Bettman-Orders-Burke-Lowe-To-Cease-And-Desist-Bickering.aspx|website=sportsbusinessdaily.com|access-date=16 December 2017|date=8 July 2008}}

Lowe's No. 4 was not retired by the Oilers until 2021;{{cite web|title=Oilers to retire Hall of Famer Kevin Lowe's No. 4 in November|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/oilers-retire-hall-famer-kevin-lowes-no-4-november/sn-amp/|website=Sportsnet.ca|access-date=3 October 2021|date=20 September 2021}} he had been the only player in the Oilers' NHL history to wear No. 4 until he issued it to Taylor Hall, the Oilers' first-overall draft pick in 2010. Kris Russell wore No. 4 for the Oilers as well until the beginning of the 2021-2022 season.

In 2021, Lowe was appointed to the board of directors for Play On! Canada. Play On! Canada is the world's largest road hockey tournament.{{cite web |last1=World Records |first1=Guinness|title=Largest street hockey tournament |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-street-hockey-tournament |website=Guinness World Records |access-date=18 April 2021}}

Personal life

Lowe was the fourth child of Clifford and Jessie Lowe (after Carol, Nancy, and Ken).{{harvnb|Lowe|Fischler|Fischler|1988|p=19}} The Lowe family operated a dairy in Lachute, Quebec, and were one of the few English Catholic families in the region, with most people being francophones. Clifford was involved in operating a local hockey rink, so his children skated there from an early age, with Lowe starting when he was 3 years old.{{harvnb|Lowe|Fischler|Fischler|1988|p=121}}

His brother Kenneth later worked as the Head Medical Trainer of the Oilers. He is married to Canadian Olympian Karen Percy and is the father of defenceman Keegan Lowe, who was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the third round, 73rd overall of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Kevin is an uncle of Melissa Lowe, a Canadian bobsleigh athlete.{{cite web|last1=Tait|first1=Cam|title=Office to the Track: 140 kms [sic] an hour for Melissa Lowe|url=https://www.nhl.com/oilers/news/office-to-the-track-140-kms-an-hour-for-melissa-lowe/c-286259218|website=NHL.com|publisher=Edmonton Oilers|access-date=21 December 2017|date=January 30, 2017}}

Awards and achievements

Lowe was named to the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2020.{{cite web|title=Lowe, Wilson end 43-year wait for Hockey Hall of Fame|url=https://www.tsn.ca/jarome-iginla-doug-wilson-kevin-lowe-among-hockey-hall-of-fame-s-class-of-2020-1.1489175|website=tsn.ca|access-date=24 June 2020|date=24 June 2020}} Primarily a defensive defenceman during his playing career, Lowe was the first defensive defenceman named to the Hall since Rod Langway in 2002. Lowe was the final member of the Oilers' "Group of Seven" to be inducted into the Hall.{{cite web | url=https://www.nhl.com/news/kevin-lowe-hockey-hall-of-fame-profile/c-327825718 | title=Lowe won with intangibles on way to Hockey Hall of Fame }}

On February 26, 2021, Lowe was named to the Order of Hockey in Canada by Hockey Canada, in recognition of his career and contribution to the game in Canada.{{cite news|title=Hall of Famers James, Lowe, Hay named to Order of Hockey in Canada|author=Canadian Press|author-link=The Canadian Press|date=February 26, 2021|work=Toronto Star|location=Toronto, Ontario|url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/2021/02/26/hall-of-famers-james-lowe-hay-named-to-order-of-hockey-in-canada.html|access-date=February 26, 2021}}

Career statistics

=Regular season and playoffs=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em"
bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"|

! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"|

! colspan="5"|Regular season

! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"|

! colspan="5"|Playoffs

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! Season

! Team

! League

! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM

! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM

1976–77

| Quebec Remparts

| QMJHL

| 69

3192226

| 14

0334
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1977–78

| Quebec Remparts

| QMJHL

| 64

13526581

| 4

1236
1978–79

| Quebec Remparts

| QMJHL

| 68

266086120

| 6

17836
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1979–80

| Edmonton Oilers

| NHL

| 64

2192170

| 3

0110
1980–81

| Edmonton Oilers

| NHL

| 79

10243494

| 9

02211
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1981–82

| Edmonton Oilers

| NHL

| 80

9314063

| 5

0330
1982–83

| Edmonton Oilers

| NHL

| 80

6344043

| 16

18910
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1983–84

| Edmonton Oilers

| NHL

| 80

4424659

| 19

371016
1984–85

| Edmonton Oilers

| NHL

| 80

42125104

| 16

0558
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1985–86

| Edmonton Oilers

| NHL

| 74

2161890

| 10

13415
1986–87

| Edmonton Oilers

| NHL

| 77

8293794

| 21

24622
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1987–88

| Edmonton Oilers

| NHL

| 70

9152489

| 19

02226
1988–89

| Edmonton Oilers

| NHL

| 76

7182598

| 7

1234
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1989–90

| Edmonton Oilers

| NHL

| 78

72633140

| 20

02210
1990–91

| Edmonton Oilers

| NHL

| 73

31316113

| 14

11214
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1991–92

| Edmonton Oilers

| NHL

| 55

2810107

| 11

03316
1992–93

| New York Rangers

| NHL

| 49

3121558

| —

————
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1993–94

| New York Rangers

| NHL

| 71

5141970

| 22

10120
1994–95

| New York Rangers

| NHL

| 44

17858

| 10

01112
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1995–96

| New York Rangers

| NHL

| 53

15676

| 10

0444
1996–97

| Edmonton Oilers

| NHL

| 64

1131450

| 1

0000
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1997–98

| Edmonton Oilers

| NHL

| 7

0000

| 1

0004
bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="3" | NHL totals

! 1,254 !! 84 !! 347 !! 431 !! 1,498

! 214 !! 10 !! 48 !! 58 !! 192

=International=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:40em"
bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! Year

! Team

! Event

! rowspan="102" bgcolor="#ffffff"|

! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM

1982

| Canada

| WC

| 9

1122
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1984

| Canada

| CC

| 7

0448
bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="4"| Senior totals

! 16 !! 1 !! 5 !! 6 !! 10

Coaching record

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center; width:60em;"
rowspan="2" | Teamrowspan="2" | Yearcolspan="7" | Regular seasoncolspan="4" | Post season
GWLTOTLPtsFinishWLWin %Result
Edmonton Oilers || 1999–00

| 82 || 32 || 26 || 16 || 8 || 88

| 2nd in Northwest

| 1 || 4 || .200 || Lost in first round (DAL)

Awards

class="wikitable"

! Award

! Year(s)

Stanley Cup champion

| 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1990 (Edmonton), 1994 (NY Rangers)

NHL All-Star Game

| 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993

King Clancy Memorial Trophy

| 1990

See also

References

{{reflist}}

Bibliography

{{Refbegin}}

  • {{Citation|last1=Lowe|first1=Kevin|last2=Fischler|first2=Stan|author-link2=Stan Fischler|last3=Fischler|first3=Shirley|title=Champions: The Making Of The Edmonton Oilers|publisher=Prentice-Hall|location=Scarborough, Ontario|year=1988|isbn=0-132-35623-6}}

{{Refend}}

External links

  • {{icehockeystats|legends=10968}}
  • [http://www.hockeydraftcentral.com/1979/79021.html HockeyDraft Central].
  • [http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=127781].
  • Edmonton Oilers Heritage site [https://web.archive.org/web/20040513020123/http://www.oilersheritage.com/memories/videos_lowe_1st_goal.html Video of Oilers 1st NHL goal by Kevin Lowe]
  • [https://www.playon.ca/ Play On! Canada website]

{{S-start}}

{{succession box | before = Ron Areshenkoff | title = Edmonton Oilers first round draft pick | years = 1979 | after = Paul Coffey}}

{{succession box | before = Bryan Trottier | title = Winner of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy | years = 1990 | after = Dave Taylor }}

{{succession box | before = Glen Sather | title = General Manager of the Edmonton Oilers | years = 2000-08 | after = Steve Tambellini}}

{{succession box | before = Ron Low | title = Head coach of the Edmonton Oilers | years = 1999–2000 | after = Craig MacTavish}}

{{succession box | before = Mark Messier | title = Edmonton Oilers captain| years = 1991–92 | after = Craig MacTavish}}

{{S-end}}

{{NHLpresidents}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lowe, Kevin}}

Category:1959 births

Category:Living people

Category:20th-century Canadian sportsmen

Category:Anglophone Quebec people

Category:Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States

Category:Canadian ice hockey coaches

Category:Canadian ice hockey defencemen

Category:Edmonton Oilers captains

Category:Edmonton Oilers coaches

Category:Edmonton Oilers draft picks

Category:Edmonton Oilers executives

Category:Edmonton Oilers players

Category:Hockey Hall of Fame inductees

Category:Ice hockey people from Laurentides

Category:King Clancy Memorial Trophy winners

Category:National Hockey League All-Stars

Category:National Hockey League executives

Category:NHL first-round draft picks

Category:New York Rangers players

Category:OEG Inc.

Category:Order of Hockey in Canada recipients

Category:Quebec Remparts players

Category:Sportspeople from Lachute

Category:Stanley Cup champions