Basil McRae

Maggie3and Me 03-07-2010, 11:22 PM

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I put this up at another site and thought I would share it here.

Basil McRae

I did not like this player. I thought he was a goon. Even when he finished his career with Hawks, playing 8 games with us in the 1996-97 season, I did not like him.

But, I always respected him. He was an honest player, who knew what his job was, did it and did it very well. I can truthfully say in the all the games I saw him play in as a Red Wing and a North Star, none of his teammates had to wonder if he had their back. He did.

McRae was drafted in the third round of the 1980 draft, with the 87th overall by the Quebec Nordiques. He broke into the NHL in 1981 playing 20 games for Quebec that year, then 22 games the next year. In his third he was traded to Toronto by Quebec for Richard Turmel, August 12, 1983. He signed two years later as a free agent with the Wings.

In his sixth year in the league, Basil had the first of his four seasons having 300 or more PIM. He was traded to Quebec by Detroit with John Ogrodnick and Doug Shedden for Brent Ashton, Gilbert Delorme and Mark Kumpel, January 17, 1987.

He would sign as a free agent with the North Stars. There he would enjoy the best years of his career. He helped to established a strong physical game to help the likes of Brian Bellows, Neal Broten and a young Mike Modano, along with a host of other players. McRae racked up the amazing total of 1,567 PIM, averaging 313.4 PIM a season for his 5 years there.

Statistics alone do not give Basil McRae his due. To say he played in the NHL for 16 seasons, played in 576 games, had 53 Goals and 83 Assists, for 136 points while collecting 2,457 PIM, would give a distorted picture of what this player meant to his teams.

Called a goon, a thug and much worse, mainly by me in most games, it was an easy to label him as that kind of player. While no saint, he brought more to the ice than his physical presence.

This is from Joe Pelletier at Greatest Hockey Legends:
“When you think of Basil McRae you probably would quickly label him as an untalented goon who lasted as long as he did only because he was a good fighter.

Not true.

McRae was an honest hard working player who played with more effort than most every night. He was also an incredibly popular leader on and off the ice.

McRae had modest tangible hockey skills, average at best. He was an okay skater but had a good first stride which aided him in his strong forechecking game. He had decent hockey instincts, and was a more-than-willing physical presence. Thus Basil carved out a role as a decent checker.

McRae was also a great leader. A charismatic guy in the dressing room, he was a coach's delite. He knew how to make rookies and newcomers feel right at home. He kept the guys loose with his jokes and antics. His enthusiastic love of the game rubbed off on his teammates, and his team was the all better for it.”

This is from the Legends of Hockey:
“McRae prided himself as an enforcer who always worked at improving his limited skills as a two-way player. He also played an honest game, respecting the rules whenever possible. He counts himself as a success, having lasted 16 seasons as an NHLer with throngs of critics, fans, and foes left in his path.”

Believe it or not, in the 1988-89 season Basil had 12 goals and 19 assists for 31 points, while putting up 365 pim. He followed that the next year with 9 goals and 17 assists for 26 points. He had a league leading 355 pim that year.

While a member of the North Stars, he missed part of the 1989-90 season due to ligament damage to his right knee ligaments in a game against St. Louis. This was the start of injuries that cut his playing time. Missed half of 1990-91 season with strained abdominal muscle, an injury suffered in October 1990. The injury required surgery on Nov. 30, 1990, and he did not return to action until Minnesota's Jan. 30, 1991.

Missed half of 1990-91 season with strained abdominal muscle, an injury suffered in October 1990. The injury required surgery on Nov. 30, 1990, and he did not return to action until Minnesota's Jan. 30, 1991. He had a broken leg the next year and re-injured his abdominal muscles the year after that. He never had the level of success in his career that he achieved in Minnesota.

McRae would make stops at Tampa Bay and St. Louis, before finishing his career with the 8 game stint with the Hawks in 1996-97.

McRae invested in and became co-owner of the London Knights, along with Dale Hunter. McRae also attended college in his off seasons and he became a financial advisor.

__________________
Leave it all on the ice. Don't hold anything back.