Former NHLer, GM Mel Bridgman dead at 70

Former NHLer and Ottawa Senators general manager Mel Bridgman has died. He was 70.

The NHL Alumni Association announced his death on Saturday. The cause of death was not disclosed.

Bridgman was the first overall pick in the 1975 NHL draft by the Philadelphia Flyers, where he spent his first six-plus seasons.

He was traded to the Calgary Flames in 1981-82 and finished that season with a career-best 33 goals and 54 assists across 72 games. He went to the New Jersey Devils in 1983-84 and played three-plus years before getting traded to the Detroit Red Wings in 1986-87. Bridgman played his final season for the Vancouver Canucks in 1988-89.

The Trenton, Ont., native finished his career with 701 points (252 goals, 449 assists) across 977 regular-season games.

In 1991, he was named the first general manager of the expansion Senators — a post he held until 1993.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2025.