Glen Sather facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Glen Sather |
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| Hockey Hall of Fame, 1997 (Builder) | |||
Sather at the 2006 NHL Awards
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| Born | September 2, 1943 High River, Alberta, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb) | ||
| Position | Left wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Boston Bruins Pittsburgh Penguins New York Rangers St. Louis Blues Montreal Canadiens Minnesota North Stars Edmonton Oilers |
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| Coached for | Edmonton Oilers New York Rangers |
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| Playing career | 1966–1976 | ||
| Coaching career | 1976–2004 | ||
Glen Cameron Sather (born September 2, 1943) is a famous Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and executive. He is currently a senior advisor and alternate governor for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was the Rangers' general manager until 2015 and their president until 2019.
Sather is best known for coaching the Edmonton Oilers to four Stanley Cup victories in the 1980s. He was key in bringing talented players, like Wayne Gretzky, to the team. These players helped make the Oilers a top hockey team. Gretzky, a very dominant player, said Sather was one of his most important mentors.
Outside the NHL, Sather helped build Canadian national teams. These teams won the 1984 Canada Cup, the 1994 Ice Hockey World Championship (gold medal), and were finalists in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. Before coaching, Sather played as a professional ice hockey left winger for 10 years.
Sather was born in High River, Alberta, Canada. He grew up in Wainwright, Alberta. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997. His nickname is "Slats."
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Glen Sather's Early Career
Glen Sather started playing junior hockey in 1961. He played three seasons with the Edmonton Oil Kings. His professional career began in 1964. He played for minor league teams like the Memphis Wings.
In 1966, he joined the Boston Bruins in the NHL.
Playing in the NHL
Sather played for 10 full seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He also played one season with the Edmonton Oilers in the World Hockey Association (WHA). During his playing career, he played in 739 regular season games. He scored 99 goals and made 146 assists.
He played for several teams. These included the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, and Minnesota North Stars. His playing career ended after the 1976–77 WHA season.
After Playing: Coaching and Management
Leading the Edmonton Oilers
In 1976, Sather became the player-coach for the Oilers. In his first game as coach, the Oilers won 5–4. He even scored a goal himself! After that season, he stopped playing but stayed on as head coach. He became the main leader for the Oilers for the next 25 years.
When the Oilers joined the NHL in 1979, Sather remained their head coach. In 1978, the Oilers' owner, Peter Pocklington, asked Sather about getting Wayne Gretzky. Sather told him to do whatever it took to get Gretzky. Many experts thought Gretzky was too small for pro hockey. But Sather believed in him. Sather even let Gretzky live with his family.
In 1979, the Oilers joined the NHL. After their first season, Sather became the team's president and general manager. He also picked great players like Paul Coffey, Jari Kurri, and Andy Moog in the draft. Later, he picked Grant Fuhr and Steve Smith.
Sather stepped back to coach the team again in 1980. The Oilers started playing much better. In the 1980–81 season, they surprised everyone by beating the strong Montreal Canadiens in the playoffs.
This was the start of an amazing time for the Oilers. They reached the 1983 Finals and then won the Stanley Cup five times in seven seasons! Sather was the main head coach until 1985. He won the Jack Adams Trophy in 1985–86 as the NHL's coach of the year.
In 1988, Wayne Gretzky was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. After this, Sather stopped being the head coach but stayed as the general manager. The Oilers still won another Stanley Cup in 1990.
The Oilers faced challenges in the 1990s. Key players left for other teams. The team also had trouble finding new talent through drafting. This made it hard for them to keep winning as much. However, the Oilers returned to the playoffs in 1997. They even upset stronger teams like the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche.
In 2000, Sather left the Oilers. He was a huge part of their success for many years.
Moving to the New York Rangers
In 2000, Glen Sather joined the New York Rangers. He became their president and general manager. He coached the Rangers for a short time in the 2002–03 and 2003–04 seasons.
As general manager, Sather helped draft many good young players for the Rangers. These players included Henrik Lundqvist, Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, Marc Staal, Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider, and Carl Hagelin. The team improved a lot and made the Stanley Cup playoffs four years in a row.
In 2014, the Rangers reached the Stanley Cup Finals. Sather stepped down as general manager in 2015. He then resigned as president in 2019. He took on new roles as a senior advisor and alternate governor for the team.
Glen Sather's Achievements
- Sather is one of the top coaches in NHL history for regular-season wins.
- As head coach of the Oilers, he won 89 playoff games.
- He won the Stanley Cup four times as head coach: 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988.
- He won the Stanley Cup five times as president and general manager: 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990.
- The Glen Sather Sports Medicine Clinic in Edmonton, Alberta, is named after him.
- He helped Canadian national teams win the 1984 Canada Cup and the 1994 Ice Hockey World Championship.
- Sather was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame & Museum in 1996.
- He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997.
- In 2010, he was inducted into the World Hockey Association Hall of Fame.
- On December 11, 2015, a banner honoring Sather was raised at Rexall Place, the Oilers' former arena.
