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Brian Propp 2010

Brian Phillip Propp

Selected by Philadelphia Flyers 1st round (#14) in 1979 NHL Entry Draft

Playing Career[]

Propp started his notable career with the Melville Millionaires of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and shattered the scoring record with 75 goals and 92 assists for 168 points in 57 games playing on a line with Kelly Dean and Dwayne Tuberfield. He then moved on to the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL, at the same time when the team was one of the most dominating clubs in all of Canadian Major Junior Hockey. When Propp was with the team it produced future NHLer's such as Brad McCrimmon, Bill Derlago, Laurie Boschman, Dave Semenko, Glen Hanlon, Ray Allison and Walt Poddubny. Propp himself won two league scoring titles, and put up spectacular numbers in all three of his seasons in Junior. At the end of his third season, he was drafted 14th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft, a draft that many hockey experts say was the most productive ever.

Propp made the Flyers the next season, and proved his mettle in the NHL right away. He managed to score the game-winning goal in his first career game. He played on a line with legends Reggie Leach and Bobby Clarke in his rookie season, and that contributed to his quick success. It would not be the last time Propp played with two elite players, as he played with Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux for most of the 1987 Canada Cup Canadian team that won the tournament.

In Game 1 of the 1989 Stanley Cup playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens, which his Flyers lost in six games, Propp sustained a concussion from a hard, but unpenalized hit by Montreal defenseman Chris Chelios, where it appeared Chelios may have hit him with his elbow. Propp fell to the ice hard, hitting his head against the ice. Though Propp missed only one game, his teammates maintained their anger at Chelios. Finally, with 1:37 left in regulation in Game 6, Flyer goaltender Ron Hextall took matters into his own hands, whacking his stick and shoulder pad across Chelios' head, apparently in retaliation for the hit on Propp.

It took him until his 11th season to fail to score at least 65 points in a season, and that was the year when he was traded away by the Flyers. However, in his 10-plus seasons with the club, he was more or less the catalyst of the team, performing in all situations and wherever the team needed him.

The 1990–91 season was Propp's last hurrah when he was a member of the Minnesota North Stars. Propp scored 73 points and helped the team the Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Propp only played 68 games the next two seasons, and even took a sabbatical to play in Switzerland in 1993. During his time in Switzerland, he played for Team Canada in the Spengler Cup and helped them to win the tournament.

Propp played for the Hartford Whalers during the 1993–94 NHL season. Although Propp only scored 29 points, it was a productive season for him as he played both his 1000th NHL game and scored his 1000th NHL point in his last NHL season.

Propp holds a very dubious achievement in that he went to the Stanley Cup Finals five times, with Philadelphia in 1980, 1985, and 1987, with the Boston Bruins in 1990 and with Minnesota in 1991, without ever winning a Stanley Cup. He also played in the NHL All-Star game five times.

During the NHL labour stoppage in 1994, Propp played as a player-coach for HC Anglet in France, and when the NHL returned, Propp was not there.

In 1999, Brian Propp was named to the MasterCard Canadian Junior All-Time team, which also included Mario Lemieux, Guy Lafleur, Bobby Orr, Denis Potvin, and Bernie Parent. The team was selected based on play in the Canadian Hockey League. Also in 1999, Propp was inducted into the Philadelphia Flyers Hall of Fame. Propp was inducted into the Saskatchewan Rural Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002 and in 2003 he was inducted into the Saskatchewan Provincial Hall of Fame.


Career Statistics[]

    Regular Season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1975-76 Melville Millionaires SJHL 57 76 92 168 36 12 11 10 21
1976-77 Brandon Wheat Kings WCHL 72 55 80 135 47 16 14 12 26 5
1977-78 Brandon Wheat Kings WCHL 70 70 112 182 200 8 7 6 13 12
1978-79 Team Canada WJC 5 2 1 3 2 -- -- -- -- --
Brandon Wheat Kings WHL 71 94 100 194 127 22 15 23 38 40
M-Cup -- -- -- -- -- 5 4 7 11 6
1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 80 34 41 75 54 19 5 10 15 29
1980-81 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 79 26 40 66 110 12 6 6 12 32
1981-82 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 80 44 47 91 117 4 2 2 4 4
Team Canada WC 10 3 1 4 4 -- -- -- -- --
1982-83 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 80 40 42 82 72 3 1 2 3 8
Team Canada WC 10 4 4 8 6 -- -- -- -- --
1983-84 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 79 39 53 92 37 3 0 1 1 6
1984-85 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 76 43 53 96 43 19 8 10 18 6
1985-86 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 72 40 57 97 47 5 0 2 2 4
1986-87 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 53 31 36 67 45 26 12 16 28 10
1987-88 Team Canada C-Cup 9 2 2 4 2 -- -- -- -- --
Philadelphia Flyers NHL 74 27 49 76 76 7 4 2 6 8
1988-89 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 77 32 46 78 37 18 14 9 23 14
1989-90 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 40 13 15 28 31 -- -- -- -- --
Boston Bruins NHL 14 3 9 12 10 20 4 9 13 2
1990-91 Minnesota North Stars Fr-Tour 3 0 1 1 8 -- -- -- -- --
NHL 79 26 47 73 58 23 8 15 23 28
1991-92 Minnesota North Stars NHL 51 12 23 35 49 1 0 0 0 0
1992-93 Minnesota North Stars NHL 17 3 3 6 0 -- -- -- -- --
Team Canada S-Cup 3 3 1 4 2 -- -- -- -- --
HC Lugano Swiss 24 21 6 27 32 9 5 1 6 28
1993-94 Hartford Whalers NHL 65 12 17 29 44 -- -- -- -- --
1994-95 HC Anglet France2 27 32 19 51 74
NHL Totals 1016 425 578 1003 830 160 64 84 148 151

Awards & Achievements[]

  • Played in SJHL All-Star Game (1976)
  • SJHL Scoring Champion (1976), setting League Record
  • SJHL Goal Scoring Leader (1976), setting League Record
  • SJHL Rookie of the Year (1976)
  • SJHL Most Valuable Player (1976)
  • SJHL All-Star Team (1976)
  • WCHL League Record Most Assists for Rookie (1977)
  • WCHL Rookie of the Year (1977)
  • WCHL Second All-Star Team (1977)
  • Bob Brownridge Memorial Trophy WCHL Scoring Champion (1978)
  • WCHL Assists Leader (1978), setting League Record for Left Wingers
  • WCHL First All-Star Team (1978)
  • Played in World Junior Championship (1979)
  • Bob Brownridge Memorial Trophy WHL Scoring Champion (1979), setting League Record
  • WHL Goal Scoring Leader (1979), setting League Record for Left Wingers
  • WHL Assists Leader (1979)
  • WHL First All-Star Team (1979)
  • President's Cup Western Hockey League Championship (1979)
  • Played in the World Championship (1982 & 1983), winning 2 Bronze Medal
  • Canada Cup Championship (1987)
  • Spengler Cup Championship (1992)
  • Played in NHL All-Star Game (1980, 1982, 1984, 1996, & 1990)

Records[]

  • Most game-winning goals in WHL, single season (16 in 1978–79)
  • Most points by a left wing in the NHL playoffs (64 goals, 84 assists for 148 points)

External Links[]

Preceded by
Danny Lucas
Philadelphia Flyers' first round draft pick
1979
Succeeded by
Mike Stothers
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