Former Vancouver Canucks Forward & 14-Season NHL Veteran Sadly Passes Away at 70

As we approach the final month and a half of the year, it's important to reflect on 2025 and unfortunately, it was a tough year for our sport as we lost several great people, including former Vancouver Canucks forward Cam Brown, who passed away at 56-years-old in late-October.

Less than two weeks after Brown's passing, the hockey world is in mourning once again as we've sadly lost an ex-first overall pick and former member of the Vancouver Canucks.

In a post on social media on Saturday, the National Hockey League's Alumni announced that long-time forward Mel Bridgman, who played 14 seasons with five different clubs, has passed away at the age of 70.

Bridgman was selected first overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft and went on to make an immediate impact in the league, helping his club reach their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final where they fell in four games to the Montreal Canadiens.

Over his 14 seasons in the National Hockey League, Bridgman suited up for the Flyers, Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, Detroit Red Wings and as a free agent in the summer of 1988, joined the Vancouver Canucks for his final year, registering seven points in 15 regular season games along with three points in seven playoff contests.

In 977 regular season games, he put up 701 points (252 goals, 449 assists), 1,625 penalty minutes and also added 67 points in 125 playoff games, making two appearances in the Stanley Cup Final, both of which came as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.

A few years after retiring, Bridgman turned his attention to the hockey operations side of the game and was named the first General Manager in the history of the Ottawa Senators, a role he held for two seasons.

The thoughts of everyone here at Canucks Daily are with the family, friends and former teammates of Mel Bridgman at this difficult time.