Kevin Lowe

Kevin Lowe
Kevin Lowe pictured at an Edmonton Oilers Community Appreciation event, 2006
Born	(1959-04-15) April 15, 1959 Lachute, QC, CAN
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Left
Played for	Edmonton Oilers New York Rangers
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	21st overall, 1979 Edmonton Oilers
Playing career	1979–1998

Kevin Hugh Lowe (born April 15, 1959) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive, former coach and former player. Lowe is the current vice-chairman of Oilers Entertainment Group. As a defenceman, he played for the Edmonton Oilers and the New York Rangers. Over his career, Lowe won six Stanley Cups and is a seven-time all-star. In 1990, he was awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy.

Background and early career

Lowe played three seasons of junior hockey, starting in 1976 with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL. He scored 42–131–173 in 201 games played, with 245 PIM. In the 1978–79 season, he was named the first English-speaking captain of a QMJHL team. He was drafted in the first round, 21st overall, of the 1979 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers, the franchise's first ever NHL draft selection.

NHL playing career

Lowe played 13 full seasons in his first stint with the Oilers, and helped lead them to five Stanley Cups. He was team captain for the 1991–92 season.

The Oilers traded him to the New York Rangers, in December 1992 (Lowe was a restricted free-agent). In 1994, he won the Stanley Cup with six other ex-Oilers--Glenn Anderson, Jeff Beukeboom, Adam Graves, Craig MacTavish, Mark Messier, and Esa Tikkanen—bringing his personal total to six.

In 1996, he re-joined the Oilers as a free agent, and played another full season. He started the 1997–98 season with the Oilers as well, but only played 7 games before being forced to retire due to an inner-ear virus that affected his balance.

In total, Lowe played in 1254 career regular season games, scoring 84–347–431 with 1498 penalty minutes. He added another 214 playoff games, scoring 10–48–58 and earning 192 penalty minutes.

Post playing career

Lowe joined the Oilers staff in 1998 as an assistant coach. In 1999, he took over head coaching duties from Ron Low. He was head coach for just a single season, getting the Oilers to the first round of the playoffs. He was promoted to general manager of the Oilers in 2000 when long-time GM Glen Sather left for the New York Rangers. He remained the Oilers' Executive Vice President and General Manager until the 2008–09 season when he was promoted to President of Hockey Operations.

Lowe has also been responsible for assisting Canadian national hockey teams. He was a member of the management team for the Canadian men's ice hockey team at the 2002 Winter Olympics that won the gold medal, and was also named a manager for the 2004 World Cup of Hockey team. In addition, he has managed Team Canada at World Hockey Championships.

In 2005, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League created the Kevin Lowe Trophy (Trophée Kevin Lowe), awarded annually to the player in the QMJHL judged to be the best defensive defenceman.

In the 2006–2007 NHL offseason Lowe offered contracts to restricted free agents Thomas Vanek, which was matched by the Buffalo Sabres, then to Anaheim forward Dustin Penner, which was signed. Following the offer sheet to Penner, Brian Burke, the then-GM of The Anaheim Ducks, publicly blamed Lowe for an inflation in player salaries, accusing Lowe of "colossal stupidity". Then head coach Craig MacTavish responded by referring Burke to the Wizard of Oz, "You comb his hair, put a white shirt on, wheel him out in front of the camera and he'll say whatever you guys want". Lowe did not respond to Burkes' attacks until July 4, 2008 on a local radio show, Total Sports with Bob Stauffer, calling Burke a "moron" and "a media junkie".^[1]

Lowe's No. 4 has not been retired, but he had been the only player in the Oilers' NHL history to wear No. 4 until he issued it to Taylor Hall, the Oilers' first-round draft pick in 2010.

Notable achievements

Lowe played more regular season and playoff games in an Oilers uniform than anyone in franchise history (1037 and 172). He was the team's first-ever NHL draft pick, and scored their first NHL goal (a power play goal against the Chicago Blackhawks assisted by Wayne Gretzky and Brett Callighen. Gretzky first NHL point.). During his professional hockey career, Lowe did not play a single game in the minor leagues, and his teams only once failed to make the playoffs.

Lowe was named an NHL all-star in 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1993. He also won the league's King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 1990.

During the Oilers' run to the 1988 Stanley Cup, Lowe played with a broken wrist and a full cast, yet didn't miss a single playoff game. On the night the Oilers won the Cup, Wayne Gretzky informed the media that Lowe was also hiding broken ribs throughout the playoffs, adding, "That's what it takes to win a Stanley Cup."

Personal information

Lowe is the younger brother of the former Edmonton Oilers Head Medical Trainer Ken Lowe. He is married to Canadian Olympian Karen Percy, and is the father of Charlotte Checkers defenceman Keegan Lowe, who was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in the third round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.^[2]

Awards and achievements

• Member of six Stanley Cup winning teams: 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1990 with the Edmonton Oilers and 1994 with the New York Rangers
• Selected to seven NHL All-Star Games: 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1993
• Winner of the 1990 King Clancy Memorial Trophy

Career statistics

International

Coaching record

See also

• List of NHL players with 1000 games played

References

External links

• Kevin Lowe's biography at Legends of Hockey
• Kevin Lowe's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
• An Oiler Original.
• HockeyDraft Central.
• Edmonton Oilers Heritage site Video of Oilers 1st NHL goal by Kevin Lowe