Cliff Fletcher
Encyclopedia
George Clifford Fletcher (born 16 August 1935 in Montreal, Quebec
) is a National Hockey League
executive and is a former general manager
of the Atlanta Flames
/Calgary Flames
, Toronto Maple Leafs
, and Phoenix Coyotes
. He is currently a Senior Advisor to the Toronto Maple Leafs
. Some of his nicknames are the "Silver Fox" and "Trader Cliff".
as a scout under Sam Pollock
, then later became the General Manager of the Verdun Blues junior team.
He joined the expansion St. Louis Blues
in 1966 as a scout for Eastern Canada worked his way up to the assistant GM position. With Fletcher's help, the Blues advanced to the Stanley Cup
finals in each of their first three years, a feat unmatched to this day.
Fletcher's general manager career started in the Central Hockey League with the Kansas City Blues
when he was awarded the top job in January 1971 during a mid-season shake-up that also saw John Choyce
appointed as the team's new head coach. In 1972, he accepted the opportunity to run an NHL team when offered the GM position in Atlanta.
team as General Manager. After years of financial struggles in Atlanta due to competition from the WHA
, he helped organize the team's move to Calgary, Alberta in 1980. Over the next 10 years, he led the Calgary Flames
to two Smythe division titles, two Clarence S. Campbell Bowl
s as Western Conference Champions, and two Presidents' Trophies
, given to the team with the best NHL Regular season record. During his tenure in Calgary, he was the first GM to bring a player from the Soviet Union
when Sergei Priakin played in 1988. The Flames won the Stanley Cup
Championship in 1989 against the Montreal Canadiens
.
He also served as the GM of Team Canada for the 1981 Canada Cup
.
in 1991, to serve as Chief Operating Officer, President and General Manager. He made a blockbuster trade with Doug Risebrough
, his successor as the Flames' General Manager, sending Gary Leeman
, Michel Petit
, Jeff Reese
, Craig Berube
, and Alexander Godynyuk
to the Flames for Doug Gilmour
, Jamie Macoun
, Ric Nattress
, Rick Wamsley
and Kent Manderville
on 2 January 1992. That year, Fletcher also hired Pat Burns
as head coach for the upcoming season.
The positive impact on the Toronto team was immediate. During the 1992–93 season, his second year as GM, the Leafs set team records with wins (44) and points (99), while Gilmour emerged as a superstar and scored a franchise-high 127 points. During the postseason awards ceremony, Gilmour finished as runner-up for the Hart Trophy and won the Frank J. Selke Trophy
as best defensive forward, while Burns won the Jack Adams Award
as coach of the year; the first major NHL individual awards that Leaf players had won since 1967. Fletcher himself was named as the "Man of the Year" and the "Executive of the Year" by The Hockey News
in 1993. The Leafs reached the conference finals in 1993 and 1994 - the only team in the NHL to make it that far in the playoffs in both seasons and the only one of the seven teams from those two years to not make a Stanley Cup Final since expansion.
He remained with the Toronto Maple Leafs for six seasons before retiring to Florida.
as Senior Advisor to the GM for 2 seasons at the request of Jacques Demers, then Tampa's coach and GM. When Demers left the franchise in 1999, so did Fletcher.
on 17 February 2001 as General Manager and Executive Vice-President. On August 28, 2001, he passed his GM role to Mike Barnett
and became Senior Executive Vice-President of Hockey Operations.
On 11 April 2007, Fletcher and General Manager Mike Barnett
were fired after the Coyotes finished the 2006–07 season with its worst record since relocating from Winnipeg
to Phoenix in 1996.
on 22 January 2008, replacing John Ferguson Jr.
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=227906&hubname= Fletcher signed a nineteen month contract with the franchise; serving as GM for six months before becoming an executive for the Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment organization. He was replaced as GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs
by Brian Burke.
Team President Richard Peddie
announced that Fletcher would likely be the general manager through the 2008–09 NHL season, although it was later announced on November 27, 2008 that Brian Burke had agreed to a six-year contract as the Maple Leafs' GM. Fletcher is expected to serve out the remainder of his contract with the Maple Leafs as an adviser for the Maple Leafs management team. During the off season of 2009, Fletcher signed a multiple-year contract extension.
Board of Directors, having stepped down in 2002-03. He also spent time on the Hall of Fame selection committee. In 2004, he was selected to the HHOF as a builder and was inducted on November 8, 2004.
currently serves as the General Manager of the Minnesota Wild
. He previous served as Assistant General Manager of the Florida Panthers
and Director of Hockey Operations of the Anaheim Ducks
. Fletcher's daughter Kristy is director of executive suite services for the Toronto Maple Leafs
and the Toronto Raptors
.
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
) is a National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
executive and is a former general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
of the Atlanta Flames
Atlanta Flames
The Atlanta Flames were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA from 1972 to 1980. The team, a member of the National Hockey League , was relocated to Calgary, Alberta, Canada for the start of the 1980–81 NHL season and were re-named the Calgary Flames. The NHL returned to the...
/Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
, Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, and Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
. He is currently a Senior Advisor to the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Some of his nicknames are the "Silver Fox" and "Trader Cliff".
Early positions
Fletcher started his career in 1956 for the Montreal CanadiensMontreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
as a scout under Sam Pollock
Sam Pollock
Samuel Patterson Smyth "Sam" Pollock, OC, CQ was a general manager in the National Hockey League.Born in Montreal, Quebec, Sam was a keen evaluator of talent. In 1950, with the Montreal Junior Canadiens and in 1958, with the Ottawa Junior Canadiens, he won the Memorial Cup...
, then later became the General Manager of the Verdun Blues junior team.
He joined the expansion St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
in 1966 as a scout for Eastern Canada worked his way up to the assistant GM position. With Fletcher's help, the Blues advanced to the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
finals in each of their first three years, a feat unmatched to this day.
Fletcher's general manager career started in the Central Hockey League with the Kansas City Blues
Kansas City Blues (ice hockey)
The Kansas City Blues were a minor-league hockey team based in Kansas City, Missouri that played in the Central Hockey League from 1967 to 1972, and again in the 1976-77 season, mainly as an affiliate of the in-state St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League. On February 21, 1971, Michel Plasse...
when he was awarded the top job in January 1971 during a mid-season shake-up that also saw John Choyce
John Choyce
John Leslie Choyce was a Canadian ice hockey coach. For seven seasons he was a head coach in the Central Hockey League ....
appointed as the team's new head coach. In 1972, he accepted the opportunity to run an NHL team when offered the GM position in Atlanta.
Flames
Fletcher joined the newly-minted expansion Atlanta FlamesAtlanta Flames
The Atlanta Flames were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA from 1972 to 1980. The team, a member of the National Hockey League , was relocated to Calgary, Alberta, Canada for the start of the 1980–81 NHL season and were re-named the Calgary Flames. The NHL returned to the...
team as General Manager. After years of financial struggles in Atlanta due to competition from the WHA
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
, he helped organize the team's move to Calgary, Alberta in 1980. Over the next 10 years, he led the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
to two Smythe division titles, two Clarence S. Campbell Bowl
Clarence S. Campbell Bowl
The Clarence S. Campbell Bowl, or simply the Campbell Bowl, is a National Hockey League trophy awarded to the Western Conference playoff champions. It is named after Clarence S. Campbell, who served as President of the NHL from to . The trophy itself is constructed of sterling silver, crafted in...
s as Western Conference Champions, and two Presidents' Trophies
Presidents' Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded C$350,000...
, given to the team with the best NHL Regular season record. During his tenure in Calgary, he was the first GM to bring a player from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
when Sergei Priakin played in 1988. The Flames won the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
Championship in 1989 against the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
.
He also served as the GM of Team Canada for the 1981 Canada Cup
1981 Canada Cup
The 1981 Canada Cup was the second best-on-best ice hockey world championship and involved the world's top six hockey nations. Tournament games were held in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Montreal and Ottawa. The Soviet Union defeated Canada in a single game final to win its first title, while Soviet...
.
Maple Leafs
Fletcher moved to the Toronto Maple LeafsToronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in 1991, to serve as Chief Operating Officer, President and General Manager. He made a blockbuster trade with Doug Risebrough
Doug Risebrough
Douglas John Risebrough is a former player, coach, and general manager in the National Hockey League. In his 31 years in the NHL, he has been involved with the Stanley Cup Playoffs 25 times...
, his successor as the Flames' General Manager, sending Gary Leeman
Gary Leeman
Gary Leeman is a former professional ice hockey player in the NHL.-Playing career:He attended Notre Dame College in Wilcox, Saskatchewan and was a standout defenceman for two seasons with the WHL's Regina Pats where he was voted the league's Top Defenceman and a First Team All-Star.Leeman was...
, Michel Petit
Michel Petit
Michel Petit is a retired professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League from the 1982–83 NHL season to the 1997–98 NHL season. Upon his retirement Petit had played for a then-NHL record 10 different teams. This mark has since been surpassed by Mike Sillinger...
, Jeff Reese
Jeff Reese
Jeffrey K. Reese is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played eleven seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, Hartford Whalers, Tampa Bay Lightning and New Jersey Devils...
, Craig Berube
Craig Berube
Craig "The Chief" Berube is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, Washington Capitals and New York Islanders...
, and Alexander Godynyuk
Alexander Godynyuk
Oleksandr Olehovych Hodyniuk , known commonly as Alexander Godynyuk is a retired Ukrainian professional ice hockey defenceman. He was drafted in the sixth round, 115th overall, by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft....
to the Flames for Doug Gilmour
Doug Gilmour
Douglas Robert Gilmour is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who is the current general manager of the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League . During his National Hockey League career, Gilmour played for 7 NHL clubs: the St...
, Jamie Macoun
Jamie Macoun
Jamie Neil Macoun is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played parts of seventeen seasons in the National Hockey League....
, Ric Nattress
Ric Nattress
Eric James Nattress is a former National Hockey League defenceman. He was drafted in the second round, 27th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft....
, Rick Wamsley
Rick Wamsley
Richard James Wamsley is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs...
and Kent Manderville
Kent Manderville
Kent Stephen Manderville is a retired Canadian ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins...
on 2 January 1992. That year, Fletcher also hired Pat Burns
Pat Burns
Patrick Burns was a National Hockey League head coach. Over 14 seasons between 1988 and 2004, he coached in 1,019 games with the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, and New Jersey Devils...
as head coach for the upcoming season.
The positive impact on the Toronto team was immediate. During the 1992–93 season, his second year as GM, the Leafs set team records with wins (44) and points (99), while Gilmour emerged as a superstar and scored a franchise-high 127 points. During the postseason awards ceremony, Gilmour finished as runner-up for the Hart Trophy and won the Frank J. Selke Trophy
Frank J. Selke Trophy
The Frank J. Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association following the regular season. It has been awarded 33 times to...
as best defensive forward, while Burns won the Jack Adams Award
Jack Adams Award
The Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." It has been awarded 37 times to 32 different coaches. The winner is selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association at the end of the...
as coach of the year; the first major NHL individual awards that Leaf players had won since 1967. Fletcher himself was named as the "Man of the Year" and the "Executive of the Year" by The Hockey News
The Hockey News
The Hockey News, commonly abbreviated to THN, is a North American ice hockey magazine published by Transcontinental. The Hockey News was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Bill Côté, and has since been the most recognized hockey publication in North America...
in 1993. The Leafs reached the conference finals in 1993 and 1994 - the only team in the NHL to make it that far in the playoffs in both seasons and the only one of the seven teams from those two years to not make a Stanley Cup Final since expansion.
He remained with the Toronto Maple Leafs for six seasons before retiring to Florida.
Lightning
In 1999, Fletcher joined the Tampa Bay LightningTampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
as Senior Advisor to the GM for 2 seasons at the request of Jacques Demers, then Tampa's coach and GM. When Demers left the franchise in 1999, so did Fletcher.
Coyotes
Fletcher joined the Phoenix CoyotesPhoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
on 17 February 2001 as General Manager and Executive Vice-President. On August 28, 2001, he passed his GM role to Mike Barnett
Mike Barnett (ice hockey)
Michael Barnett is a Canadian ice hockey executive currently serving as advisor and scout with the New York Rangers. He was formerly a professional ice hockey player, sports agent, and National Hockey League general manager.-Sports career:Barnett played for the St. Lawrence University Skating...
and became Senior Executive Vice-President of Hockey Operations.
On 11 April 2007, Fletcher and General Manager Mike Barnett
Mike Barnett (ice hockey)
Michael Barnett is a Canadian ice hockey executive currently serving as advisor and scout with the New York Rangers. He was formerly a professional ice hockey player, sports agent, and National Hockey League general manager.-Sports career:Barnett played for the St. Lawrence University Skating...
were fired after the Coyotes finished the 2006–07 season with its worst record since relocating from Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
to Phoenix in 1996.
Return to Toronto
Fletcher was officially named the interim general manager of the Toronto Maple LeafsToronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
on 22 January 2008, replacing John Ferguson Jr.
John Ferguson Jr.
John Ferguson, Jr. is a former vice president and general manager for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League . He served with the team from 2003 to 2008 before being replaced by Cliff Fletcher in January 2008. He is married to Providence College graduate, Stephanie Paiva...
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=227906&hubname= Fletcher signed a nineteen month contract with the franchise; serving as GM for six months before becoming an executive for the Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment organization. He was replaced as GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
by Brian Burke.
Team President Richard Peddie
Richard Peddie
Richard A. Peddie is the President and CEO of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment.Since taking over MLSE, he has tripled its value to over $1.5 billion...
announced that Fletcher would likely be the general manager through the 2008–09 NHL season, although it was later announced on November 27, 2008 that Brian Burke had agreed to a six-year contract as the Maple Leafs' GM. Fletcher is expected to serve out the remainder of his contract with the Maple Leafs as an adviser for the Maple Leafs management team. During the off season of 2009, Fletcher signed a multiple-year contract extension.
Hockey Hall of Fame
Fletcher spent 7 years on the Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
Board of Directors, having stepped down in 2002-03. He also spent time on the Hall of Fame selection committee. In 2004, he was selected to the HHOF as a builder and was inducted on November 8, 2004.
Family
Fletcher's son Chuck FletcherChuck Fletcher
Chuck Fletcher is the current general manager of the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League, a post he has held since May 21, 2009...
currently serves as the General Manager of the Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
. He previous served as Assistant General Manager of the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
and Director of Hockey Operations of the Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Fletcher's daughter Kristy is director of executive suite services for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and the Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
.