Graeme Scott Townshend is a retired ice hockey

Ice hockey

Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 forward

Forward (ice hockey)

In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...

. He emigrated to Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

, Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

 in 1969 with his younger brother Kurt. His sister, Laurie, was born in Toronto.

Townshend started his 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...

 career with the Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...

. He would also play with the New York Islanders

New York Islanders

The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 and Ottawa Senators

Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

. His NHL career would last from 1990 to 1994.

He played in the American Hockey League

American Hockey League

The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...

 for the Maine Mariners

Maine Mariners

The Maine Mariners were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Portland, Maine, USA at the Cumberland County Civic Center.-History:...

, Capital District Islanders

Capital District Islanders

The Capital District Islanders were a team in the American Hockey League based in Troy, New York, which is located within a region popularly called the Capital District...

, and Prince Edward Island Senators

Prince Edward Island Senators

The Prince Edward Island Senators are a former ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League from 1993 to 1996. Originally located in New Haven, Connecticut for 21 seasons, including one as the affiliate of the Ottawa Senators, the franchise relocated to Charlottetown, Prince Edward...

. Townshend also played in the International Hockey League with the Houston Aeros

Houston Aeros

The Houston Aeros are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The team plays in Houston, Texas, at the Toyota Center. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild.- History :...

, Minnesota Moose

Minnesota Moose

The Minnesota Moose was an ice hockey team in the International Hockey League. They played in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA, at the Saint Paul Civic Center. The team also played some home games at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The Moose were a representative of professional hockey in Minnesota at...

, and Utah Grizzlies

Utah Grizzlies

The Utah Grizzlies are a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL. They play out of West Valley City, Utah, United States, with their home games at the Maverik Center.- Franchise history :...

 and in the Western Professional Hockey League

Western Professional Hockey League

The Western Professional Hockey League is a defunct minor professional ice hockey league.It operated in the United States from 1996 to 2001, with teams in the southern United States, mainly Texas. The league started with six teams in the 1996-1997 season and grew to 18 teams in 1999-2000...

 for the Lake Charles Ice Pirates

Lake Charles Ice Pirates

The Lake Charles Ice Pirates were an American ice hockey team in Lake Charles, Louisiana. They played in the Western Professional Hockey League from 1997-2001.-Season-by-season record:-Records:*Games Billy Lund 277*Goals John Hanson 121...

. His professional playing career lasted for 10 seasons. Graeme was distinguished by the International Hockey League and the Western Professional Hockey League as the Man of The Year for his leadership on and off the ice and for his contributions to his community.

After his retirement, Townshend coached professional hockey for the Macon Whoopee

Macon Whoopee

The Macon Whoopee was the name given to two distinct former ice hockey teams, both of which were located in Macon, Georgia. The teams played their home games at the Macon Coliseum....

 of the Central Hockey League

Central Hockey League

The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....

 and the Greensboro Generals

Greensboro Generals

The Greensboro Generals were an ECHL team that existed from 1999-2004. The franchise replaced the Greensboro Monarchs, who called the city home from 1989-1995....

 of the ECHL

ECHL

The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...

.

Prior to turning pro, Townshend played four seasons at RPI

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Stephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...

 in ECAC Hockey, serving as a team captain during the
1987–1988 season. He also played for the Mimico Monarchs

Mimico Monarchs

The Mimico Monarchs are a defunct Junior "B" ice hockey team from Mimico, Ontario, Canada.-History:The Monarchs were a part of the Central Junior B Hockey League. In 1989, they jumped to the Metro Junior "B" league and stayed with the league until one season after it became the Metro Junior A...

 of the Central Junior "B" Hockey League

Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League

The Ontario Junior Hockey League is a Junior A ice hockey league under the supervision of the Ontario Hockey Association and the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The league dates back to 1954 as the Central Junior B Hockey League. In 1993, the Central Junior B Hockey League was promoted to the...

.

For 4 years, he served as the Player Development Coordinator for the NHL’s San Jose Sharks

San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

 (one of only 3 in the NHL). His primary responsibility was to prepare all Sharks players and prospects with the skills required for the “new” NHL, most notably, enhancing their skating skills. http://www.nationalhockeydevelopment.com/

On September 9, 2008 he was hired as the Skating Coach for the NHL's 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...

Graeme is Married to his wife of 20 years, Lori-Ann Townshend. He also has a Step-Son, named Seth Goodson. As a family they own and operate the International Hockey School, Townshend Hockey Skating Systems, LLC. In August of 2007, Graeme was inducted into the Canadian Black Hockey Hall of Fame.

External links