Mel Bridgman helped the Detroit Red Wings reach a pair of Stanley Cup conference finals. It was just one of many achievements on his resume from what was a solid 14-season NHL career for Bridgman, who died Saturday at the age of 70.

The Philadelphia Flyers chose Bridgman first overall in the 1975 NHL amateur draft. He played in the Stanley Cup final as an NHL rookie. Bridgman would later serve as captain of the New Jersey Devils and GM of the Ottawa Senators. He counted six 20-goal seasons during his NHL days.

The NHL Alumni Association is heartbroken to learn that Mel Bridgman has passed away at the age of 70.

After recording 157 points in just 66 games for the Victoria Cougars of the Western Canada Hockey League (now the WHL) in 1974-75, the Philadelphia Flyers selected Mel first… pic.twitter.com/4NYUDVokoz

— NHL Alumni (@NHLAlumni) November 8, 2025

“I never had the ability to cruise around and wait for the puck and then beat four people to try and get a goal,” Bridgman told the Winnipeg Sun in 1985. “The only way I was going to succeed was to work hard.”

The Red Wings traded with the Devils to get Bridgman late in the 1986-87 season. Jacques Demers, Detroit’s coach at the time, described Bridgman as a character player.

“I’m happy to go to Detroit,” Bridgman said at the time of the Red Wings. “It’s a real good organization for players.”

While certainly far from the fastest skater in the league, Bridgman was known for his ability to win puck battles in the corners and for his hands, both in terms of scoring touch and for keeping opponents honest. Eight times during his NHL career, he accumulated more than 100 penalty minutes in a season.

Played In Successive Conference Finals With The Red Wings

Bridgman was part of the Detroit teams that came up short in a pair of Western Conference final series against the Edmonton Oilers. The Red Wings lost both series to Edmonton in five games in the spring of 1987 and again in 1988.

#MustacheMonday Team of the Day – 1987/88 Detroit Red Wings (Mel Bridgman, Gerard Gallant, Dave Lewis, Harold Snepsts) @DetroitRedWings pic.twitter.com/AYte3PKrty

— Vintage Hockey Showcase (@hockey_vintage) February 6, 2023

During the first of those series, Bridgman, known for his checking acumen, offered a unique strategy for dealing with Oilers superstar Wayne Gretzky.

“First, you watch him skate toward you,” Bridgman told the Edmonton Journal. “Then you watch him skate past you.

“Then you yell at your goalie, ‘Look out, here he comes.”