Craig MacTavish—Return of the grinder

Craig MacTavish may have been the last NHLer to play without a helmet but that fact does not diminish his mental grasp of the game of hockey. MacTavish spent 17 solid seasons with the skates on, eight and half of which were with the Oilers. Intelligence and fortitude were two of his trademark qualities, each of which would serve him well as he made a smooth transition to life behind the bench.

After two years as an assistant coach with the New York Rangers, the popular native of London, Ontario, made his way back to Edmonton during the 1999-2000 season to join Kevin Lowe’s coaching staff. With Lowe moving up to the front office the following year, the responsibility to carry the proud Oiler franchise into the new millennium went to the man they call "Mac-T."

"We just want to teach and espouse the Oiler philosophy, the Oiler culture," MacTavish, a former captain and three-time Stanley Cup winner with the blue and copper, once said regarding his approach to leading the young Edmonton squad. "It’s just a case of teaching those characteristics which we deem pivotal to the success of a team."

For MacTavish, those characteristics include an emphasis on strong skating, defensive accountability and above all, a desire to win championships, regardless of market size. Because he is only a few years removed from his own playing days – MacTavish retired after the 1996-97 season – his message is easy for the Oilers to digest. He has been labeled a "player’s coach," a man able to relate with his young pupils.

"I grew up watching them and to hear the behind-the-scenes stories, the things the fans don’t see, about what it really takes to win a championship, the blood, sweat and tears that they shed," said Oiler forward Shawn Horcoff, "you can’t help but listen and just take as much from it as possible."

MacTavish has shown fierce loyalty to his players and they have responded. The team went a solid 39-28-12-3 in his first season as a head coach, including a playoff berth and a franchise-record nine-game winning streak. MacTavish led Edmonton to a 92-point campaign the following year, but a wild finish in the Western Conference meant the Oilers became the most prolific team  to miss the Stanley Cup playoffs. In 2002-03, the Oilers were erratic performers. There was no better example of this than one famous Battle of Alberta match up with Calgary on January 20. Edmonton had allowed the rival Flames a 4-0 lead before MacTavish infamously pulled out the tongue of Calgary mascot Harvey the Hound. The Oilers rallied with three quick goals, just losing the game 4-3. Edmonton did make it back to the post-season by year’s end, losing a heart-breaking six-game series to the Dallas Stars.

That painful result haunted MacTavish. However, after taking some time to reflect on the season, he agreed to a new three-year deal to coach Edmonton, which relieved the general manager, the players and the fans. Lowe was ecstatic to have his good friend back, just as he was when MacTavish signed on back in 2000.

"There is not a more important signing, to me," Lowe said following MacTavish’s original appointment as head coach. "You have to have leadership. You have to have good players, too, but you’re not going anywhere without leadership."

MacTavish certainly is a winner and not just on the ice. In the spring of 2003, he found himself participating in a dream golf foursome consisting of Lowe, Wayne Gretzky and a guy named Tiger Woods. Mac-T managed to grab honours from Tiger on one of the holes.

Not surprising, really – after all, he was one of the greatest grinders in NHL history.

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