Steve Kasper
| Steve Kasper | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
September 28, 1961 Saint-Lambert, QC, CAN | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | ||
| Weight | 175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for |
Boston Bruins Los Angeles Kings Philadelphia Flyers Tampa Bay Lightning | ||
| NHL Draft |
81st overall, 1980 Boston Bruins | ||
| Playing career | 1980–1993 | ||
Stephen Neil "The Friendly Ghost, The Shadow" Kasper (born September 28, 1961) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played thirteen seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers and Tampa Bay Lightning. Kasper won the Frank J. Selke Trophy as top defensive forward during his second season in the NHL. He moved into coaching following his playing career, serving as the Bruins' head coach during the 1995-96 and 1996–97 seasons.
Playing career
Kasper began his hockey career with the Verdun Eperviers and the Sorel Black Hawks in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He topped the 100 point mark twice and was chosen 81st overall by the Boston Bruins in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft. Kasper earned a spot on the roster, playing a total of 76 games and scoring 51 points. He emerged as one of the best checking centres of the game and was subsequently awarded the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 1981–82. Kasper helped the Bruins reach the semi-finals in 1982–83. In 1987–88, Kasper and the Bruins made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they were defeated by the Edmonton Oilers, 4-0 with one tie. Kasper was traded to the Los Angeles Kings for Bobby Carpenter in 1988–89. Kasper enjoyed some success with the Kings playing with Wayne Gretzky and Bernie Nicholls before being traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in 1991–92. He played two seasons in Philadelphia before being traded again to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Kasper played in 47 games with the Bolts before retiring.
Coaching career
Kasper returned to Boston as an assistant coach to Brian Sutter. On July 22, 1994, he was named the head coach of the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League. He led the Bruins to the second round of the playoffs before being eliminated from contention. Kasper then again returned to Boston in 1995–96 to replace Sutter as head coach. He led the Bruins to a 91 point season. After a first round exit to the Florida Panthers and 26 wins in the 1996-97 season, Kasper was fired and replaced by Pat Burns. This marked the first time in 28 years the Bruins had missed the playoffs. On May 3, 2007, Kasper became the new head coach of the Maritime Junior A Hockey League (CJAHL) team, the Yarmouth Mariners. Kasper was fired as director of pro scouting for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday, April 12, 2015, the day after the team's last game of the season.[1]
Awards and achievements
- Frank J. Selke Trophy winner in 1982.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1977–78 | Verdun Éperviers | QMJHL | 63 | 26 | 45 | 71 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 1978–79 | Verdun Éperviers | QMJHL | 67 | 37 | 67 | 104 | 53 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 22 | ||
| 1979–80 | Verdun/Sorel Éperviers | QMJHL | 70 | 57 | 65 | 122 | 117 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980–81 | Sorel Éperviers | QMJHL | 2 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980–81 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 76 | 21 | 35 | 56 | 94 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1981–82 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 73 | 20 | 31 | 51 | 72 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 22 | ||
| 1982–83 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 24 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 24 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | ||
| 1983–84 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 27 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | ||
| 1984–85 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 77 | 16 | 24 | 40 | 33 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | ||
| 1985–86 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 80 | 17 | 23 | 40 | 73 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 1986–87 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 79 | 20 | 30 | 50 | 51 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1987–88 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 76 | 26 | 44 | 70 | 35 | 23 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 10 | ||
| 1988–89 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 49 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988–89 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 29 | 9 | 15 | 24 | 14 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 10 | ||
| 1989–90 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 77 | 17 | 28 | 45 | 27 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 1990–91 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 67 | 9 | 19 | 28 | 33 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 8 | ||
| 1991–92 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 16 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 21 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 47 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 821 | 177 | 291 | 468 | 554 | 94 | 20 | 28 | 48 | 82 | ||||
Coaching record
| Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | T | Pts | Finish | Result | ||
| BOS | 1995–96 | 82 | 40 | 31 | 11 | 91 | 2nd in Northeast | Lost in First Round |
| BOS | 1996–97 | 82 | 26 | 47 | 9 | 61 | 6th in Northeast | Missed Playoffs |
| Total | 164 | 66 | 78 | 20 | ||||
References
External links
- Career statistics and player information from NHL.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or Legends of Hockey, or The Internet Hockey Database
| Preceded by Bob Gainey |
Winner of the Frank J. Selke Trophy 1982 |
Succeeded by Bobby Clarke |
| Preceded by Mike O'Connell |
Head Coach of the Providence Bruins 1994–95 |
Succeeded by Bob Francis |
| Preceded by Brian Sutter |
Head coach of the Boston Bruins 1995–97 |
Succeeded by Pat Burns |