Alex McKendry

Alex McKendry (born November 21, 1956) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 46 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders and Calgary Flames as part of a seven-year career that was spent primarily in the Central Hockey League. He was a first round selection of the Islanders, taken 14th overall in the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft. He appeared in six playoff games in the Islanders' Stanley Cup championship season of 1979–80. McKendry's most significant time in the NHL came in 1980–81 when he appeared in 36 games for the Flames.

Alex McKendry
Born (1956-11-21) November 21, 1956
Midland, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position Winger
Shot Left
Played for New York Islanders
Calgary Flames
NHL Draft 14th overall, 1976
New York Islanders
WHA Draft 15th overall, 1976
Indianapolis Racers
Playing career 1976–1983

Playing career

McKendry, a native of Midland, Ontario, played three seasons of junior hockey for the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League (OMJHL).[1] His best with the Wolves was in 1975–76 when he ad 43 goals and 102 points in the regular season and added 12 points in 16 playoff games.[2] The Wolves reached the OMJHL championship series, where they were defeated by the Hamilton Fincups.[3] McKendry was voted to the league's third all-star team.[4]

The New York Islanders selected McKendry with their first round selection, 14th overall, at the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft.[5] Additionally, he was selected by the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association (WHA), 15th overall, in its 1976 Amateur Draft.[6] He chose the NHL over the WHA, and though he impressed team officials in his first training camp, the Islanders assigned McKendry to their Central Hockey League (CHL) affiliate, the Fort Worth Texans. He appeared in 65 games in Fort Worth, scoring 7 goals and 14 assists. He made his NHL debut in 1977–78, appearing in four games with the Islanders,[2] but spent the majority of the season in Fort Worth where the Texans won the Adams Cup as league champions.[7]

McKendry again spent most of the 1979–80 season in the CHL, as a member of the Indianapolis Checkers, where he was named a league all-star after scoring 40 goals and 77 points.[2] He was recalled by the Islanders during the 1980 Stanley Cup Playoffs following an injury to team star Mike Bossy. He scored the first two goals of his NHL career on April 12, 1980, against the Los Angeles Kings as part of a 6–0 victory that allowed the Islanders to win their preliminary round series.[8] He appeared in six playoff games, adding two assists to his two goals,[2] as the Islanders won their first Stanley Cup championship.[9]

The Calgary Flames acquired McKendry prior to the 1980–81 season, trading a third round selection in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft on October 9, 1980.[2] He enjoyed his most significant time in the NHL that season,[10] appearing in 36 games with Calgary, scoring 3 goals and 6 assists.[2] He was playing with the Flames' CHL affiliate, the Birmingham Bulls, when the team folded mid-season in February 1981 due to financial difficulty. He was assigned to the Fort Worth Texans for the remainder of the season.[11]

McKendry never returned to the NHL. He played two additional seasons in the Flames system – 1981–82 with the Oklahoma City Stars and 1982–83 with the Colorado Flames –[2] after which he retired as a player.[10]

Career statistics
    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1973–74 Sudbury Wolves OHA 61 4 8 12 173 4 0 1 1 0
1974–75 Sudbury Wolves OMJHL 57 19 34 53 181 15 5 8 13 29
1975–76 Sudbury Wolves OMJHL 65 43 59 102 121 16 4 8 12 15
1976–77 Fort Worth Texans CHL 65 7 14 21 80 6 0 2 2 4
1976–77 Muskegon Mohawks IHL 11 4 6 10 31 — — — — —
1977–78 Fort Worth Texans CHL 72 22 22 44 148 10 1 3 4 30
1977–78 New York Islanders NHL 4 0 0 0 2 — — — — —
1978–79 Fort Worth Texans CHL 59 12 26 38 202 5 0 2 2 4
1978–79 New York Islanders NHL 4 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
1979–80 Indianapolis Checkers CHL 76 40 37 77 64 4 2 4 6 7
1979–80 New York Islanders NHL 2 0 0 0 0 6 2 2 4 0
1980–81 Calgary Flames NHL 36 3 6 9 19 — — — — —
1980–81 Birmingham Bulls CHL 10 1 5 6 23 — — — — —
1980–81 Fort Worth Texans CHL 19 3 3 6 25 5 0 0 0 13
1981–82 Oklahoma City Stars CHL 80 27 59 86 163 4 1 1 2 9
1982–83 Colorado Flames CHL 72 25 42 67 44 5 0 2 2 4
NHL totals 43 3 6 9 21 6 2 2 4 0

References
  • Career statistics: "Alex McKendry player card". National Hockey League. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
  1. Ornest, Leo, ed. (1981). 1981–82 Calgary Flames Fact Book. Calgary Flames Hockey Club. p. 43.
  2. "Alex McKendry profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
  3. Bell, Aaron (ed.). 2009–10 OHL Media Guide. Ontario Hockey League. p. 117.
  4. Bell, Aaron (ed.). 2009–10 OHL Media Guide. Ontario Hockey League. p. 146.
  5. "1976 draft choices". New York Islanders Hockey Club. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
  6. "Alex McKendry statistics". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
  7. "1976 NHL draft pick – Alex McKendry". Hockey Draft Central. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
  8. "Islanders rout Kings, 6–0, and win series". New York Times. 1980-04-13. p. S5. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
  9. "New York Islanders, 1979–80". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
  10. Podnieks, Andrew (2003). Players: The ultimate A–Z guide of everyone who has ever played in the NHL. Toronto: Doubleday Canada. p. 567. ISBN 0-385-25999-9.
  11. "Bernhardt has pads, will travel". Calgary Herald. 1981-02-24. p. A19. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
Preceded by
Pat Price		 New York Islanders first round draft pick
1976		 Succeeded by
Mike Bossy
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