Rick Meagher
Richard Meagher | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 2, 1953 Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Ice hockey player, scout |
| Years active | 1977–1991 |
| Known for | NHL player, Selke Trophy winner (1990) |
Richard Joseph Meagher (born November 2, 1953) is a retired Canadian ice hockey athlete who competed in close to 700 contests within the National Hockey League (NHL), representing the Montreal Canadiens, Hartford Whalers, New Jersey Devils, and St. Louis Blues. In 1990, while with the Blues, he was honored with the Selke Trophy. Following his playing career, he served as a scout for the St. Louis Blues.
Playing career
Meagher entered the sport undrafted and launched his career at Boston University, where he garnered numerous accolades, including selections to both First and Second All-Star teams and three NCAA East All-American distinctions.
During the 1977–78 campaign, Meagher signed as a free agent with the Montreal Canadiens, though he spent the majority of three seasons playing with their AHL affiliate, the Nova Scotia Voyageurs. His NHL debut came in the 1979–80 season, featuring in two games.
In the 1980–81 season, Meagher was traded to the Hartford Whalers, where he tallied 17 points across 27 NHL appearances but also spent substantial time with their AHL squad, the Binghamton Whalers. By 1981–82, he secured a permanent spot on Hartford’s NHL roster, achieving 24 goals while centering a line alongside Don Nachbaur and Warren Miller. Early in the 1982–83 season, after four matches with Hartford, Meagher was traded to the New Jersey Devils. He remained with New Jersey for three seasons before transferring to the St. Louis Blues during the 1984–85 season.
Meagher’s peak performance years were with St. Louis, where he played in tandem with star player Bernie Federko. Renowned as a proficient two-way forward and an exceptional penalty killer, he captained the Blues during the 1989–90 season—the same year he received the Selke Trophy as the league’s premier defensive forward. His playing career concluded following the 1990–91 due to injury-related issues.
Awards and honors
- Metro OHA-B Rookie of the Year, 1972
- Recipient of the Frank J. Selke Trophy, 1990
Career statistics
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1973–74 | Boston University Terriers | ECAC | 30 | 19 | 21 | 40 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | Boston University Terriers | ECAC | 32 | 25 | 28 | 53 | 80 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | Boston University Terriers | ECAC | 28 | 12 | 25 | 37 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | Boston University Terriers | ECAC | 34 | 34 | 46 | 80 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | Nova Scotia Voyageurs | AHL | 57 | 20 | 27 | 47 | 33 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 11 | ||
| 1978–79 | Nova Scotia Voyageurs | AHL | 79 | 35 | 46 | 81 | 57 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 11 | ||
| 1979–80 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | ||||