Kevin McCarthy was a defenseman from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Drafted 17th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1977, McCarthy was a top defenseman that was racking up record point totals for a defenseman in the WCHL. His statline in his draft season was quite impressive with 127-points in 72-games.
After his rookie season in Philadelphia, McCarthy was traded the following year to Vancouver in exchange for high-profile winger Dennis Ververgaert.
McCarthy’s tenure with Vancouver had a bumpy start after a season-ending injury was discovered after one game with Vancouver (bone chips in hip muscles).
Vancouver General Manager Jake Milford claimed that Philadelphia had deceived him in the trade for McCarthy, knowing that he was already injured. Philadelphia denied any knowledge of McCarthy’s hip condition at the time of the trade, but McCarthy said the Flyers had to know because he was having his hip taped before every game. Vancouver was unsuccessful in demanding compensation in the form of a draft pick.
McCarthy went on to have a solid tenure with the Canucks. He was voted as the team’s unsung hero in 1979-1980 & the team’s top defenseman in 1980-81. Further, he was named Team Captain for a short stint between 1980-1982. During that time, McCarthy also became the first defenseman in team history to qualify for the All-Star game in 1981.
While McCarthy was on the roster for the 1982 playoff-run to the Cup Final, he didn’t play a single game after breaking his ankle in a collision with a teammate at practice 2 days before Game 1 against Calgary.
McCarthy left the Canucks midway through the 1983-84 season when he was traded to Pittsburgh in exchange for a 3rd round pick (Mike Stevens—who went on to play 1-game for the Canucks)
At the time of leaving Vancouver McCarthy held the team record for all-time goals by a defenseman with 51. He is currently 44th all-time in team scoring.
Post-Career:
After retiring in 1987, he helped Hershey win the Calder Cup as an assistant in 1988. He went on to be the head coach of Hershey and later Springfield/New Haven until 1999.
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44. Kevin McCarthy — 352GP | 51G | 148A | 199P | 1979-1984
Kevin McCarthy was a defenseman from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Drafted 17th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1977, McCarthy was a top defenseman that was racking up record point totals for a defenseman in the WCHL. His statline in his draft season was quite impressive with 127-points in 72-games.
After his rookie season in Philadelphia, McCarthy was traded the following year to Vancouver in exchange for high-profile winger Dennis Ververgaert.
McCarthy’s tenure with Vancouver had a bumpy start after a season-ending injury was discovered after one game with Vancouver (bone chips in hip muscles).
Vancouver General Manager Jake Milford claimed that Philadelphia had deceived him in the trade for McCarthy, knowing that he was already injured. Philadelphia denied any knowledge of McCarthy’s hip condition at the time of the trade, but McCarthy said the Flyers had to know because he was having his hip taped before every game. Vancouver was unsuccessful in demanding compensation in the form of a draft pick.
McCarthy went on to have a solid tenure with the Canucks. He was voted as the team’s unsung hero in 1979-1980 & the team’s top defenseman in 1980-81. Further, he was named Team Captain for a short stint between 1980-1982. During that time, McCarthy also became the first defenseman in team history to qualify for the All-Star game in 1981.
While McCarthy was on the roster for the 1982 playoff-run to the Cup Final, he didn’t play a single game after breaking his ankle in a collision with a teammate at practice 2 days before Game 1 against Calgary.
McCarthy left the Canucks midway through the 1983-84 season when he was traded to Pittsburgh in exchange for a 3rd round pick (Mike Stevens—who went on to play 1-game for the Canucks)
At the time of leaving Vancouver McCarthy held the team record for all-time goals by a defenseman with 51. He is currently 44th all-time in team scoring.
Post-Career:
After retiring in 1987, he helped Hershey win the Calder Cup as an assistant in 1988. He went on to be the head coach of Hershey and later Springfield/New Haven until 1999.