Bryan Watson (ice hockey)

Bryan Watson
Born	(1942-11-14)November 14, 1942 Bancroft, Ontario, Canada
Died	Saint Michaels, Maryland, U.S.
Height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight	170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Right
Played for	Montreal Canadiens Detroit Red Wings Oakland Seals Pittsburgh Penguins St. Louis Blues Washington Capitals Cincinnati Stingers
Playing career	1963–1979

Bryan Joseph Watson (November 14, 1942 – July 8, 2021) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, Oakland Seals, Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues, and Washington Capitals from 1963 to 1979, and briefly in the World Hockey Association with the Cincinnati Stingers. He later served as head coach and an assistant coach of the Edmonton Oilers during the 1980–81 NHL season.

Early life

Watson was born in Bancroft, Ontario, on November 14, 1942. His father was employed by the county; his mother was a housewife.

Playing career

Montreal Canadiens (1963–65)

Watson began his junior hockey career with the Peterborough Petes under head coach Scotty Bowman. He became the Petes' team captain and was named the team's MVP in his final junior campaign. Watson signed a contract with the Montreal Canadiens and made his NHL debut in the 1963–64 NHL season. He played in 39 games in the regular season and six games in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Toronto Maple Leafs. In Watson's second year he appeared in only five games with Montreal and spent the bulk of the season with the AHL's Quebec Aces, where head coach Bernie Geoffrion paired the 21-year-old blueliner with 39-year-old veteran Doug Harvey.

Detroit Red Wings (1965–67)

The Canadiens traded Watson to the Chicago Black Hawks on June 8, 1965. The next day the Detroit Red Wings selected him in the intra-league draft. In 1965–66, his first year with the Red Wings, he played all 70 games in the regular season, during which he scored his first NHL goal and led the team in penalty minutes. He also appeared in all twelve playoff games for Detroit, scoring two goals - the only ones he ever racked up in post-season play - and helping the Red Wings advance to the Stanley Cup Finals against his former team the Montreal Canadiens. In 1966–67 Watson split his time between the Red Wings and the Memphis Wings, Detroit's farm team in the CPHL.

Montreal Canadiens (1967–68)

1967–68 was an eventful year for Watson as it marked his return, albeit briefly, to the team with whom he started his professional career. Watson was left unprotected by the Red Wings in that year's expansion draft and the Minnesota North Stars selected him as their fifteenth pick. That same day the North Stars traded Watson to Montreal for three young prospects, Bill Plager, Leo Thiffault and Barrie Meissner. Watson appeared in only a dozen games with the Canadiens in 1967–68, registering just one assist and nine penalty minutes. He played the rest of the season in the minors, first briefly for the Cleveland Barons in the AHL and then the bulk of the year with the Houston Apollos in the CPHL.

Oakland Seals and the Pittsburgh Penguins (1968–74)

On June 28, 1968, Watson was dealt by the Canadiens to the Oakland Seals for Tom Thurlby and a first round draft pick in 1972. After playing fifty games for the Seals in the 1968–69 season Watson was sent to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a trade involving six players. Watson spent most of the next six seasons with the Penguins. He had the best offensive season of his career in 1971–72, when he scored three goals and twenty points. He also led the Penguins in penalty minutes in three of his four full seasons with the club.

Detroit Red Wings (1974–76)

In 1973–74, after starting the season in Pittsburgh and a very brief 11 game stop with the St. Louis Blues, Watson found himself back in Detroit for the second time in his career. In 1975–76 he served a career high of 322 penalty minutes, second only to Steve Durbano with 370.

Washington Capitals (1976–79)

A few weeks into the 1976–77 regular season, Watson was traded to the Washington Capitals for Greg Joly. In three seasons with the Capitals, he played 155 games and served 294 minutes in penalties. During the 1978–79 regular season, Watson left the NHL to join the Cincinnati Stingers of the World Hockey Association, with whom he ended his playing career.

Coaching career

Watson was appointed head coach of the Edmonton Oilers in 1980, at the start of the franchise's second season in the NHL. However, the team posted a record of four wins, nine losses and five ties to start the season, and Watson was replaced by general manager Glen Sather. He kept on playing hockey in an over-40 league in Mount Vernon during the 1980s.

Personal life

Watson was married to Lindy Wilson for 53 years until his death. Together, they had two children: Stephen and Lisa. Watson and Lindy opened an Armand's pizza outlet in the Old Town section of Alexandria, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C. in 1983. Fifteen years later, he name changed to Bugsy's, his nickname during his playing years. Watson sold his interest in the business in 2013.

Watson died on July 8, 2021, at his home in St. Michaels, Maryland. He was 78, and suffered from pneumonia prior to his death.

Awards and achievements

• 1964-65 - Stanley Cup Champion - Montreal Canadiens
• 1967-68 - CPHL Most Valuable Player - Houston Apollos
• 1967-68 - CPHL Most Valuable Defenceman - Houston Apollos
• 1967-68 - CPHL First Team All-Star - Houston Apollos

Career statistics

Sources:

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1960–61	Peterborough Petes	OHA-Jr.		18	0	1	1	4		—	—	—	—	—
1961–62	Peterborough Petes	OHA-Jr.		50	3	16	19	129		—	—	—	—	—
1962–63	Peterborough Petes	OHA-Jr.		49	9	22	31	80		6	0	3	3	10
1962–63	Hull-Ottawa Canadiens	EPHL		—	—	—	—	—		3	1	1	2	0
1963–64	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		39	0	2	2	18		6	0	0	0	2
1963–64	Omaha Knights	CPHL		9	1	1	2	12		—	—	—	—	—
1964–65	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		5	0	1	1	7		—	—	—	—	—
1964–65	Quebec Aces	AHL		64	1	16	17	186		5	0	0	0	35
1965–66	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		70	2	7	9	133		12	2	0	2	30
1966–67	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		48	0	1	1	66		—	—	—	—	—
1966–67	Memphis Wings	CPHL		16	1	3	4	76		—	—	—	—	—
1967–68	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		12	0	1	1	9		—	—	—	—	—
1967–68	Cleveland Barons	AHL		12	2	4	6	22		—	—	—	—	—
1967–68	Houston Apollos	CPHL		50	2	37	39	293		—	—	—	—	—
1968–69	Oakland Seals	NHL		50	2	3	5	97		—	—	—	—	—
1968–69	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		18	0	4	4	35		—	—	—	—	—
1969–70	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		61	1	9	10	189		10	0	0	0	17
1969–70	Baltimore Clippers	AHL		5	1	2	3	8		—	—	—	—	—
1970–71	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		43	2	6	8	119		—	—	—	—	—
1971–72	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		75	3	17	20	212		4	0	0	0	21
1972–73	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		69	1	17	18	179		—	—	—	—	—
1973–74	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		38	1	4	5	137		—	—	—	—	—
1973–74	St. Louis Blues	NHL		11	0	1	1	19		—	—	—	—	—
1973–74	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		21	0	4	4	99		—	—	—	—	—
1974–75	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		70	1	13	14	238		—	—	—	—	—
1975–76	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		79	0	18	18	322		—	—	—	—	—
1976–77	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		14	0	1	1	39		—	—	—	—	—
1976–77	Washington Capitals	NHL		56	1	14	15	91		—	—	—	—	—
1977–78	Washington Capitals	NHL		79	3	11	14	167		—	—	—	—	—
1978–79	Washington Capitals	NHL		20	0	1	1	36		—	—	—	—	—
1978–79	Cincinnati Stingers	WHA		21	0	2	2	56		3	0	1	1	2
NHL totals				878	17	135	152	2212		32	2	0	2	70

Transactions

• Traded by the Montreal Canadiens to the Chicago Blackhawks for Don Johns, June 8, 1965.
• Claimed from the Chicago Blackhawks by the Detroit Red Wings in Intra-League Draft, June 9, 1965.
• Claimed from the Detroit Red Wings by the Minnesota North Stars in NHL Expansion Draft, June 6, 1967.
• Traded by the Minnesota North Stars to the Montreal Canadiens for Bill Plager, Leo Thiffault and Barrie Meissner, June 6, 1967.
• Traded by the Montreal Canadiens with cash to the Oakland Seals for a 1st round choice in the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft (Michel Larocque) and future considerations (Tom Thurlby), June 28, 1968.
• Traded by the Oakland Seals with George Swarbrick and Tracy Pratt to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Earl Ingarfield, Gene Ubriaco and Dick Mattiussi, January 30, 1969.
• Drafted by the Los Angeles Sharks in the 1972 WHA General Player Draft, February 12, 1972.
• Traded by the Pittsburgh Penguins with Greg Polis and a 2nd round choice in the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft (Bob Hess) to the St. Louis Blues for Steve Durbano, Ab DeMarco and Bob Kelly, January 17, 1974.
• Traded by the St. Louis Blues with Chris Evans and Jean Hamel to the Detroit Red Wings for Ted Harris, Bill Collins and Garnet Bailey, February 14, 1974.
• Traded by the Detroit Red Wings to the Washington Capitals for Greg Joly, November 30, 1976.
• Signed as a free agent by the Cincinnati Stingers, March 2, 1979.
• Claimed by the Edmonton Oilers in the WHA Dispersal Draft, June 9, 1979.

Coaching record

Team	Year	Regular season						Post season
		G	W	L	T	Pts	Finish	Result
EDM	1980-81	18	4	9	5	(13)	4th in Smythe

Source:

See also

• List of NHL players with 2000 career penalty minutes

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Legends of Hockey

Preceded by Art Stratton	CPHL Leading Scorer 1967–68	Succeeded by Jim Lorentz
Preceded by Art Stratton	CPHL Most Valuable Player Award 1967–68	Succeeded by Jim Lorentz
Preceded by Glen Sather	Head coach of the Edmonton Oilers 1980	Succeeded by Glen Sather