It is with a heavy heart that Hockey Canada acknowledges the passing of Brad McCrimmon, who lost his life in Wednesday’s tragic plane crash in Russia. McCrimmon represented Canada on three occasions – twice as a player and once as an assistant coach.

A native of Plenty, Sask., McCrimmon made his Team Canada debut as part of the all-star team assembled for the 1978 IIHF World Junior Championship in Montreal, the first World Juniors held in Canada. He contributed a pair of assists in six games as Canada claimed the bronze medal.

One year later he returned to the World Juniors, added to the roster of the 1978 Memorial Cup champion New Westminster Bruins, and had a goal and two assists in five games as Canada finished fifth in Karlstad, Sweden.

After an 18-year NHL career that included 1,222 games, stops with Boston, Philadelphia, Calgary, Detroit, Hartford and Phoenix, and a Stanley Cup with the Flames in 1989, McCrimmon turned to coaching, spending two seasons as head coach of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades and 11 years as an NHL assistant with the Islanders, Flames, Thrashers and Red Wings.

He was an assistant coach with Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team at the 2003 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, helping Canada to its first-ever gold medal at the world championship.

McCrimmon was hired as head coach of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in May of this year, and was set to begin his first season behind the team’s bench.

Hockey Canada extends its sincere condolences to the family of Brad McCrimmon, as well as to all those affected by Wednesday’s tragedy.