Max McNab

Max McNab was often called the nicest guy in all of professional hockey - a title he was quite deserving of.
However, despite being a promising prospect, Max never was able to make it to the big time, at least as a player.

A product of Watson, Saskatchewan, McNab was brought up in the Detroit Red Wings organization, and was being groomed as the heir apparant center to Sid Abel - the aging center on the famed Production Line with Ted Lindsay and Gordie Howe.

McNab was on his way to showing he was ready for the big time in 1947-48 when he led the entire USHL in goal scoring with 44 goals in the same amount of games. That same season he got his first audition in the NHL, scoring 2 goals and 2 assists in 12 games.

The following season Max was given most of the season to earn a big league job, but failed to impress. He scored 10 goals and 13 assists in 51 uninspiring games.  He played just well enough to continue to toil in a 4th line role in 1949-50, when he played in 65 games, but picked up just 4 goals and 4 assists.

McNab was demoted to the minors following that season, only to reappear as an emergency injury replacement in the 1951 playoffs. After a season with the Indianapolis Capitals of the AHL, his career looked to be all but over when a bulging disc in his back forced him to miss the entire 1951-52 season. McNab however recovered fully and resettled out west, playing in the Vancouver suburbs with New Westminister Royals from 1952 through 1959

After his playing days were over, McNab became a highly respected hockey executive. He helped to make San Diego a hot though small hockey hotbed. He briefly served as the president of the old Central Hockey League before retuning to the NHL as the expansion Washington Capitals as the general manager.