Brian Spencer

Brian Roy "Spinner" Spencer (September 3, 1949 – June 3, 1988) was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger. He played a career total of 10 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Career
Spencer was drafted 55th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft. On December 12, 1970, He was called up to play for the Leafs in what would be his first NHL game on television. Spencer phoned his father Roy in British Columbia to tell him to watch the game that night on Hockey Night in Canada. There was an interview with Spencer between periods of the game. However, in British Columbia, instead of the Toronto Maple Leafs/Chicago Black Hawks game being shown, CBC Television aired a game featuring the Vancouver Canucks versus the California Golden Seals instead. Roy was infuriated by this and drove 135 kilometres (84 mi) to Prince George, where the closest CBC Television station, CKPG-TV, is located. When he arrived there, he ordered station staff, at gunpoint, to broadcast the Maple Leafs/Black Hawks game instead. The station did put the game on, but as Roy left the station, he was confronted by the RCMP. After he had a short stand-off with the RCMP, Roy Spencer was shot and killed. He played 95 regular season games with the Maple Leafs and also spent time with their developmental team, the Tulsa Oilers.

On June 6, 1972, during the 1972 NHL Expansion Draft, Spencer was claimed by the New York Islanders from the Maple Leafs.

He would play 2 seasons with the Islanders before he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Doug Rombough on March 10, 1974. During his time with the Sabres, he had his best offensive production. He was able to record 12 goals and 29 assists in the 1974–75 season. He was a fan favourite in Buffalo, fans loved his hustle, aggressive play, and hitting ability.

On September 20, 1977, the Sabres traded Spencer to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Ron Schock. During his time with the Penguins, his offensive play declined drastically. His last seasons in the NHL came in 1978-79. He was sent down to the AHL to play for the Binghamton Dusters, Springfield Indians, and Hershey Bears and then he retired in 1980.

Death
After Spencer retired from hockey, he struggled with a life of drugs and violence. In 1987, he was charged murder and kidnapping and he faced the death penalty. Former Sabres teammate Rick Martin testified as a character witness at the trial. In March 1988, a not guilty verdict was returned by the jury and Spencer vowed to change his life around.

Even though he was acquitted, his life still continued to spiral out of control and on June 3, 1988, Spencer was shot and killed at gunpoint in a robbery following a crack cocaine purchase in Riviera Beach, Florida. Two men were charged in his murder. Larry Willie Johnson was sentenced to 40 years in prison and Leon Daniels was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

He was survived by five children from two marriages, and his twin brother, Byron. A book about Spencer's life called Gross Misconduct: The Life of Spinner Spencer, was written by Martin O'Malley. The book was later adapted into a made-for-television movie in Canada called Gross Misconduct by Atom Egoyan.

Career statistics

References

Other websites 

1949 births
1988 deaths
Buffalo Sabres players
Canadian ice hockey left wingers
Calgary Centennials players
Deaths by firearm in Florida
Estevan Bruins players
Ice hockey people from British Columbia
Murdered sportspeople
Murders by firearm in the United States
New York Islanders players
People acquitted of murder
Pittsburgh Penguins players
Regina Pats players
Swift Current Broncos players
Toronto Maple Leafs players
Unsolved murders in the United States
American Hockey League players
Binghamton Dusters players