Mike Blaisdell Mike Walter Blaisdell ( born January 18 , 1960 in Moose Jaw , Saskatchewan , Canada ) is a retired professional right winger who played in the NHL and later in the BHL . He was selected 1st ( 11th overall ) in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings . Blaisdell most recently was the head coach of the 2003 – 04 British Elite Ice Hockey League Champions , the Sheffield Steelers . Professional career . Minor league hockey and college . Blaisdell joined the Regina Pats of the WCHL ( renamed the WHL the following season ) for the end of the regular season and throughout the playoffs . In the final six games of the season , Blaisdell knocked in 5 goals with 5 assists to end the regular season with 10 points and a 1 . 66 points per game average . He continued to help add points in the playoffs , but the Pats didn ' t make it past the semi - finals . The following season , Blaisdell joined the University of Wisconsin - Madison hockey team before returning to the Pats for the 1979 – 80 WHL season where the Pats finished first in the league but faltered in the playoffs . The NHL comes calling . In the 1980 NHL Entry Draft the Detroit Red Wings decided to pick Blaisdell with their 11th overall pick . They placed him in their farm team the Adirondack Red Wings of the AHL and instantly saw his potential . After just 41 games , Blaisdell was called up to play for the Red Wings full time . In the 1981 – 82 season , Blaisdell really started to feel comfortable in the league and formed a solid unit with Mark Kirton and Paul Woods . He scored 23 goals and ended with 55 points that season as the Red Wings once again failed to reach the playoffs . He continued to chip in goals for the Red Wings and on June 13 , 1983 was involved in a large trade to the New York Rangers with Willie Huber and Mark Osborne for Ron Duguay , Eddie Mio and Eddie Johnstone . Most of Blaisdell ' s time with the Rangers was spent in and out of their farm teams ; the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League and the New Haven Nighthawks of the AHL . After failing to find a role in the organization , he was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 7 , 1985 . He scored 15 goals and played some his best two - way hockey during the 1985 – 86 season but his playing time decreased the next year while splitting time with Pittsburgh ' s farm team the Baltimore Skipjacks . After that season , Blaisdell was signed as a free agent by the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 10 , 1987 and only played in 27 games for the Leafs for the following two years which would be his last in the National Hockey League . International play . Blaisdell decided this time would be better spent on the Canadian National Team during the 1990 – 91 season . Part - way through , he changed his mind and decided to see what else was out there . He joined the roster of Schwenninger ERC in West Germany ' s Bundesliga for three games and then the Albany Choppers of the IHL before heading across the pond joining the Durham Wasps of the British Hockey League where he instantly became a fans favourite . There he went on to score a record - breaking 74 goals in 1991 – 92 leading the Wasps to the second of their back - to - back championships . Blaisdell added 41 points the following season before deciding to try his hand at coaching with the Nottingham Panthers . After coaching for half the year , Blaisdell felt he still offered more when he was on the ice and decided to return to doing what he knew best ; scoring goals . In the 1995 – 96 season , Blaisdell scored 35 goals to finish with 81 points on the season . Blaisdell slowly drew away from the league ( by then called the Ice Hockey Superleague ) , but would continue to play in a few games here and there until 2001 when he played his last four games for the Sheffield Steelers before retiring . Blaisdell is arguably one of the greatest ice hockey players to have ever played in Great Britain , with few players ever since , coming close to matching his 343 NHL games and 154 NHL points . Coach Blaisdell . Blaisdell again returned to coaching in the 2001 – 02 season with the team he last stepped on the ice for , the Sheffield Steelers . He slowly learned what it took to coach a professional team over the next three years and finished the 2003 – 04 season with a record of 44 – 8 – 3 and a 0 . 821 win percentage . He lead the Steelers to the league ' s best record and won the League Championship before retiring from hockey .