Kevin Lowe

Kevin Hugh Lowe (born April 15, 1959 in Lachute, Quebec) is a former defenceman and coach in the National Hockey League and the current President of Hockey Operations of the Edmonton Oilers. As a defenceman, he played for the Edmonton Oilers and the New York Rangers.
==Background and early career==
Lowe played 3 seasons starting in 1976 with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL. He scored 42–131–173 in 201 games played, with 245 PIM. In the 1978–79 season, he was named the first English-speaking captain of a QMJHL team. He was drafted in the first round, 21st overall, of the 1979 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers.
==NHL playing career==
Lowe played 13 full seasons in his first stint with the Oilers, winning 5 Stanley Cups. He was team captain for the 1991–92 season.
The Oilers traded him to the New York Rangers, in December 1992 (Lowe was a restricted free-agent). There he helped other ex-Oilers Glenn Anderson, Jeff Beukeboom, Adam Graves, Craig MacTavish, Mark Messier, and Esa Tikkanen to win another Stanley Cup, bringing his personal total to 6. 
In 1996, he re-joined the Oilers as a free agent, and played another full season. He started the 1997–98 season with the Oilers as well, but only played 7 games due to illness - an inner-ear virus that affected his balance, thus ending his playing career.
In total, Lowe played in 1254 career regular season games, scoring 84–347–431 with 1498 penalty minutes. He added another 214 playoff games, scoring 10–48–58 and earning 192 penalty minutes.
==Post playing career==
Lowe joined the Oilers staff in 1998 as an assistant coach. In 1999, he took over head coaching duties from Ron Low. He was head coach for just a single season, getting the Oilers to the first round of the playoffs. He was promoted to general manager of the Oilers in 2000 when long-time GM Glen Sather left for the New York Rangers. He remained the Oilers' Executive Vice President and General Manager until the 2008-09 season when he was promoted to President of Hockey Operations.
Lowe has also been responsible for assisting Canadian national hockey teams. He was a member of the management team for the Canadian men's ice hockey team at the 2002 Winter Olympics that won the gold medal, and was also named a manager for the 2004 World Cup of Hockey team. In addition, he has managed Team Canada at World Hockey Championships.
In 2005, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League created the Kevin Lowe Trophy (Trophée Kevin Lowe), awarded annually to the player in the QMJHL judged to be the best defensive defenceman.
In the 2006 - 2007 NHL offseason Lowe offered contracts to restricted free agents Thomas Vanek, which was matched by the Buffalo Sabres, then to Anaheim forward Dustin Penner, which was signed. Brian Burke, GM of The Anaheim Ducks, has publicly blamed Lowe for an inflation in player salaries, though Lowe did not respond to these attacks until July 4, 2008.
==Notable achievements==
Lowe holds the Edmonton Oilers record for most regular season and playoff games played as an Oiler (1037 and 172). He was the team's first-ever NHL draft pick, and scored their first NHL goal (a power play goal against the Chicago Blackhawks assisted by Wayne Gretzky and Brett Callighen). During his professional hockey career, Lowe did not play a single game in the minor leagues, and his teams only once failed to make the playoffs.
Lowe was named an NHL all-star in 1984, 1985, 1986,
1988, 1989, 1990, and 1993. He also won the league's King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 1990.
In 1988, Lowe never missed any playoff games, despite nursing a broken wrist and wearing a full cast. On the night the Oilers won their fourth Championship, Wayne Gretzky informed the media that Lowe was also hiding broken ribs throughout the playoffs, adding, "That's what it takes to win a Stanley Cup."
==Awards & Achievements==
*1983–84 - NHL - Stanley Cup (Edmonton)
*1984–85 - NHL - Stanley Cup (Edmonton)
*1986–87 - NHL - Stanley Cup (Edmonton)
*1987–88 - NHL - Stanley Cup (Edmonton)
*1989–90 - NHL - Stanley Cup (Edmonton)
*1993-94 - NHL - Stanley Cup (New York Rangers)
== Career statistics ==
  	  	  	 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1976–77 	Quebec Remparts 	QMJHL 	 	69 	3 	19 	22 	39 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1977–78 	Quebec Remparts 	QMJHL 	 	64 	13 	52 	65 	86 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1978–79 	Quebec Remparts 	QMJHL 	 	68 	26 	60 	86 	120 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1979–80 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	64 	2 	19 	21 	70 	 	3 	0 	1 	1 	0
1980–81 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	79 	10 	24 	34 	94 	 	9 	0 	2 	2 	11
1981–82 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	80 	9 	31 	40 	63 	 	5 	0 	3 	3 	0
1982–83 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	80 	6 	34 	40 	43 	 	16 	1 	8 	9 	10
1983–84 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	80 	4 	42 	46 	59 	 	19 	3 	7 	10 	16
1984–85 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	80 	4 	22 	26 	104 	 	16 	0 	5 	5 	8
1985–86 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	74 	2 	16 	18 	90 	 	10 	1 	3 	4 	15
1986–87 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	77 	8 	29 	37 	94 	 	21 	2 	4 	6 	22
1987–88 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	70 	9 	15 	24 	89 	 	19 	0 	2 	2 	26
1988–89 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	76 	7 	18 	25 	98 	 	7 	1 	2 	3 	4
1989–90 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	78 	7 	26 	33 	140 	 	20 	0 	2 	2 	10
1990–91 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	73 	3 	13 	16 	113 	 	14 	1 	1 	2 	14
1991–92 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	55 	2 	8 	10 	107 	 	11 	0 	3 	3 	16
1992–93 	New York Rangers	NHL 	 	49 	3 	12 	15 	58 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1993–94 	New York Rangers	NHL 	 	71 	5 	14 	19 	70 	 	22 	1 	0 	1 	20
1994–95 	New York Rangers	NHL 	 	44 	1 	7 	8 	58 	 	10 	0 	1 	1 	12
1995–96 	New York Rangers	NHL 	 	53 	1 	5 	6 	76 	 	10 	0 	4 	4 	4
1996–97 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	64 	1 	13 	14 	50 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0
1997–98 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	7 	0 	0 	0 	0 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	4
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	1254 	84 	348 	432 	1498 	 	214 	10 	48 	58 	192
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==External links==
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Category:Born in 1959
Category:Canadian ice hockey coaches
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Edmonton Oilers coaches
Category:Edmonton Oilers draft picks
Category:Edmonton Oilers players
Category:King Clancy Memorial Trophy winners
Category:NHL All-Stars
Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:Quebec Remparts players
Category:Stanley Cup champions
Category:Order of Hockey in Canada recipients