Andy Moog

**Andy Moog** (born Donald Andrew Moog on February 18, 1960 in Penticton, British Columbia, Canada) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the NHL for the Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars and the Montreal Canadiens.

Moog was drafted by the Oilers 132nd overall in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft.

## Playing Career

### Early Playing Career

After playing minor hockey in Penticton, Andy advanced to the junior ranks, first in the B.C. Junior Hockey League, and then on to the Billings Bighorns of the Western Hockey League where he was named a WHL all star in 1979–80.

His talents caught the eye of the NHL's Edmonton Oilers, who made Moog their sixth pick (132nd overall) in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft.

### Professional

Andy was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in 1980 and spent most of the season in the minors until injuries to goaltenders Ron Low and Eddie Mio forced him into action late in the season. That year, he was spectacular in a three-game first round sweep of the Montreal Canadiens.

The following year, he was expected to share goaltending duties with Low, but then a 19-year-old Grant Fuhr surprisingly made the team straight out of training camp. He was once again relegated to the minors, appearing in only 8 NHL games that season.

In 1982–83, Oilers general manager and coach Glen Sather decided to go with the young duo of Moog and Fuhr and traded Low. Andy was given the starting job in the playoffs, and helped lead the Oilers to their first Stanley Cup Finals, though they were swept by the New York Islanders, who captured their fourth straight Stanley Cup. T

The next year, Sather chose to go with Fuhr in the 1984 playoffs. Fuhr was injured in the third game of the Stanley Cup Finals in a rematch against the Islanders. Andy stepped in and led the Oilers to a series win. Fuhr continued to be the number one goalie for the subsequent seasons.

After demanding a trade, he walked out on the Oilers in 1987 to play for Team Canada at the Calgary Winter Olympics where he and Sean Burke played four games each, with Canada finishing fourth.

Glen Sather offered to trade Andy to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Steve Guenette and a first round draft pick, but Penguins owner Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr. told his general manager, Eddie Johnston that he could not trade a first round draft pick.

At the trading deadline of the 1987–88 season, Andy was traded to the Boston Bruins for Bill Ranford shortly after the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. The Bruins implemented a goalie tandem, with Moog and Reggie Lemelin sharing starting duties.

Lemelin was in goal for most of the action during the team's run to the Stanley Cup Final in 1988, as Boston was swept by the Oilers in four games (Edmonton's fourth Cup title in five years). He was in goal for the series' final game.

Despite Lemelin initially starting in net during the 1990 playoffs, after the Bruins had won the Presidents' Trophy for having the best regular season record in the NHL, Andy eventually took over the starting position. After a few games and performing heroics, his team went all of the way to the Stanley Cup Final.

A Stanley Cup highlight was during the first round against the Hartford Whalers. With Hartford leading two games to one and leading in game four by a 5–2 score entering the third period, Andy replaced Lemelin in goal and shut out the Whalers for the remainder of the game.

The Bruins rallied for a comeback by scoring four goals in the third period. In the Stanley Cup Finals, the Bruins lost in five games to Moog's old team, Edmonton, who were backstopped by Ranford.

In both the 1991 and 1992 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Bruins defeated the Canadiens in the second round to make it to the Prince of Wales Conference Finals.

Andy soon gained a reputation as the Bruins' biggest "Hab-killer" shutting out the Canadiens as part of a sweep in the 1992 postseason; however, the Bruins lost both series to the Pittsburgh Penguins who were led by Mario Lemieux.

In 1991, Boston took the first two games of the series, but Pittsburgh went on to win the next four games and the series, followed by a win of the Stanley Cup. Again in 1992, Boston was no match for Pittsburgh and was swept in four games during the Conference Finals.

In the 1992–93 season, Andy did not start well, partly due to a poor relationship with head coach Brian Sutter and partly because of the death of his father in January 1993. After the rough start, things improved and Moog backstopped his team to the Adams Division title and the second-best record overall, behind Pittsburgh. He finished the season strong and was runner-up for the William Jennings Trophy.

However, the 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs were a disaster. Boston was unexpectedly swept by the Buffalo Sabres, three of the four losses coming in overtime. In the final game of the series Moog gave up the overtime goal to the Sabres' Brad May.

As of 2019, Andy ranks third on the Bruins' list of playoff wins by a goaltender with 36, behind Tuukka Rask at 50 and Gerry Cheevers who has 53.

During the middle and latter years of his career, he served as vice-president of the National Hockey League Players Association; this position made him a spokesman for the players, both during the 1992 NHL players strike and the 1994-95 NHL lockout.

Andy was traded to the Minnesota North Stars, who relocated to Dallas, Texas as the Dallas Stars for the 1993–94 season. He led them to a winning record to return the Stars to the playoffs, where they reached the second round.

In the 1996–97 NHL season, Andy helped Dallas to the Central Division title, but they were upset in the first round in seven games by the underdog Edmonton Oilers. During his time with the Stars, he often shared the workload of regular season games with Darcy Wakaluk and later Arturs Irbe.

With the Stars bringing in Ed Belfour, Andy signed as a free agent with the Montreal Canadiens for the 1997–98 NHL season. While he had helped eliminate Montreal from the playoffs four times (once with the Oilers and three times with the Bruins), he led the Habs to their first playoff series win since 1993.

In the summer of 1998, Andy was offered a contract to play for the Vancouver Canucks, but he chose to retire and instead became the team's goaltending coach.

## Post-Playing Career

On August 19, 2005, Team Canada appointed Andy as a goaltending consultant for the 2006 Winter Olympics team.

On September 12, 2009, he was named assistant coach of the Dallas Stars. His contract expired July 1, 2010 and was not offered an extension.

Currently, Andy works as an on-air analyst for Fox Sports Southwest during Dallas Stars games.

## Accolades

* 1983–84: Stanley Cup (Edmonton)
* 1984–85: Stanley Cup (Edmonton)
* 1986–87: Stanley Cup (Edmonton)

## Personal Life

Andy is the son of Don and Shirley Moog; Don was an amateur goaltender who played for the Penticton Vees when they won the 1955 IIHF World Ice Hockey Championship.

In the early 1990s, he helped fund Moog & Friends Hospice in Penticton, British Columbia, Canada.