James Patrick (ice hockey)
James Alan Patrick ( born June 14, 1963 in Winnipeg, Manitoba ) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach, who in his active period from 1980 to 2006 include for the New York Rangers, Hartford Whalers, Calgary Flames and Buffalo Sabres National Hockey League as well as the Frankfurt Lions played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.
Career
James Patrick comes from an athletic family. His father was 13 years professional football with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League. When James Patrick himself played during his junior time he for the Prince Albert Raiders of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League with Dave Tippett. 1981 the team won the Manitoba Centennial Trophy. From there they exchanged at the University of North Dakota. With their hockey team, the Sioux, they won the title of National Collegiate Athletic Association. Next to them were with Troy Murray, Craig Ludwig, Gord Sherven and Darren Jensen few other future NHL players in the squad. Even before the time at the University, the New York Rangers had the NHL Entry Draft in 1981 secured the rights to him. They chose him in the first round of the ninth.
The 1983/84 season he spent with the Canadian national hockey team and preparing for the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo before. However, the team narrowly missed the bronze medal with fourth place.
Right after the Olympics, he joined the squad the New York Rangers and still denied twelve games for the Rangers. In his eleven seasons with the Rangers, he became one of the most solid defenders in the NHL. In 1987 he represented his home country of Canada in both the Canada Cup and at the World Championships. Between 1984 and 1986, his brother Steve was in the squad of Rangers.
In November 1993, he joined together with Darren Turcotte to the Hartford Whalers, who sent, among others, Steve Larmer to New York in return. He also missed winning the Stanley Cup, the Rangers picked at end of season. As early as the 1994/95 season he joined its team. For Michael Nylander, Zarley Zalapski and sent him to the Calgary Flames three players, including Gary Suter, to Hartford. In the Flames he remained for five years, of which he had largely sidelined by a serious knee injury the 1996/97 season. For the 1998/99 season joined as a free agent with the Buffalo Sabres. After six seasons in Buffalo he declared his resignation on 8 September 2005 and joined the coaching staff of the Sabres.
For the 2005/ 06 season he decided soon after, but then again for his return to the ice. He moved to Germany for the Frankfurt Lions. After a year in Germany, he returned as an assistant coach with the Buffalo Sabres. He held until the end of season 2012/13 this position.