Rob Ramage
Robert George " Rob" Ramage ( born January 11, 1959 in Byron, Ontario ) is a retired Canadian ice hockey player (defender), who from 1978 to 1994 for the Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Minnesota North Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers played in the National Hockey League, as well as for the Birmingham Bulls in the World Hockey Association.
Career
In the junior team the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey Association Rob stood out both for its rugged style of play and for its offensive capabilities. The team were also other future NHL greats like Dino Ciccarelli, Pat Riggin and Brad Marsh.
After the World Hockey Association had lowered the age limit, lured him quick money and he spent his last year before he was drafted to the NHL, with the Birmingham Bulls of the WHA. The WHA was financially chipped in their 1978/79 season so you do not put more on expensive stars, but on young talented players. With Ramage played in Birmingham and future NHL stars like Rick Vaive, Michel Goulet, Craig Hartsburg and his team-mate from London, Pat Riggin. Ramage played a regular season and was selected as the Colorado Rockies NHL Entry Draft in 1979 as "First Overall Draft Pick ."
In Colorado, the team in transition and the expectations that you put in the young defender had were huge. Ramage was no match for this situation. After three seasons, he asked for a change. The team moved to New Jersey and was ready to let him go for a draft law in the first round. The St. Louis Blues were willing to pay that price and gave a draft law, which the New Jersey Devils later John MacLean brought, from.
The Blues Barclay Plager to coach personally took care of the development of the still unpolished Ramage and this he succeeded successfully. The defender has developed into a specialist in the shorthanded game and was the major player in the defense, which had originally promised in Colorado.
At the end of the 1987/88 season, the opportunity for the Blues Brett Hull from Calgary offered to pick up and Ramage was together with Rick Wamsley the price you had to pay. In the Calgary Flames it was already heavily occupied with players like Al MacInnis and Gary Suter on the blue line, and he had to be classified as in the existing hierarchy. As a reward, he won in the 1988/89 season the Stanley Cup.
The following years were marked by numerous changes. After two seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs him not protect them when NHL Expansion Draft 1991., The Minnesota North Stars to take the opportunity and brought him to her. Even a year later, it was the next expansion draft, which brought him to the Tampa Bay Lightning. There he not even finished his first season and was released in March to the Montreal Canadiens, with whom he won his second Stanley Cup in June. After six games in the coming season with the Canadiens went on his trip to the Philadelphia Flyers. After 16 games with the Flyers, he finished his career.
As a television commentator, he later worked again for St. Louis.
On 15 December 2003 he was involved in a fateful traffic accident in which Keith Magnuson, former captain and coach of the Chicago Blackhawks, was killed. As a driver he had in September 2007, five counts of standing trial. A few weeks later, in October 2007, Ramage was found guilty on all counts.
Statistics
Sporting successes
- Silver medal at the World Youth Championship: 1977
- Bronze medal at the World Youth Championship: 1978
- Stanley Cup: 1989, 1993
Personal Awards
- Max Kaminsky Trophy: 1978 (together with Brad Marsh )
- OHA First All -Star Team: 1978
- WHA First All -Star Team: 1979
- NHL All-Star Game: 1981, 1984, 1986 and 1988