Bryan McCabe - Playing Career

Playing Career

McCabe began playing junior hockey with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 1991–92. After one and a half seasons in Medicine Hat, he was traded to the Spokane Chiefs. He completed the 1992–93 season with 60 points in 60 games split between the Tigers and Chiefs. That summer, he was drafted in the second round, 40th overall, by the New York Islanders in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft.

Upon being drafted, he returned to the Chiefs in 1993–94 and put up a junior career high 84 points in 64 games. In McCabe's fourth and final year of junior, he was sent to the Brandon Wheat Kings for the remaining 20 games of the 1994–95 season. He put up a total of 69 points in 62 games as was chosen as a First-Team WHL All-Star.

In 1995–96, McCabe began his NHL career with the Islanders. He recorded 23 points in his rookie season before being traded midway through his third year in New York with Todd Bertuzzi and a third round draft pick in 1998 (Jarkko Ruutu) to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Trevor Linden. He played one and a half seasons with the Canucks before being shipped to the Chicago Blackhawks on draft day in a bid by Brian Burke to draft Daniel and Henrik Sedin second and third overall, respectively. McCabe was packaged with Vancouver's first round draft pick in 2000 in exchange for Chicago's first round draft pick in 1999.

After a 6-goal, 25-point campaign with the Blackhawks in 1999–2000, McCabe was traded once again, on October 2, 2000, to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Alexander Karpovtsev and a fourth round draft choice (Vladimir Gusev) in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

McCabe found his stride in Toronto and built on a 17-goal, 43-point breakout season in 2001–02, with 53 points two seasons later, culminating in a fourth place finish in Norris Trophy voting Second Team All-Star honours.

As NHL play was suspended due to the 2004–05 lockout, he signed with HV71 of the Swedish Elitserien. McCabe struggled with HV71 and exercised an escape clause in his contract before a game against Södertälje SK where he was scheduled to be a healthy scratch. He had one goal, no assists, 30 penalty minutes, and a -12 rating over ten games.

When NHL play resumed the following season, McCabe emerged with a career high 19 goals, 49 assists and 68 points in 73 games with the Maple Leafs. He finished the season third overall in points among defencemen, behind Nicklas Lidström and Sergei Zubov. Near the beginning of the season, McCabe was recognized as the NHL's Offensive Player of the Week for the week of November 13–19, 2005, and was later named as a reserve on Team Canada's 2006 Olympic team in Turin.

Following McCabe's career year, McCabe and the Leafs signed a five-year deal worth $28.75 million on June 28, 2006 with a no-movement clause. He put up 57 points in 82 games the following season.

On October 15, 2007, McCabe scored in his own net during the dying seconds of overtime while playing the Buffalo Sabres. The goal was credited to Paul Gaustad.

In 2007–08, McCabe was the focus of numerous trade rumours, but he refused to waive his no-trade clause. Numerous media outlets reported that he would waive it once the Leafs paid him a $2 million signing bonus due on September 1, 2008. As such, McCabe was traded to the Florida Panthers on September 2, the day after receiving his bonus. He was sent with a fourth round draft pick in 2010 in exchange for defenceman Mike Van Ryn.

On September 23, 2009, McCabe was named the team captain of the Florida Panthers. On November 6, 2009, McCabe played in his 1000th game in the NHL.

On February 26, 2011, McCabe was traded to the New York Rangers for forward Tim Kennedy and a 3rd round draft pick.

On February 15, 2012, McCabe announced his retirement from the NHL.