Jamie Mc Lennan - Playing Career

Playing Career

Following a productive season with the Western Hockey League's Lethbridge Hurricanes in which McLennan backstopped the Hurricanes to the WHL Finals, he was drafted in the 3rd round, 48th overall by the New York Islanders in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft.

After a two and a half-year stint playing for the Islanders' minor league affiliates in the American, International and East Coast Hockey Leagues, McLennan backed-up veteran Ron Hextall in the 1993–94 season, posting a winning record. He spent the following two seasons with the Islanders organization, alternating between the NHL club and the Islanders' IHL affiliate.

The St. Louis Blues signed him to a contract on July 15. After a relatively quick recovery he spent the following season in the AHL. He returned to the NHL as the Blues' back-up goaltender for the 1997–98 NHL season. That year he played 30 games, posting 16 wins, two shutouts and a 2.17 goals against average. He was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL player who best displays perseverance and dedication to hockey.

He was picked off the Blues' roster by the Minnesota Wild in the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft. After a season playing for the expansion Wild, he played the following season in the AHL.

The Calgary Flames acquired him in a trade at the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, where he again played the role of NHL backup, achieving two wins in 17 decisions. Despite his 2–11–4 record, he remained with the team as Roman Turek's backup. When Turek became injured in the 2003–04 season, McLennan was thrust into the starting role. He played well, but as the season wore, Miikka Kiprusoff, who had been acquired earlier in the season by the Flames, had taken over the starting job. Turek returned, and McLennan was traded to the New York Rangers in March 2004.

Following the season he was signed to a contract by the Florida Panthers. During the cancelled 2004–05 NHL season he played for the British National League's Guildford Flames.

He was brought back to the Flames in 2006, once again as backup to Miikka Kiprusoff. On April 21, 2007, in a playoff game against the Detroit Red Wings, McLennan came in the game to relieve Kiprusoff, who had given up five goals. He was in the game for a total of 18 seconds before he slashed Red Wings forward Johan Franzén twice in the leg. He was due to be assessed a minor penalty, but shortly after play was stopped, he violently slashed Franzén in the stomach and was ejected from the game. McLennan was suspended five games for the incident and the Flames lost Game 6 the next day. Coach Jim Playfair and the Flames organization were also heavily fined, in part because the NHL made actions late in games that were out of hand a particular point of emphasis. The incident was thought to be out of character for McLennan; as mentioned above he had won the Masterton Trophy in 1998.

The following season, Jamie had a five week stint in Russia with Metallurg Magnitogorsk before returning to Canada. On November 21, 2007, McLennan signed with the Nippon Paper Cranes of Asia League Ice Hockey. McLennan announced his retirement at the end of the 2007–08 season.