Former NHL All-Star named Director of Player Development

By Steve Silver

Wednesday, July 15, 2009 | 12:34 p.m.

One of the most decorated players in NHL history is now a member of the Las Vegas Wranglers' front office.

The Wranglers announced Wednesday that two-time NHL All-Star Keith Primeau will assist head coach and general manager Ryan Mougenel as the Director of Player Development. Primeau's duties will include player recruiting, scouting, and other administrative tasks.

“To have Keith as a part of our staff is very exciting for the new direction of our program,” Mougenel said in a press release. “Keith brings a ton of hockey knowledge to our organization and we are very fortunate to have him. His presence and leadership are going to be a huge asset and something I will rely on heavily during the season. To have this quality of a person for our program is extraordinary and I look forward to seeing his passion for player development match the intensity he brought on the ice in the NHL for 15 seasons.”

In those 15 NHL years, which were largely split between the Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers, Primeau amassed 266 goals, 353 assists and 1,541 penalty minutes in 909 regular season games. Primeau also skated in 128 playoff games as well as numerous international contest with Team Canada.

The Red Wings drafted the Toronto native third overall in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. Following a brief stint in the American Hockey League, Primeau spent six season with Detroit, one with the former Hartford Whalers, two with the Carolina Hurricanes before ending his career in Philadelphia.

Primeau retired in 2006 after multiple concussions forced him off the ice. He is perhaps best known for ending the longest game in NHL history with a goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the fifth overtime period of the 2000 Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Primeau's younger brother, Wayne, is still in the NHL with the Wranglers' affiliate Calgary Flames.

Keith and Wayne Primeau, along with Mougenel own and operate the Durham Hockey Institute together in Toronto. The three are also owners of the Whitby Fury, a member of the Ontario Junior Hockey League.