Steve Kasper
Encyclopedia
Stephen Neil "The Friendly Ghost, The Shadow" Kasper (born September 28, 1961) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey
forward
who played his entire 13 season playing career in the National Hockey League
(NHL) with the Boston Bruins
, Los Angeles Kings
, Philadelphia Flyers
and Tampa Bay Lightning
. Kasper won the Frank J. Selke Trophy
as top defensive forward during his second season in the NHL. He moved into coaching following his playing career, serving as the Bruins head coach during the 1995-96 and 1996–97 seasons.
. He topped the 100 point mark twice and was chosen 81st overall by the Boston Bruins
in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft
. Kasper showed some potential during training camp and he earned a spot on the roster, playing a total of 76 games and scoring 51 points. He emerged as one of the best checking centres of the game and was subsequently awarded the Frank J. Selke Trophy
in 1981-82
. Kaper helped the Bruins reach the semi-finals in 1982-83
. In 1987-88
, Kasper and the Bruins made it deep into the playoffs reaching the Stanley Cup Finals
where they were defeated by the Edmonton Oilers
. Despite topping the 20 goal mark four times in his time in Boston, Kaper was traded to the Los Angeles Kings
for Bobby Carpenter
in 1988-89
. Kasper enjoyed some success with the Kings playing with the likes of Wayne Gretzky
and Bernie Nicholls
before being traded to the Philadelphia Flyers
in 1991-92
. He played two seasons in Philadelphia before being traded again to the Tampa Bay Lightning
. Kasper played in 47 games with the Bolts before retiring.
as an assistant coach to Brian Sutter
. On July 22, 1994, he was named the head coach of the Providence Bruins
of the American Hockey League
. He led the Bruins to the second round of the playoffs before being eliminated from contention. Kasper then again returned to Boston in 1995-96
to replace Sutter as head coach. He led the Bruins to a 91 point season. After a first round exit to the Florida Panthers
and a disappointing 26 wins in the 1996-97 season, Kasper was fired and replaced by Pat Burns
. This marked the first time in 28 years the Bruins had missed the playoffs. On May 3, 2007, Kasper became the new Head Coach of the Maritime Junior A Hockey League
(CJAHL) team, the Yarmouth Mariners
.
Kasper is currently a scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
forward
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
who played his entire 13 season playing career in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) with the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
. Kasper won the Frank J. Selke Trophy
Frank J. Selke Trophy
The Frank J. Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association following the regular season. It has been awarded 33 times to...
as top defensive forward during his second season in the NHL. He moved into coaching following his playing career, serving as the Bruins head coach during the 1995-96 and 1996–97 seasons.
Playing career
Kasper began his hockey career with the Verdun Eperviers and the Sorel Black Hawks in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey LeagueQuebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
. He topped the 100 point mark twice and was chosen 81st overall by the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft
1980 NHL Entry Draft
The 1980 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum. This was the first time that an NHL arena hosted the draft. The National Hockey League teams selected 210 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1979–80 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the...
. Kasper showed some potential during training camp and he earned a spot on the roster, playing a total of 76 games and scoring 51 points. He emerged as one of the best checking centres of the game and was subsequently awarded the Frank J. Selke Trophy
Frank J. Selke Trophy
The Frank J. Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association following the regular season. It has been awarded 33 times to...
in 1981-82
1981-82 NHL season
The 1981–82 NHL season was the 65th season of the National Hockey League. The William M. Jennings Trophy made its debut this year as the trophy for the goaltenders from the team with the fewest goals against...
. Kaper helped the Bruins reach the semi-finals in 1982-83
1982-83 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:Source: NHL.-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = PointsSource: NHL.-Leading goaltenders:...
. In 1987-88
1987-88 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring Leaders:Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes, PPG = Powerplay Goals, SHG = Shorthanded Goals, GWG = Game Winning Goals-Leading goaltenders:...
, Kasper and the Bruins made it deep into the playoffs reaching the Stanley Cup Finals
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...
where they were defeated by the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
. Despite topping the 20 goal mark four times in his time in Boston, Kaper was traded to the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
for Bobby Carpenter
Bobby Carpenter
Bobby, or Bob Carpenter may refer to:*Bobby Carpenter , Former NHL hockey player*Bobby Carpenter , American football linebacker*Bob Carpenter *Bob Carpenter...
in 1988-89
1988-89 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring Leaders:Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes, PPG = Powerplay Goals, SHG = Shorthanded Goals, GWG = Game Winning Goals-Leading goaltenders:...
. Kasper enjoyed some success with the Kings playing with the likes of Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
and Bernie Nicholls
Bernie Nicholls
Bernard Irvine Nicholls is a former professional ice hockey centre. His junior career was spent with the Kingston Canadians, where he established himself as a dynamic scorer and a multi-faceted talent. He was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the fourth round of the 1980 NHL Entry Draft, 73rd...
before being traded to the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in 1991-92
1991-92 NHL season
The 1991–92 NHL season was the 75th regular season of the National Hockey League. The Pittsburgh Penguins repeated as Stanley Cup champions, winning a best of seven series four games to none against the Chicago Blackhawks.-League business:...
. He played two seasons in Philadelphia before being traded again to the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
. Kasper played in 47 games with the Bolts before retiring.
Coaching career
Kasper returned to BostonBoston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
as an assistant coach to Brian Sutter
Brian Sutter
Brian Louis Allen Sutter is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward and former head coach in the National Hockey League . Brian is the second oldest of the famous Sutter brothers, six of whom have played in the NHL, and is the only one to have his number retired by an NHL team.-Player: Sutter was...
. On July 22, 1994, he was named the head coach of the Providence Bruins
Providence Bruins
The Providence Bruins are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are the primary development team for the NHL's Boston Bruins. They play in Providence, Rhode Island at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.-History:...
of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
. He led the Bruins to the second round of the playoffs before being eliminated from contention. Kasper then again returned to Boston in 1995-96
1995-96 NHL season
The 1995–96 NHL season was the 79th regular season of the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup winners were the Colorado Avalanche, who, in their first year as the Avalanche, swept the Florida Panthers in four games.-League business:...
to replace Sutter as head coach. He led the Bruins to a 91 point season. After a first round exit to the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
and a disappointing 26 wins in the 1996-97 season, Kasper was fired and replaced by Pat Burns
Pat Burns
Patrick Burns was a National Hockey League head coach. Over 14 seasons between 1988 and 2004, he coached in 1,019 games with the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, and New Jersey Devils...
. This marked the first time in 28 years the Bruins had missed the playoffs. On May 3, 2007, Kasper became the new Head Coach of the Maritime Junior A Hockey League
Maritime Junior A Hockey League
The Maritime Junior Hockey League is a Junior A ice hockey league under Hockey Canada, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. It consists of four teams from New Brunswick and one team from Prince Edward Island, which make up the Roger Meek Division, and six teams from Nova Scotia which make...
(CJAHL) team, the Yarmouth Mariners
Yarmouth Mariners
The Yarmouth Mariners are a Junior "A" team based out of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. They play in the Maritime Junior Hockey League. All home games are played out of the 1750 seat Mariners Centre. The season usually runs from mid-September to early March every year.-History:It may surprise some to know...
.
Kasper is currently a scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1977–78 1977–78 QMJHL season The 1977–78 QMJHL season was the ninth season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The league inaugurates two awards, the Robert Lebel Trophy for the team with best goals against average, and the Guy Lafleur Trophy for the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs. Ten teams played... |
Verdun Eperviers | QMJHL Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League... |
63 | 26 | 45 | 71 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 1978–79 1978–79 QMJHL season The 1978–79 QMJHL season was the tenth season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The QMJHL unveils a new logo for its tenth anniversary, using the letters of league's french acronym shaped as an ice skate. Ten teams played 72 games each in the schedule... |
Verdun Eperviers | QMJHL | 67 | 37 | 67 | 104 | 53 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 22 | ||
| 1979–80 1979–80 QMJHL season The 1979–80 QMJHL season was the 11th season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Ten teams played 72 games each in the schedule. The Sherbrooke Castors finished first overall in the regular season, winning the Jean Rougeau Trophy. The Cornwall Royals, led by rookie Dale... |
Sorel Black Hawks | QMJHL | 70 | 57 | 65 | 122 | 117 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980–81 1980–81 QMJHL season The 1980–81 QMJHL season was the 12th season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The league inaugurated three new trophies for players. The Marcel Robert Trophy is first awarded to the "Best Scholastic Player" and the Mike Bossy Trophy is first awarded to the "Best Professional... |
Sorel Eperviers Sorel Éperviers The Sorel Éperviers were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1969 to 1981. The team was one of the founding members of the QMJHL. They mostly played at the Colisée Cardin in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, but also spent a few seasons at the Verdun Auditorium in the... |
QMJHL | 2 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980–81 | Boston Bruins Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
76 | 21 | 35 | 56 | 94 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1981–82 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 73 | 20 | 31 | 51 | 72 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 22 | ||
| 1982–83 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 24 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 24 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | ||
| 1983–84 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 27 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | ||
| 1984–85 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 77 | 16 | 24 | 40 | 33 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9 | ||
| 1985–86 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 80 | 17 | 23 | 40 | 73 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 1986–87 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 79 | 20 | 30 | 50 | 51 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1987–88 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 76 | 26 | 44 | 70 | 35 | 23 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 10 | ||
| 1988–89 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 49 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988–89 | Los Angeles Kings Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 29 | 9 | 15 | 24 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 6 | ||||
| 1989–90 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 77 | 17 | 28 | 45 | 27 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 1990–91 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 67 | 9 | 19 | 28 | 33 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 8 | ||
| 1991–92 | Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 16 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 21 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the... |
NHL | 47 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 821 | 177 | 291 | 468 | 554 | 94 | 20 | 28 | 48 | 82 | ||||