Andrew McBain

Big Andrew McBain jumped straight from the junior ranks to the pros.

Starring with Niagara Falls and North Bay, McBain was selected eighth overall in the 1983 Entry Draft out of the Ontario Hockey League by the Winnipeg Jets,

McBain was immediately thrown right into the fire by the Jets as he made his NHL debut with the club in 1983-84. Making the jump with so little experience always brings lots of pressure and expectations, and McBain had trouble living up to his early star label.

In his rookie season with Winnipeg, McBain scored 11 goals and 30 points in 78 games. But that would almost look good for Andy as the next two years were disastrous for the big right winger. He scored just 7 goals and 22 points in year 2 and only played in 28 games in year 3, scored 3 goals and 6 assists.

One of the knocks against McBain was that he didn't adequately use his large body to his advantage, even though he idolized Tiger Williams as much as he did Wayne Gretzky. Listed at 6'1" and 205lbs, NHL scouts predicted he could become a front line power forward, much like Cam Neely - the player drafted directly behind McBain.

During the 1987-88 campaign, Andrew stepped up his aggressiveness, accumulating 106 penalty minutes. He only had 99 career minutes heading into the season, but the more physical approach obviously worked as Andy scored 32 goals and 63 points. He set career-highs in all offensive categories the following year with 37 goals, 40 assists and 70 points, as well as 146 PIMs.

After six full seasons with the Jets, McBain began the 1989-90 campaign with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but he would be squeezed out of a right wing job by the likes of Mark Recchi.

He would find himself joining the Vancouver Canucks half way through that year. He spent parts of three seasons with the Canucks' organization before joining the Ottawa Senators for their inaugural season in 1992-93. Andrew played one more season in the NHL with the Senators before finishing his hockey career in the International Hockey League in 1995-96.

Over his 11-year NHL career, Andrew scored 129 goals, 172 assists and 301 points in 608 regular season games.

In his life-after-hockey he became a vice president with a Toronto based investment firm.