Bryan McSheffrey was a player that had a promising junior
hockey career in the OHA with the Ottawa 67’s in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.
McSheffrey looked to be off and running in the National Hockey League with the
Vancouver Canucks, the team that made him a second round pick in 1972. However,
by 1975, he was in the North American Hockey League, never to play in the NHL
again.
Bryan McSheffrey – NAHL
McSheffrey played two years in the NAHL, 1975-76 and
1976-77. In his first year, he started out with the Guy
Trottier coached Buffalo Norsemen. Over 46 games, he scored 27 goals and
assisted on 31 for well more than a point per game at 58. Even with only
playing 46 of 74 games, Bryan placed fourth on the Norsemen for assists.
Bryan was shipped to the fragile Cape Codders midseason. The
Codders had folded before Christmas but were resurrected for a short period of
time in the new year. McSheffrey played three games with the club, scoring just
a goal. The Cape Codders folded for good on February 18, 1975.
McSheffrey finished off the 1975-76 season with the Mohawk
Valley Comets, playing 12 games and adding seven points. The Comets lost in the
opening round to the Syracuse
Blazers.
In 1976-77, Bryan spent the whole season with the Comets,
playing in 63 games and totalling 72 points on 29 goals and 43 assists. He
placed third on the team for points. Mohawk Valley lost in the opening round to
the Binghamton Dusters, three games to two.
Bryan McSheffrey – Ottawa 67’s
Bryan played four years with the Ottawa 67’s from 1968-69 to
1971-72. He appeared in one game with the Oshawa
Generals in 1967-68. He was well over a point per game during his OHA career
with 260 in 226 regular season games. He led the 67’s in goals in 1969-70 with
35 and placed second behind Blake Dunlop the following year for goals and
points.
In his final year in the league, McSheffrey led Ottawa with
52 goals and 96 points. He placed fifth in the league for goals behind a group
of four that went on to play in the NHL, including league leader and Hockey
Hall of Fame member Steve Shutt.
Bryan McSheffrey – Pro Hockey
Bryan was a second round pick of the Vancouver Canucks at
the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft. He had size and scoring ability and in the
beginning the Canucks had big plans for him. McSheffrey played just 90 games in
the NHL over his career, all between 1972-73 and 1974-75 with the Canucks and
Buffalo Sabres. His time in Buffalo was limited to just three games. Bryan
appears on just one hockey card. The Bryan
McSheffrey rookie card is part of the 1973-74 O-Pee-Chee set.
McSheffrey finished his pro hockey career in the Netherlands
Eredivisie with HYS Den Haag (The Hague). He was the league’s scoring leader,
playing in 1978-79 and 1979-80. Over his time in the Netherlands, Bryan
produced at over three points per game.
