Height: 5-11
Weight: 180
Shoot: L
Born: 30 Aug 1941, Quebec PQ (d. 2013)
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Regular Season & Playoff Scoring Record (key)
| year | team | |||||||||||
| 1972-73 | Minnesota | |||||||||||
| 1973-74 | Minnesota | |||||||||||
| 1974-75 | Minnesota | |||||||||||
| 1975-76 | San Diego | |||||||||||
| Totals: |
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Black Mike of Minnesota... (excerpt) • by Charley Hallman • The Hockey Spectator • January 5, 1973
... The last time McMahon talked much, he was with the Minnesota North Stars, He had just topped the NHL's defensemen in scoring with 14 goals and 33 assists — in fact, he is the only defenseman in NHL history to outscore Bobby Orr in a season. McMahon's short speech cost him his job, "I said some things I didn't expect to be quoted on, Wren Blair (then coaching along with being general manager) read them and I was traded to Chicago." What happened to McMahon after the trade nearly caused him to quit. He bounced around nine times in five years — going from Chicago to Detroit to Pittsburgh to Baltimore to Buffalo to Springfield to the Rangers to Rochester to Providence. "I know a lot of things about a lot of different cities," he volunteered. That's why the 32-year-old native of Quebec City and son of a former NHLer (his dad played with Montreal in the 1940s) became a member of the Fighting Saints. Mike and family have lived in the area continually since being traded from the North Stars, "I talked to Glen Sonmor when the Saints were formed and knew all along I was going to join the team." Now he has a three-year contract (with a no-trade clause) with the Saints. All those trades had something — if not everything — to do with his coming to the WHA. "I wasn't playing that much any place in the NHL but did pretty well when I had a chance," McMahon said, "In Buffalo for example, Punch Imlach played me one night on a regular shift, we lost, 4-0, I was selected third star of the game and sat on the bench the rest of the time before I was traded. I guess I wasn't in the mold that Imlach wanted — a hitter. I'm too fancy, play too much offense." Saints officials are most pleased by McMahon's play. "If he doesn't make the All Star team, we should boycott the thing," said Harry Neale, Assistant General Manager of the Saints recently. "He's the best defenseman in the division, no doubt about it, He's scoring well, checking well and he and Dick Paradise were teamed so well, they had been on the ice for only a quarter of our goals." General Manager and Coach Glen Sonmor recently split up McMahon and Paradise, teaming Mike with John Arbour and Paradise with Terry Ball with Frank Sanders rotating in and out of the lineup. However, with McMahon hurt, Sanders has been taking a regular shift and "as done a good, solid job for us," Sonmor says. What does "Black Mike" think of the WHA? "It's hard to say. I guess I'm surprised that the scoring has been so low, I thought the game would be a lot more wide open. I expect after the All Star game that the scores will go up somewhat and that after the season is over, the WHA clubs will start looking for more defensemen and become a bit top heavy next year that way." McMahon is happy with the Saints play. "We're doing well because we work as a team, not as individuals. When you make a pass, you get it back and throw it to someone else. Wayne Connelly has been scoring well and tha thas helped us a great deal — and Freddie Speck and Mike Antonovich have been doing a good job." McMahon's value to the effort has been telling. "He's one of our best hockey players, When be isn't there, we miss him a great deal," said Sonmor. "But this is hockey and the fellows know that injuries are always just around the corner." With McMahon out and Mike Curran (acute tendonitis) and Jimmy Johnson (sprained knee) also sidelined, the Saints have een taking on a look of the Alberta Oilers, who have been brutalized this season. Yet, the Saints have kept closing in on Winnipeg, beating the Jets, 3-0, recently without McMahon, Curran and Johnson. All three were expected to be ready, however, when the Saints move into the new Civic Center on January 1. How did McMahon come by his nickname "Black Mike?" He says sports columnist Don Riley in St. Paul gave him the handle when he was with the old Minnesota Rangers in the early 60s. "It's not something I love," he added. |
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Excerpts from Zander Hollander's Guide to Pro Hockey, 1973-74 (by Reyn Davis & Charley Hallman)
"Black Mike" is a 13-year pro veteran ... Played with seven NHL teams before joining Saints ... Had 51 points for the club, including twelve goals ... Played on the power play unit ... McMahon is the only major league player on point to outscore Orr in a single season, having 14 goals and 46 points in 1967-68 ... Outstanding defensemen in the Central League ... Had 38 points for Baltimore in 48 AHL games in 1969-70. |
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