Mel Bridgman, a proud Canadian and a loving brother, father, grandfather, and friend, was born April 28, 1955, in Trenton, Ontario. He grew up with his sister Mary Ann and his brother Dick in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and then Victoria, British Columbia, before being drafted to the Philadelphia Flyers in 1975. Although he rarely spoke about it in later years, Mel was the first overall pick in the amateur draft and played 14 seasons in the NHL with the Flyers, the Calgary Flames, the New Jersey Devils, the Detroit Red Wings, and the Vancouver Canucks, serving as team captain of the Flyers and Devils.

Mel was also a graduate of the Wharton School of Business, and in 1991, he was named General Manager of the Ottawa Senators. He held that position for its inaugural two seasons. After that, he worked as a sports agent and financial consultant. Mel finally retired as a man about town and travelled the world, living in Medellin, Colombia, for almost three years during the Coronavirus pandemic. In retirement, he particularly liked riding his bike and visiting coffee shops. In recent years, he was splitting his time between California and Vancouver Island.

He will be remembered by his children for his generosity of spirit, the long road trips he would take across the United States and Canada, as well as the “tall tales” he would tell upon his return from those trips. He was a conversationalist and not a man known to rush through his daily errands. He was someone who could both tell a good story and listen to other people when they were telling him about their own lives.

In his last years, Mel struggled with mobility issues, stemming from a stroke in 2023, and complications from what may have been CTE (or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy). But he showed no sign of slowing down. Even in dying, Mel seemed to meet the challenge head-on. If surprised, it was only because his death, unlike his life, could not be bent by his hard work and determination. He fought for what could have been his last act. But his heart gave out against his best wishes. He died with two of his children at his side and his other two children on the way to see him.

In celebration of his life and the impact he made, the Bridgman family welcomes contributions toward causes close to Mel’s heart, including advancing CTE research and disability issues.

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