The Nashville Predators announced the death of longtime coach and broadcaster Brent Peterson on Friday, Sept. 11. Peterson had lived the last 23 years with Parkinson's Disease. The Calgary native spent 11 seasons as an NHL player before becoming a successful junior coach, a longtime Predators assistant, and a broadcaster.
The Detroit Red Wings selected Peterson in the first round (12th overall) of the 1978 NHL draft. He played parts of three seasons in Detroit before moving to the Buffalo Sabres in 1981. With Buffalo, Peterson became a dependable checking-line center and penalty killer, playing alongside Craig Ramsay and Ric Seiling.
He later played for the Vancouver Canucks and Hartford Whalers. Peterson finished his NHL career with 72 goals and 141 assists in 620 games, adding eight points in 31 playoff games. Peterson moved into coaching with Hartford after he retired as a player in 1989.
He returned to Portland, first as an assistant and then as head coach. His Winterhawks teams went 198-137-20, and he took the team to the playoffs in each season. More news: Former NHL Defenseman, Coach, Broadcaster Barry Melrose Dies at 70 In 1997, Peterson was named WHL Coach of the Year.
Portland won the WHL championship in 1998, then the Memorial Cup. He was inducted into the Winterhawks Hall of Fame in 2012. In 1998, Peterson joined Barry Trotz's coaching staff on the expansion Predators team; he was elevated to associate coach in 2003.
More news: Red Wings Strip Dylan Larkin of Captaincy After Offseason Trade Request Peterson remained behind the Nashville bench through the 2010-11 season, helping the Preds reach the playoffs six times with a selfless, stingy defense-first approach. In 2002, Peterson was diagnosed with Parkinson's, which eventually made it difficult for him to remain behind the bench. He moved into broadcasting, working as a Predators radio analyst and remaining a familiar voice around the organization for years.
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