Former National Hockey League general manager Cliff Fletcher of Montreal, Quebec passed away on Friday at the age of 90 according to TSN. Fletcher is best known for being the only general manager in the history of the Calgary Flames organization to win the Stanley Cup. In 1989, the Flames defeated the Montreal Canadiens in six games. This was the last time in NHL history that there were two Canadian franchises playing against each other in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Fletcher was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004. What is remarkable is the fact that Fletcher worked 68 years in the NHL.
Fletcher’s first 10 seasons from 1956 to 1966 were as a scout for the Montreal Canadiens. Then in 1966-67, Fletcher was the scout and assistant general manager of the St. Louis Blues before the Blues joined the NHL in 1967-68. He would be the Blues assistant general manager for the franchise’s first five years from 1967 to 1972, and then the general manager for the Atlanta/Calgary Flames from 1972 to 1991, the president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1991 to 1997, the senior advisor with the Tampa Bay Lightning from 1998 to 2000, the executive vice-president of hockey operations and general manager of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2000 to 2001, the senior vice president of hockey operations for the Coyotes from 2001 to 2007, the general manager of the Maple Leafs again from 2007 to 2009, and the Maple Leafs senior advisor from 2009 to 2024.
