Mel Bridgman, a former NHL player and general manager for the Ottawa Senators, has passed away at the age of 70. The NHL Alumni Association confirmed his death over the weekend, although the cause was not specified. Bridgman was selected as the first overall pick in the 1975 NHL draft by the Philadelphia Flyers, where he played for more than six seasons.

During the 1981-82 season, Bridgman was traded to the Calgary Flames, achieving a career-high of 33 goals and 54 assists in 72 games. Subsequently, he joined the New Jersey Devils in 1983-84 for over three seasons before being moved to the Detroit Red Wings in 1986-87. His final NHL season was with the Vancouver Canucks in 1988-89. The Ontario-born athlete concluded his career with 701 points, comprising 252 goals and 449 assists from 977 regular-season games.

In 1991, Bridgman became the inaugural general manager of the newly formed Senators, a position he held until 1993.