Cliff Fletcher
| Cliff Fletcher | |
|---|---|
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| Born |
George Clifford Fletcher August 16, 1935 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation | Senior Advisor to the Toronto Maple Leafs (2008–present) |
| Known for | Former National Hockey League executive and general manager (Calgary Flames, Phoenix Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs) |
| Children |
Chuck Fletcher Kristy Fletcher |
| Awards | Hockey Hall of Fame (2004) |
George Clifford Fletcher (born August 16, 1935) is a National Hockey League executive and is a former general manager of the Atlanta Flames/Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Phoenix Coyotes. He is currently a Senior Advisor to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Some of his nicknames are the "Silver Fox" and "Trader Cliff".
Fletcher started his career in 1956 for the Montreal Canadiens as a scout under Sam Pollock, then later became the General Manager of the Verdun Blues junior team.
He joined the expansion St. Louis Blues in 1966 as a scout for Eastern Canada worked his way up to the assistant GM position. With Fletcher's help, the Blues advanced to the Stanley Cup finals in each of their first three years, a feat unmatched to this day.
Fletcher's general manager career started in the Central Hockey League with the Kansas City Blues when he was awarded the top job in January 1971 during a mid-season shake-up that also saw John Choyce appointed as the team's new head coach. In 1972, he accepted the opportunity to run an NHL team when offered the GM position in Atlanta.
Fletcher joined the newly minted expansion Atlanta Flames team as General Manager, remaining with the Flames in that capacity through and after the team's move to Calgary, Alberta in 1980. Over the next 10 years, he oversaw the Calgary Flames to two Smythe division titles, two Clarence S. Campbell Bowls as Campbell Conference Champions, and two Presidents' Trophies, given to the team with the best NHL Regular season record. During his tenure in Calgary, he was the first GM to bring a player from the Soviet Union when Sergei Priakin played in 1988. The Flames won the Stanley Cup Championship in 1989 against the Montreal Canadiens.
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