Former New Jersey Devils captain and 14-year NHL veteran Mel Bridgman passed away on Saturday at the age of 70.
Bridgman, a former No. 1 overall pick drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers back in 1975, joined the Devils after seven years in Philadelphia and a pitstop in Calgary, helping usher the nascent Devils franchise into relevance.
The 6-foot forward spent parts of four seasons in New Jersey - three of which were among the four most productive seasons of his career offensively - scoring a very respectable 76 goals, 148 assists, and 224 points in 288 games on Devils teams that were mostly young and bad.
But, that's the important thing: Bridgman, as the captain of the Devils, helped mentor a number of players who helped shape the franchise into what it is today.
Some of Bridgman's Devils teammates during his brief tenure included young stars (and some franchise legends) like Kirk Muller, Ken Daneyko, John MacLean, Pat Verbeek, Aaron Broten, Joe Cirella, Bruce Driver, and Chris Terreri.
Fan-favorite broadcaster Chico Resch wasn't a young buck at that point in his career in his mid-to-late 30s, but he, too, played with Bridgman on the Devils.
Muller took over Bridgman's captaincy in 1987-88 after the latter joined the Detroit Red Wings midway through the previous season, and from there, the Devils made their first playoff appearance in franchise history.
Muller, just 21 years old at the time, racked up 94 points in 80 games, with Broten and Verbeek close behind him. Driver, MacLean, and Cirella made their contributions, too, and the Devils would become a force to be reckoned with in the years that followed.
Bridgman was one of the veteran pieces who helped kick things into high gear, bringing along his experiences on a Flyers team that was coming off back-to-back Stanley Cup wins when he was drafted and went to the Final in his rookie season.