Bill Ranford

Bill Ranford
Ranford signing autographs for fans in New York in June 2014
Born	(1966-12-14) December 14, 1966 Brandon, MB, CAN
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Caught	Left
Played for	Boston Bruins Edmonton Oilers Washington Capitals Tampa Bay Lightning Detroit Red Wings
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	52nd overall, 1985 Boston Bruins
Playing career	1985–2000

William Edward Ranford (born December 14, 1966 in Brandon, Manitoba) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey goaltender and is the current goaltending coach for the Los Angeles Kings. He graduated from New Westminster Secondary School in 1985. He was selected in the third round of the 1985 NHL Entry Draft, 52nd overall, by the Boston Bruins. Over the course of fifteen NHL seasons, Ranford would play with Boston, the Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Detroit Red Wings, winning two Stanley Cups, a Canada Cup, and the 1994 Hockey World Championships while playing for Canada.

Early life and career

As a child, Ranford took figure skating lessons, before eventually decided to go into goaltending. Because his father was in the armed forces, Ranford lived in Germany for a few years, as well as various places in Canada. He played for local teams in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and Red Deer, Alberta.

Ranford spent his junior career with the New Westminster Bruins, playing two seasons with the team before being drafted by the Boston Bruins in the 3rd round (52nd overall) in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft..

Ranford's post-draft year, 1985–86, was an eventful one, as Ranford was named to the WHL Second All-Star Team, and saw his first NHL action after the WHL season ended, winning three of four games for Boston, before going 0–2 in the playoffs.

To start the next year, Boston assigned him to the Moncton Golden Flames of the AHL, where he went 3–0 to start the season, and wound up spending the rest of the year with Boston. The replacement of Bruins coach Butch Goring with Terry O'Reilly led to Ranford falling out of favour, and eventually being dealt on March 8, 1988 from the Boston Bruins with Geoff Courtnall to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Andy Moog.

Following the trade, he spent most of the next season with the AHL's Maine Mariners, but that would be the last time he would play at the minor-league level.

NHL career

Ranford won his first Stanley Cup in 1988, as the backup to Grant Fuhr. However, in 1990 despite constant comparisons to the injured Fuhr, Ranford emerged as a first-rate goaltender, leading the Oilers to the Stanley Cup and winning the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP) in the process. It was the last cup that the Edmonton Oilers dynasty would win. Ranford went on to play the next six seasons in Edmonton, before being dealt back to the Boston Bruins on January 11, 1996 for Mariusz Czerkawski, Sean Brown, and a 1st Round Pick in the 1996 Entry Draft (Matthieu Descoteaux).

After less than two seasons with Boston, Ranford was dealt to the Washington Capitals on March 1, 1997 with Adam Oates and Rick Tocchet for Jason Allison, Anson Carter, Jim Carey, a conditional draft pick in the 1998 Entry Draft, and a 3rd Round Pick in the 1997 Entry Draft (Lee Goren). In 1998 the Washington Capitals advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals, it was Ranfords third trip to the finals. On June 18, 1998, he was dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2nd Round Pick in the 1999 Entry Draft and a 3rd Round Pick in the 1998 Entry Draft (Todd Hornung).

He began the season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, but was traded to the Detroit Red Wings on March 23, 1999 for a conditional draft pick. It was the second deal between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Detroit Red Wings that day. The prior trade brought Wendel Clark and a draft pick to the Detroit Red Wings and Goaltender Kevin Hodson and a draft pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Wendel Clark trade made the Bill Ranford deal happen.

His final year in the NHL was 2000, where Ranford returned to Edmonton as a free-agent backing up Tommy Salo before announcing his retirement on April 24.

Post-NHL career

Ranford acted in the movie Miracle, performing the on-ice scenes as the goaltender for Team USA, Jim Craig, while Eddie Cahill performed the off-ice scenes. Ranford also played net for the Edmonton Oilers alumni team at the Heritage Classic, the first outdoor regular season game in NHL history. Ranford (14 saves) and Grant Fuhr (11 saves) took turns in goal and held the Montreal Canadiens alumni team scoreless in a 2–0 victory.

Bill served as the Goalie Coach for the WHL Vancouver Giants for the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 seasons.

On July 10, 2006 he was named the goaltending coach of the Los Angeles Kings and continues to hold that position.

He is also a part-owner of the Coquitlam Express of the British Columbia Hockey League (Tier II Junior).

Career statistics

Regular season

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	T	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1983–84	New Westminster Bruins	WHL		27	10	14	0	1450	130	0	5.38	.876
1984–85	New Westminster Bruins	WHL		38	19	17	0	2034	142	0	4.19
1985–86	New Westminster Bruins	WHL		53	17	29	1	2791	225	1	4.84
1985–86	Boston Bruins	NHL		4	3	1	0	240	10	0	2.50	.906
1986–87	Moncton Golden Flames	AHL		3	3	0	0	180	6	0	2.00	.927
1986–87	Boston Bruins	NHL		41	16	20	2	2234	124	3	3.33	.891
1987–88	Maine Mariners	AHL		51	27	16	6	2856	165	1	3.47	.887
1987–88	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		6	3	0	2	325	16	0	2.95	.899
1988–89	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		29	15	8	2	1509	88	1	3.50	.877
1989–90	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		56	24	16	9	3107	165	1	3.19	.887
1990–91	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		60	27	27	3	3415	182	0	3.20	.893
1991–92	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		67	27	26	10	3822	228	1	3.58	.884
1992–93	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		67	17	38	6	3753	240	1	3.84	.884
1993–94	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		71	22	34	11	4070	236	1	3.48	.898
1994–95	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		40	15	20	3	2203	133	2	3.62	.883
1995–96	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		37	13	18	5	2015	128	1	3.81	.875
1995–96	Boston Bruins	NHL		40	21	12	4	2306	109	1	2.84	.894
1996–97	Boston Bruins	NHL		37	12	16	8	2147	125	2	3.49	.887
1996–97	Washington Capitals	NHL		18	8	7	2	1009	46	0	2.74	.888
1997–98	Washington Capitals	NHL		22	7	12	2	1183	46	0	2.79	.901
1998–99	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL		32	3	18	3	1568	102	1	3.90	.881
1998–99	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		4	3	0	1	244	8	0	1.97	.918
1999–00	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		16	4	6	3	785	47	0	3.59	.885
NHL totals				647	240	279	76	35936	2042	15	3.41	.888

Playoffs

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1983–84	New Westminster Bruins	WHL		1	0	0	27	2	0	4.44
1984–85	New Westminster Bruins	WHL		7	2	3	309	26	0	5.05
1985–86	Boston Bruins	NHL		2	0	2	120	7	0	3.50	.841
1986–87	Boston Bruins	NHL		2	0	2	123	8	0	3.90	.855
1989–90	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		22	16	6	1401	59	1	2.53	.912
1990–91	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		3	1	2	135	8	0	3.56	.897
1991–92	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		16	8	8	909	51	2	3.37	.895
1995–96	Boston Bruins	NHL		4	1	3	239	16	0	4.02	.857
1998–99	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		4	2	2	183	10	1	3.28	.905
NHL totals				53	28	25	3110	159	4	3.07	.897

Awards

• 1986 - WHL 2nd All-Star Team
• 1988, 1990 - Stanley Cup
• 1990 - Conn Smythe Trophy MVP
• 1991 - NHL All-Star Game
• 1991 - Canada Cup (Team Canada)
• 1991 - Canada Cup MVP
• 1994 - Ice Hockey World Championship (Team Canada, previously Canada won 1961)
• 1994 - Hockey World Championship tournament MVP
• 1996 - World Cup of Hockey (Team Canada)

Transactions

• June 15, 1985 - Ranford drafted by Boston
• March 8, 1988 - Ranford traded from Boston to Edmonton, along with Geoff Courtnall in exchange for Andy Moog
• January 11, 1996 - Ranford traded from Edmonton to Boston in exchange for Sean Brown, Mariusz Czerkawski and a 1st round draft pick (Matthieu Descoteaux)
• March 1, 1997 - Ranford traded from Boston to Washington, along with Adam Oates and Rick Tocchet in exchange for Jason Allison, Anson Carter, and Jim Carey
• June 18, 1998 - Ranford traded from Washington to Tampa Bay in exchange for a 2nd and 3rd round draft pick (Todd Hornung)
• March 23, 1999 - Ranford traded from Tampa Bay to Detroit in exchange for a conditional draft pick.
• August 4, 1999 - Ranford signs with Edmonton.

Other websites

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
• Oilers Ranford Bio
• Ranford at IMDB

Preceded by Al MacInnis

Winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy 1990

Succeeded by Mario Lemieux