Scott Gordon (ice hockey)
A career goaltender turned respected coach, he carved a decades-long path through the NHL and its developmental leagues.
Born 1963 (age 63)·American ice hockey player and coach·Birthday: February 6·Baby Boomers
Biography
Scott Gordon's hockey life is a study in persistence and adaptation. His playing career as a goaltender was a journeyman's tale, highlighted by a stint with the Quebec Nordiques but largely spent honing his craft in the minor leagues. That foundational experience became the bedrock of his true calling: coaching. Gordon found his stride behind the bench, first with the Providence Bruins in the AHL, where his systematic approach and ability to develop young talent earned him league-wide recognition. This led to his first NHL head coaching opportunity with the New York Islanders, a challenging tenure that further refined his methods. He later became a valued assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs and a steady interim leader for the Philadelphia Flyers. Throughout, Gordon remained a fixture in the American Hockey League, known for his structured defensive systems and commitment to preparing players for the next level.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Scott was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Scott Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Scott's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as head coach for two NHL franchises: the New York Islanders (2008-2010) and the Philadelphia Flyers (interim, 2018-19).
- Won the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL's outstanding coach in 2008 while with the Providence Bruins.
- Played 23 games in the NHL as a goaltender for the Quebec Nordiques between 1989 and 1991.
- Led the Providence Bruins to the AHL's Calder Cup Finals in 2008.
Did You Know?
He was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques in the 7th round of the 1986 NHL Entry Draft.
He played college hockey for Boston College.
He served as an assistant coach for the U.S. men's national team at the 2014 IIHF World Championship.
After his NHL coaching roles, he returned to major junior hockey as head coach of the USHL's Waterloo Black Hawks.
“You have to earn your ice time every single day.”
