Today, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman released the following statement on the passing of Hall of Fame defenseman Marcel Pronovost, who died Sunday at the age of 84:
“A Hall of Fame defenseman, a respected coach and for five seasons a valued member of the National Hockey League’s Central Scouting Bureau, Marcel Pronovost devoted his life to the pursuit of excellence in our sport.
“We send condolences to Marcel’s family, his friends, the teams he served and the countless young players whose potential he recognized.”
A five-time Stanley Cup winner as a player, Pronovost appeared in over 1,200 career NHL contests and later went onto coach in Buffalo and Detroit. From there, he worked in a scouting capacity for both the league and New Jersey, and was a member of the Devils’ three Cup-winning teams in 1995, 2000 and 2003.