• 1975-76 – Toronto Toros WHA Rookie of the year
• 1976-78 – Birmingham Bulls – WHA
• 1978-84 – Montreal Canadiens
• 1984-85 – Minnesota North Stars
• 1985-87 – Edmonton Oilers
• 1987-89 – Buffalo Sabres
• 1989-93 – Italian League
• Scored 235 goals and 541 NHL points

Right-winger Mark Napier was blessed with blinding speed and a natural scoring ability. He accounted for 235 career goals with four different NHL clubs, won two Stanley Cups then excelled in Europe for four seasons.

The Toronto native starred for the Wexford Raiders of the MTHL before moving up to the OHA's Marlboros. He was a top scorer with the Marlies for two seasons especially in 1974-75. That year he registered 66 goals in the regular then led all playoff scorers with 24 goals and 48 points when the team won the Memorial Cup. Following the season he was named to the OHA first all-star team.

The speedy 18-year-old forward decided to turn pro with the Toronto Toros of the WHA and scored 43 goals in 1975-76. Napier's fine effort earned him the Lou Kaplan trophy as the league's top rookie. He remained with the franchise for two years after it relocated to Birmingham, Alabama. During this time he was selected tenth overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1977 NHL Amateur Draft.

Napier joined the powerhouse Habs as an NHL rookie in 1978-79. He scored 31 points in 54 games when he was often paired with fiery Doug Risebrough. In the post-season he played 12 games while helping Montreal win its fourth consecutive Stanley Cup. As the Canadiens' retooled in the early 1980s, Napier became a more prominent contributor to the team's offense. He scored 35 goals in 1980-81 followed by consecutive 40-goal performances. In 1982 he scored three goals for Canada when they won bronze at the World Championships.

On October 28, 1983, Napier and Keith Acton were sent to the Minnesota North Stars for centre Bobby Smith. Napier adjusted slowly to his new team but was playing well by the time the post-season arrived. He scored three goals and contributed to the Stars' transition game when they reached the semifinals in 1984.

Halfway through the 1984-85 season Minnesota began reconfiguring its roster and sent Napier to the Edmonton Oilers. The fast-paced game of the defending Stanley Cup champions suited the veteran winger. Napier scored 35 points in 33 games. In the playoffs he chipped in with ten points as Edmonton repeated as Cup titleists. Napier scored 24 goals when Edmonton dominated the 1985-86 regular season only to lose in the seventh game of the Smythe Division final to the Calgary Flames.

Napier was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in March 1987 and lent his experience to the young team that was being built around Pierre Turgeon. Following the 1988-89 season he was offered a choice to either return to the Sabres' training camp with no guaranteed contract or accept former NHLer Ron Chipperfield's offer to play for the Italian team he managed. Napier opted to shift gears and join the HC Bolzano Club where he was an explosive scorer in the wide open Italian league and helped the club win the championship. The next year he topped the loop with 118 points in 36 games.

Napier played two years with the Milano Devils/Lions under Ted Sator before retiring in 1993. In May 1997 he was named coach of the St. Michael's Majors which had rejoined the major junior league in Ontario after a long absence, though his tenure lasted just a year.

Interview with a Legend by Ken Newans

Q: Mark, you scored 154 goals in 3 years of junior and 136 goals in your 3 years in the WHA. Who taught you to score?

Napier: No one ever teaches you to score. I guess I was blessed with a scoring touch and the ability to find the net. I was fortunate to be with a great junior team, the Toronto Marlies, when we won the 1975 Memorial Cup. Later in the WHA I was with a well organized team in Birmingham. We were a big physical team with people like Steve Durbano, I was expected to score and they gave me lots of room.

 

Q: Do you have any unusual memories of the WHA?

No, not really. I’ve heard some bizarre tales but I was lucky when I was with the Toros and Bulls. Our owner John Basset was good to the players, we never missed a flight or had to reschedule a game and I never missed a payday. In fact, I have good memories of the WHA.

 

Q: Mark, when you were with Birmingham of the WHA you played the Winnipeg Jets in the playoffs. How good were they?

They were a great hockey team. With that awesome line of Nilsson, Hedberg & Hull and other players like Lars Sjoberg, Joe Dailey, Ketola. They played with so much skill. They were ten years ahead of their time. The Jets with their complement of Swedes and Finns opened the European Hockey floodgate to North America. They played European style hockey to silence the critics who said "It wouldn’t work over here." Then the Edmonton Oilers adopted the same style that took them to four Stanley Cups.

 

Q: You won Stanley Cups with Montreal and Edmonton, how thrilling was that?

Consider the trouble the Leafs were having under Harold Ballard. I was happy to sign with Montreal. It was a thrill to play with Lafleur, Shutt, Robinson and all those Hall of Famers. The Montreal fans were so knowledgeable and passionate; it was a religion to them. If you won, you couldn’t wait to read the papers and get downtown to talk with fans and share the win. But if you lost, you avoided newspapers and the crowds. Playing in Edmonton with Gretzky and Messier was exciting because you knew you were playing with two players that maybe were the best ever.

 

Q: You went to the Italian league after your NHL career was over and I noted you scored 68 goals in 36 games in 1989-90. How was that experience?

It was wide open hockey well received by the Italian fans, who would surprise you with their hockey knowledge. However, I don’t want to deceive anyone. The Italians still consider soccer and car racing as their big sports but they do enjoy hockey and its popularity is increasing. The facilities are great; in fact, there was only one open air arena and it reminded me of my youth. More than a hockey experience, it was a cultural experience for my family and for my kids. It helped them learn many life time skills. We all enjoyed it immensely.

 

Q: Who had the greatest impact on your hockey career from a coaching viewpoint?

Naturally my dad who coached me in minor hockey, including bantam. However the great George Armstrong, who coached me with the Marlies, impressed me with his laid back quiet approach. Coach Armstrong let you play your game and he was successful. We won a Memorial Cup and he had the complete respect of every player.

 

Q: You were the Manager and for the latter part of last season Manager-Coach of the OHA St. Mike’s Majors. How did you enjoy that?

I enjoyed it but it was challenging. We had to recruit players who could play tier 2 Junior but maintain the academic standards at St. Michaels. It was difficult but I believe in the concept of hockey and education. Parents and agents are pushing their kids to get drafted and get big bucks but not all are going to make it and it’s difficult to get that message across. But on the ice the kids are still working hard and have a passion for the game. I would still like to get back into management and coaching if the right opportunity presents itself.

 

Q: Outside of the Stanley Cups, what are a couple of moments or nights that were special?

1975 in Junior, I set an OHA scoring record and I scored a goal and three assists in my final game to accomplish that feat. Another exciting night was scoring 4 goals in one game for Montreal in Buffalo.

 

Q: What is your present profession?

I have taken a securities and investments course and I’m in the financial planning field. It’s the only career that I think is as exciting as being a pro hockey player. Every day is different, exciting—a new challenge.