Rob McClanahan

Raised in Saint Paul and a product of Mounds View High School, Rob McClanahan moved quickly from local rinks to the college ranks, spending three seasons with the University of Minnesota and helping the Golden Gophers capture the 1979 NCAA title.

Selected 49th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1978 draft, McClanahan continued to build his resume on the international stage before turning pro. He skated at the 1979 World Championship in Moscow and then joined the U.S. Olympic program full time, scoring 34 goals in 63 exhibition contests. At Lake Placid he tallied five goals in seven games and netted the game-winner in the gold-medal match against Finland as the U.S. took Olympic gold in 1980.

McClanahan’s NHL tenure began after the Olympics: between 1980 and 1983 he played 224 NHL games with Buffalo, Hartford and the New York Rangers. Mostly deployed as a role player, he moved between the NHL and the minors, spent part of 1983–84 in the Central Hockey League with the Tulsa Oilers, and finished his NHL career reunited with coach Herb Brooks in New York in 1984. His pro totals include 38 goals and 63 assists for 101 points, 126 penalty minutes, and 34 playoff appearances.

Internationally he continued to represent the United States, playing at the 1979 World Championship and appearing on the roster for the 1981 Canada Cup. On the ice, he combined occasional goal scoring with a willingness to play through adversity—moments that were decisive during the U.S. run at Lake Placid.

Following retirement he entered finance, beginning with Morgan Stanley in 1985, then moving to Bear Stearns and Piper Jaffray where he served as managing director. In March 2002 he joined ThinkEquity Partners in Minneapolis as Principal and Head of Trading. He has also been depicted in films about the 1980 Olympic team, appeared in an episode of American Dad!, and is currently head coach of The Blake School boys varsity hockey team.