Former National Hockey League centre Brent Peterson of Calgary, Alberta passed away on Friday at the age of 68 due to Parkinson’s Disease according to Rogers Sportsnet. Peterson was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2002 while being an assistant coach with the Nashville Predators. Remarkably, Peterson stayed on as a key member of the Predators’s coaching staff for the next eight years, and was promoted to associate coach in 2003.
As a NHL player, Peterson played 11 seasons from 1978 to 1989. He was with the Detroit Red Wings for four seasons from 1978 to 1981, the Buffalo Sabres for four seasons from 1981 to 1985, the Vancouver Canucks for two seasons from 1985 to 1987, and the Hartford Whalers for two seasons from 1987 to 1989.
In 620 games, Peterson had 72 goals and 141 assists for 213 points. He was a -4 with 484 penalty minutes, 21 power-play points, 12 shorthanded points, nine game-winning goals, and 630 shots on goal.
As well as coaching the Predators, Peterson coached the Portland Winterhawks of the Western hockey League. He won the Memorial Cup in 1998. After his coaching career, Brent Peterson was a radio broadcaster for the Predators for three seasons from 2014 to 2017, and then was the Predators’s assistant equipment manager since 2019 according to Alex Daugherty of the Nashville Tennessean.
Brent’s brother Greg is very well known in the Calgary football scene. He was a defensive back for the Calgary Stampeders from 1984 to 1992, and has been the head analyst on Stampeders broadcasts on QR77 for the last 30 years.
