Eric James Nattress (born May 25, 1962) is a Canadian former

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

defenceman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the latter a reference to ...

. He was drafted in the second round, 27th overall, by the

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...

in the

1980 NHL Entry Draft The 1980 NHL Entry Draft was the 18th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at the Montreal Forum. This was the first time that an NHL arena hosted the draft.The Montreal Canadiens:100 Years of Glory, D'Arcy Jenish, p.241, Published in Canada by Doubled ...

. Nattress played three seasons in the

Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; french: Ligue de hockey de l'Ontario (LHO)) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 16–19. There are exceptions for overa ...

with the

Brantford Alexanders The Brantford Alexanders were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League and Ontario Hockey League from 1978 to 1984. The team was based in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. History The Hamilton Fincups were relocated in 1978 be ...

before making his NHL debut for Montreal in the 1982–83 season, appearing in 40 games. On September 23, 1983, the NHL suspended Nattress for the entirety of the 1983–84 season following a conviction for marijuana and hashish possession. The suspension was later reduced to 40 games. Following his suspension, Nattress would appear in 34 games with the Canadiens in 1983–84, and five more the next season, before being traded to the

St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the ...

for cash before the 1985–86 season. Nattress played two seasons for the Blues, who traded him to the

Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...

after the 1986–87 season for two draft picks. He played four-plus seasons with the Flames before being traded to the

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

in the ten-player deal on January 2, 1992, which also sent

Doug Gilmour Douglas Robert Gilmour (born June 25, 1963) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for seven different teams. Gilmour was a seventh round selection, 134th overall, of the St. ...

to Toronto. After joining the

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Well ...

for the 1992–93 season, Nattress retired. In his NHL career, Nattress played in 536 games. He recorded 29 goals and 135 assists. He also appeared in 67 playoff games, scoring five goals and adding ten assists. He was a member of the Sherbrooke Canadiens 1985

Calder Cup The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League. It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars. The cup is made of sterling silver mounted on a base of Brazilian mahogany. In its cur ...

team, and Calgary Flames team which won the Stanley Cup in

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...

. Nattress has been a successful radio co-host of "Blue & White Tonight", a post-game show after every Toronto Maple Leafs game on Sportsnet 590 The Fan.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

References

External links

*
Sportsnet 590 "Blue & White Tonight" page
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nattress, Ric 1962 births Living people Brantford Alexanders players Calgary Flames players Canadian ice hockey defencemen Canadian people of English descent Canadian radio sportscasters Ice hockey people from Hamilton, Ontario London Knights coaches Montreal Canadiens draft picks Montreal Canadiens players Nova Scotia Voyageurs players Philadelphia Flyers players St. Louis Blues players Sherbrooke Canadiens players Stanley Cup champions Toronto Maple Leafs players Canadian ice hockey coaches