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{{For|the Canadian editorial cartoonist|Duncan Macpherson}}
{{Short description|Canadian ice hockey player (1966–1989)}}
{{Infobox ice hockey player
{{For|the Canadian editorial cartoonist|Duncan Macpherson}}{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}{{Infobox ice hockey player
| image = duncan macpherson.jpg
| image = duncan macpherson.jpg
| caption = A passport photograph of MacPherson, taken a few weeks before his death.
| caption = A passport photograph of MacPherson, taken a few weeks before his death
| image_size = 230px
| position = [[Defenceman (ice hockey)|Defenceman]]
| position = [[Defenceman (ice hockey)|Defenceman]]
| shoots = Left
| shoots = Left
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| played_for = [[Springfield Indians]]<br />[[Indianapolis Ice]]
| played_for = [[Springfield Indians]]<br />[[Indianapolis Ice]]
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1966|2|3|mf=yes}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1966|2|3|mf=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Saskatoon]], [[Saskatchewan]], Canada
| birth_place = [[Saskatoon]], Saskatchewan, Canada
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1989|8|9|1966|2|3|mf=yes}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1989|8|9|1966|2|3|mf=yes}}
| death_place = [[Stubai Glacier Resort]], [[Austria]]
| death_place = [[Stubai Alps|Stubai Glacier Resort]], Austria
| draft = 20th overall
| draft = 20th overall
| draft_year = 1984
| draft_year = 1984
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}}
}}


'''Duncan Alvin MacPherson''' (February 3, 1966 – August 9, 1989) was a [[Canadians|Canadian]] professional [[ice hockey]] player who died under mysterious circumstances during a ski trip in [[Austria]].
'''Duncan Alvin MacPherson''' (February 3, 1966 – August 9, 1989) was a [[Canadians|Canadian]] professional [[ice hockey]] player. In 1989, he went on a trip to Austria, and then disappeared. Searches proved fruitless, until in 2003 when his body was found in a melting glacier. His death remains officially unsolved.


==Early life and career==
==Early life and career==
MacPherson was born in [[Saskatoon]], [[Saskatchewan]]. A standout defensive defenceman for the [[Saskatoon Blades]] of the [[Western Hockey League]], he was drafted in the first round, 20th overall, of the [[1984 NHL Entry Draft]] by the [[New York Islanders]]. He played [[minor league hockey]] for the [[Springfield Indians]] of the [[American Hockey League]] and the [[Indianapolis Ice]] of the [[International Hockey League (1945–2001)|International Hockey League]].
MacPherson was born in [[Saskatoon]], [[Saskatchewan]]. A standout defenceman for the [[Saskatoon Blades]] of the [[Western Hockey League]], he was drafted in the first round, 20th overall, of the [[1984 NHL Entry Draft]] by the [[New York Islanders]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Duncan MacPherson Stats and News |url=https://www.nhl.com/player/duncan-macpherson-8457170 |website=nhl.com |access-date=9 November 2024}}</ref> He played [[minor league hockey]] for the [[Springfield Indians]] of the [[American Hockey League]] and the [[Indianapolis Ice]] of the [[International Hockey League (1945–2001)|International Hockey League]].


==Disappearance==
==Disappearance==
In the summer of 1989, MacPherson went to Europe. The [[New York Islanders]] had bought out and released the often injured MacPherson,<ref name="HDC">{{cite web |url=http://www.hockeydraftcentral.com/1984/84020.html |title=Duncan MacPherson profile |publisher=Hockey Draft Central |accessdate=2010-09-02}}</ref> who never made it to the NHL.<ref name="Esquire">{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Chris |url=http://www.esquire.com/features/the-game/ESQ0104-JAN_GAME |title=The man in the ice |publisher=Esquire |date=2004-12-31 |accessdate=2010-09-02}}</ref> MacPherson had intentions of taking a job as a player-coach for a semi-pro hockey team in [[Dundee]], [[Scotland]], commencing in August 1989, though he did have a bad feeling in his gut about the entrepreneur Ron Dixon who was backing the Scottish team.<ref name="Esquire" /> He went to central Europe alone in early August 1989. The plan was to visit old friends and see the sights before going on to Scotland.
In the summer of 1989, MacPherson went to Europe. The [[New York Islanders]] had bought out and released the often injured MacPherson. <ref name="HDC">{{cite web |url=http://www.hockeydraftcentral.com/1984/84020.html |title=Duncan MacPherson profile |publisher=Hockey Draft Central |accessdate=2010-09-02}}</ref> <ref name="Esquire">{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Chris |url=http://www.esquire.com/features/the-game/ESQ0104-JAN_GAME |title=The man in the ice |publisher=Esquire |date=2004-12-31 |accessdate=2010-09-02}}</ref> MacPherson had intentions of taking a job as a player-coach for a semi-pro hockey team in [[Dundee]], [[Scotland]], commencing in August 1989. Despite having a bad feeling about the entrepreneur Ron Dixon who was backing the Scottish team,<ref name="Esquire" /> he travelled to central Europe alone in early August 1989. The plan was to visit old friends and see the sights before going on to Scotland.


He was scheduled to arrive in Dundee on August 12. When he did not show up, his family went to look for him. A car he had borrowed from a friend was discovered six weeks later in the parking lot of the [[Stubaital]] ski-region resort at the foot of the [[Stubai Glacier]]s in the [[Stubai Alps]] in [[Austria]], where he had rented a snowboard. His last known contact was with an employee of the ski resort on August 9, who reported that he spoke with MacPherson, and last saw MacPherson departing alone to perhaps squeeze in some final snowboarding and hiking before nightfall.<ref name="Esquire" />
He was scheduled to arrive in Dundee on August 12. When he did not show up, his family went to look for him. A car he had borrowed from a friend was discovered six weeks later in the parking lot of the [[Stubaital]] ski-region resort at the foot of the [[Stubai Glacier]]s in the [[Stubai Alps]] in [[Austria]], where he had rented a snowboard. His last known contact was with an employee of the ski resort on August 9, who reported that he spoke with MacPherson, and last saw MacPherson departing alone to perhaps squeeze in some final snowboarding and hiking before nightfall.<ref name="Esquire" />


⚫
In 2003, 14 years after MacPherson disappeared, an employee of the [[Stubai Alps|Stubai Glacier Resort]] discovered a glove sticking out of the ice of the melting Schaufelferner Glacier (one of the Stubai Glaciers' arms), in the middle of the ski run, where MacPherson's body had lain frozen.<ref name="CBCFifthEstate">{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/iceman/ |title=Iceman |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |accessdate=2010-09-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304231055/http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/iceman/ |archivedate=March 4, 2012 }}</ref>
Adding drama to the mystery was the fact that MacPherson claimed he had been contacted by the CIA, and that they were interested in recruiting him as a spy. The story was never confirmed.<ref name="HDC" />


==Theories==
⚫
Almost 14 years after MacPherson disappeared, an employee of the [http://www.stubaier-gletscher.com/ Stubai Glacier Resort] discovered a glove sticking out of the ice of the melting Schaufelferner Glacier (one of the Stubai Glaciers' arms), in the middle of the ski run, where MacPherson's body had lain frozen.<ref name="CBCFifthEstate">{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/iceman/ |title=Iceman |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |accessdate=2010-09-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304231055/http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/iceman/ |archivedate=March 4, 2012 }}</ref>
According to John Leake, author of ''Cold a Long Time: An Alpine Mystery'',<!-- see also https://www.coldalongtime.com/ --> MacPherson’s body was found to have suffered significant trauma, including amputation of arms, hands and legs. The damage is consistent with rotating machinery; his snowboard also had a uniform pattern of damage and was cut apart, which indicates that it too had gone through a machine. Leake’s conclusion was that MacPherson had a snowboard accident and injured his leg, and was lying on the slope waiting for rescue. During that very foggy day, a [[snowcat]] driver did not see MacPherson and ran him over by accident, killing him. Instead of reporting it, that driver (or his supervisor) buried MacPherson in the shallow crevasse. His body stayed hidden there for fourteen years, until the glacier melted enough for it to be seen.<ref name="Cold A Long Time: An Alpine Mystery">{{cite web |url=https://www.coldalongtime.com/pages/about-duncan-macpherson |title=Duncan MacPherson's Death: Forensics |publisher=CreateSpace Publishing |accessdate=2023-07-25}}</ref>


==Career statistics==
==Career statistics==
⚫
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em"

===Regular season and playoffs===
⚫
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:40em"
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" | &nbsp;
! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" | &nbsp;
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | &nbsp;
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | &nbsp;
! colspan="5" | [[Regular season|Regular&nbsp;season]]
! colspan="5" | [[Regular season]]
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | &nbsp;
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | &nbsp;
! colspan="5" | [[Playoffs]]
! colspan="5" | [[Playoffs]]
Line 60: Line 58:
! PIM
! PIM
|-
|-
| 1982–83
| [[Battleford Barons]]
| [[Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League|SJHL]]
| 59||6||11||17||215
| —||—||—||—||—
⚫
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1982–83 WHL season|1982–83]]
| [[1982–83 WHL season|1982–83]]
| [[Saskatoon Blades]]
| [[Saskatoon Blades]]
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| 5||2||4||6||16
| 5||2||4||6||16
| 2||0||0||0||0
| 2||0||0||0||0
⚫
|-
⚫
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1983–84 WHL season|1983–84]]
| [[1983–84 WHL season|1983–84]]
| Saskatoon Blades
| Saskatoon Blades
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| 45||0||14||14||74
| 45||0||14||14||74
| —||—||—||—||—
| —||—||—||—||—
⚫
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
⚫
|-
| [[1984–85 WHL season|1984–85]]
| [[1984–85 WHL season|1984–85]]
| Saskatoon Blades
| Saskatoon Blades
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| 69||9||26||35||116
| 69||9||26||35||116
| 3||0||0||0||4
| 3||0||0||0||4
⚫
|-
⚫
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1985–86 WHL season|1985–86]]
| [[1985–86 WHL season|1985–86]]
| Saskatoon Blades
| Saskatoon Blades
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| 70||10||54||64||147
| 70||10||54||64||147
| 13||3||8||11||38
| 13||3||8||11||38
⚫
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
⚫
|-
| [[1986–87 AHL season|1986–87]]
| [[1986–87 AHL season|1986–87]]
| [[Springfield Indians]]
| [[Springfield Indians]]
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| 26||1||0||1||86
| 26||1||0||1||86
| —||—||—||—||—
| —||—||—||—||—
⚫
|-
⚫
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[1987–88 AHL season|1987–88]]
| [[1987–88 AHL season|1987–88]]
| Springfield Indians
| Springfield Indians
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| 74||5||14||19||213
| 74||5||14||19||213
| —||—||—||—||—
| —||—||—||—||—
⚫
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
⚫
|-
| [[1988–89 AHL season|1988–89]]
| [[1988–89 AHL season|1988–89]]
| Springfield Indians
| Springfield Indians
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| 24||1||5||6||69
| 24||1||5||6||69
| —||—||—||—||—
| —||—||—||—||—
|-
⚫
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1988–89
| [[1988–89 IHL season|1988–89]]
| [[Indianapolis Ice]]
| [[Indianapolis Ice]]
| [[International Hockey League (1945–2001)|IHL]]
| [[International Hockey League (1945–2001)|IHL]]
Line 118: Line 122:


==See also==
==See also==
*[[List of ice hockey players who died during their playing career]]
*[[List of ice hockey players who died during their careers]]


==References==
==References==
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== Further reading ==
== Further reading ==
*[http://www.coldalongtime.com Website and Book by John Leake, published in 2012]
*[http://www.coldalongtime.com Website and Book by John Leake, published in 2012]
*The [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]] program [https://www.cbc.ca/news/fifthestate The Fifth Estate] has done episodes on this story, the [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pALwtySqyvw first] in 2006 and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_RhiMs4B5A another] in 2011.
*[http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/episodes/2011-2012/a-cold-case/ An update] to the 2006 CBC story above by the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]
*[http://www.esquire.com/features/the-game/ESQ0104-JAN_GAME Article from Esquire magazine, published in 2004]
*[http://www.esquire.com/features/the-game/ESQ0104-JAN_GAME Article from Esquire magazine, published in 2004]
*[http://www.hockeydraftcentral.com/1984/84020.html Story of his disappearance]
*[http://www.hockeydraftcentral.com/1984/84020.html Story of his disappearance]
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==External links==
==External links==
* {{Ice hockey stats |nhl=8457170 |elite=79650 |euro= |hr=b/brownda01 |hockeydb=3634 |legends= }}
*{{Eliteprospects}}
*{{Hockeydb|3634}}
*{{Find a Grave|8110449}}


{{S-start}}
{{S-start}}
{{succession box | before = [[Gerald Diduck]] | title = [[List of New York Islanders draft picks|New York Islanders first round draft pick]] | years = [[1983 NHL Entry Draft|1983]] | after = [[Brad Dalgarno]]}}
{{succession box | before = [[Gerald Diduck]] | title = [[List of New York Islanders draft picks|New York Islanders first round draft pick]] | years = [[1984 NHL Entry Draft|1984]] | after = [[Brad Dalgarno]]}}
{{S-end}}
{{S-end}}

{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


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[[Category:1989 deaths]]
[[Category:1989 deaths]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Scottish descent]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Scottish descent]]
[[Category:Ice hockey people from Saskatchewan]]
[[Category:Indianapolis Ice players]]
[[Category:Indianapolis Ice players]]
[[Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks]]
[[Category:NHL first-round draft picks]]
[[Category:New York Islanders draft picks]]
[[Category:New York Islanders draft picks]]
[[Category:Saskatoon Blades players]]
[[Category:Saskatoon Blades players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Saskatoon]]
[[Category:Ice hockey people from Saskatoon]]
[[Category:Springfield Indians players]]
[[Category:Springfield Indians players]]
[[Category:Canadian ice hockey defencemen]]
[[Category:Canadian ice hockey defencemen]]
[[Category:Deaths on mountains]]
[[Category:Sport deaths in Austria]]
[[Category:Unsolved deaths]]

Revision as of 08:47, 11 December 2024

For the Canadian editorial cartoonist, see Duncan Macpherson.
Duncan MacPherson
A passport photograph of MacPherson, taken a few weeks before his death
Born (1966-02-03)February 3, 1966
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Died August 9, 1989(1989-08-09) (aged 23)
Stubai Glacier Resort, Austria
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position Defenceman
Shot Left
Played for Springfield Indians
Indianapolis Ice
NHL draft 20th overall, 1984
New York Islanders
Playing career 1986–1989

Duncan Alvin MacPherson (February 3, 1966 – August 9, 1989) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. In 1989, he went on a trip to Austria, and then disappeared. Searches proved fruitless, until in 2003 when his body was found in a melting glacier. His death remains officially unsolved.

Early life and career

MacPherson was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. A standout defenceman for the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League, he was drafted in the first round, 20th overall, of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders.[1] He played minor league hockey for the Springfield Indians of the American Hockey League and the Indianapolis Ice of the International Hockey League.

Disappearance

In the summer of 1989, MacPherson went to Europe. The New York Islanders had bought out and released the often injured MacPherson. [2] [3] MacPherson had intentions of taking a job as a player-coach for a semi-pro hockey team in Dundee, Scotland, commencing in August 1989. Despite having a bad feeling about the entrepreneur Ron Dixon who was backing the Scottish team,[3] he travelled to central Europe alone in early August 1989. The plan was to visit old friends and see the sights before going on to Scotland.

He was scheduled to arrive in Dundee on August 12. When he did not show up, his family went to look for him. A car he had borrowed from a friend was discovered six weeks later in the parking lot of the Stubaital ski-region resort at the foot of the Stubai Glaciers in the Stubai Alps in Austria, where he had rented a snowboard. His last known contact was with an employee of the ski resort on August 9, who reported that he spoke with MacPherson, and last saw MacPherson departing alone to perhaps squeeze in some final snowboarding and hiking before nightfall.[3]

In 2003, 14 years after MacPherson disappeared, an employee of the Stubai Glacier Resort discovered a glove sticking out of the ice of the melting Schaufelferner Glacier (one of the Stubai Glaciers' arms), in the middle of the ski run, where MacPherson's body had lain frozen.[4]

Theories

According to John Leake, author of Cold a Long Time: An Alpine Mystery, MacPherson’s body was found to have suffered significant trauma, including amputation of arms, hands and legs. The damage is consistent with rotating machinery; his snowboard also had a uniform pattern of damage and was cut apart, which indicates that it too had gone through a machine. Leake’s conclusion was that MacPherson had a snowboard accident and injured his leg, and was lying on the slope waiting for rescue. During that very foggy day, a snowcat driver did not see MacPherson and ran him over by accident, killing him. Instead of reporting it, that driver (or his supervisor) buried MacPherson in the shallow crevasse. His body stayed hidden there for fourteen years, until the glacier melted enough for it to be seen.[5]

Career statistics

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1982–83 Battleford Barons SJHL 59 6 11 17 215 — — — — —
1982–83 Saskatoon Blades WHL 5 2 4 6 16 2 0 0 0 0
1983–84 Saskatoon Blades WHL 45 0 14 14 74 — — — — —
1984–85 Saskatoon Blades WHL 69 9 26 35 116 3 0 0 0 4
1985–86 Saskatoon Blades WHL 70 10 54 64 147 13 3 8 11 38
1986–87 Springfield Indians AHL 26 1 0 1 86 — — — — —
1987–88 Springfield Indians AHL 74 5 14 19 213 — — — — —
1988–89 Springfield Indians AHL 24 1 5 6 69 — — — — —
1988–89 Indianapolis Ice IHL 33 1 4 5 23 — — — — —
WHL totals 189 21 98 119 353 18 3 8 11 42
AHL totals 124 7 19 26 368 — — — — —

See also

References

  1. ^ "Duncan MacPherson Stats and News". nhl.com. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  2. ^ "Duncan MacPherson profile". Hockey Draft Central. Retrieved September 2, 2010.
  3. ^ a b c Jones, Chris (December 31, 2004). "The man in the ice". Esquire. Retrieved September 2, 2010.
  4. ^ "Iceman". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on March 4, 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2010.
  5. ^ "Duncan MacPherson's Death: Forensics". CreateSpace Publishing. Retrieved July 25, 2023.

Further reading

Preceded by New York Islanders first round draft pick
1984 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Duncan_MacPherson&oldid=1262417743"