Former Penguins defenseman Bryan “Bugsy” Watson has died at the age of 78. The team announced his death through its Twitter account, but details were not revealed.
A native of Bancroft, Ontario, Watson was a wildly popular player for the Penguins throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s due to his combative nature.
During parts of six seasons with the Penguins, Watson appeared in 303 games for the Penguins and recorded 65 points (eight goals, 57 assists) as well as a robust 871 penalty minutes, the fifth-highest total in franchise history, and 48 fighting majors.
His signature season with the Penguins came during the 1971-72 campaign when he led the NHL with 212 penalty minutes in 75 games.
In addition to the Penguins, Watson played for the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Oakland Seals and St. Louis Blues. He also briefly served as head coach of the Edmonton Oilers in the early 1980s.
