He was recently the special assistant to the general manager and director of player development of the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL, now currently an assistant hockey coach at Bishop Eustace Preparatory School, the coach of Revolution in the Revolution Ice gardens, and the owner of a franchise of Bain's Deli in Philadelphia.[1] He is the older brother of Wayne Primeau.
Primeau became a leader with his new team when the franchise moved to North Carolina and became the Carolina Hurricanes, being named team captain in 1998–99. However, he missed the majority of the 1999–2000 NHL season after holding out and was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers (along with a 2000 fifth-round draft pick, ultimately used to select Kristofer Ottosson) in exchange for Rod Brind'Amour, Jean-Marc Pelletier and a 2000 second-round draft pick (Agris Saviels) on January 23, 2000.[3] On May 5, 2000, Primeau scored the game-winning goal in the longest game in modern NHL playoff history (five overtime periods for a total of 152 minutes and one second) against Ron Tugnutt of the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Only two games, in 1933 and 1936, were longer.
In his first full season with the Flyers, Primeau led the team in goals (34) and tied his career-high in points (73). Early in the following season, he was named team captain after defenceman Éric Desjardins resigned from the position.[4] After posting nearly identical seasons statistically in 2001–02 and 2002–03, Primeau was given the task of centering a more defense-oriented line in 2003–04.[5] He did well enough in his new role to earn a surprise selection to the 2004 NHL All-Star Game, the second of his career.[6][7]
In the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs, Primeau recorded nine goals and seven assists for a total of 16 points; it was the best playoff year of Primeau's career and his play carried the team to within a game of the Stanley Cup finals. In Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Primeau scored the game-tying goal with 1:49 left in regulation. The Flyers won the game, 5–4 in overtime, sending the series back to Tampa for Game 7. The Flyers went on to lose that game by a score of 2–1. Hockey legend Phil Esposito later told Primeau that, "During the '04 playoffs, when you and the Flyers took the Lightning to seven games, you were the most dominating player I ever saw. More than Orr, Howe, Gretzky, or anyone."[8]
Nine games into the 2005–06 season, Primeau suffered a concussion which ended his season. As a result of ongoing post-concussion syndrome, he officially announced his retirement on September 14, 2006.[9] On February 12, 2007, the Flyers honoured Primeau before a game against the Detroit Red Wings, the team which originally drafted him. An emotional Primeau thanked the fans for welcoming him back.[10]
Primeau and his wife Lisa reside in Voorhees, New Jersey with their four children, where they have resided since his January 2000 trade to the Philadelphia Flyers. The family previously resided in Farmington Hills, Michigan earlier in his career.
^Panaccio, Tim. "Primeau finally deals with reality", The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 14, 2006. Accessed March 17, 2011. "The phone rang at Keith Primeau's house in Voorhees, N.J., on Sept. 6. Flyers general manager Bob Clarke said he wanted to meet the next day."
