Lynn Patrick grew up in Victoria and excelled in a number of sports. He was a member of the 1933 Victoria Blue Ribbons, Canadian championship basketball team. In 1934, he signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers football club and in his first game set a season record with a 68-yard touchdown reception. However, his greatest accomplishments were in hockey as part of a family that had dominated the sport in North America from the turn of the century.
In 1934, Patrick joined the New York Rangers (coached by his father Lester), scoring thirteen goals in his first season. He played ten years with the Rangers, scoring a total of 145 goals and 190 assists in 455 games. Twice during this time he led the team in scoring and played a large role in the club’s 1940 Stanley Cup win.
Patrick was named to the NHL’s First All-Star team while playing for the Rangers in 1941-42 and again in 1942-43.
From 1946-48, he coached the New Haven team in the American Hockey League. He rejoined the New York Rangers as coach for the 1948-49 and 1949-50 seasons.
Patrick moved on to coach the Boston Bruins from 1950-55, taking them to the playoffs every year. In 1955, he became Bruins’ general manager, a position he held for the next ten years.
In 1967, Patrick became the first general manager of the expansion St. Louis Blues. He also coached them for the first sixteen games of the 1967-68 season until he hired the legendary Scotty Bowman. Together Patrick and Bowman took the Blues to the Stanley Cup Finals in each of their first three seasons.
Patrick served as vice-president of the Blues hockey club until 1977.