While growing up in
Alberta, May played juniors with the
Medicine Hat Tigers and the
New Westminster Bruins. After scoring 23 goals for the
Carolina Thunderbirds of the Atlantic Coast League in 1986-87, the young forward was signed by the
Boston Bruins as a free agent, although he would spend most of his time in the minors. May was the first member of the Carolina Thunderbirds to reach the NHL without prior professional experience. He later moved on to the
Edmonton Oilers; again, he spent most of his time in the minors. In 1989, May became more known after his trade to the
Washington Capitals. During his almost five seasons with the Capitals, his gritty, hard-nosed style of play made him a fan favorite, and helped the team reach the semifinals for the first time, in 1990. May remains the Capitals' single season leader in penalty minutes with 339, which he set during the
1989-90 season. May also played for the
Dallas Stars and
Calgary Flames before finishing his NHL career. May was traded at the
NHL trade deadline four times in his career. This record was equaled by
Thomas Vanek in 2018. In 1999, he coached the short-lived
Dallas Stallions roller-hockey team. He went on to briefly coach the
Lubbock Cotton Kings. == Personal life ==