He was chosen 124th overall by the Canadiens in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft while playing for the RPI Engineers. McPhee turned pro in 1982. After only two years with the Nova Scotia Voyageurs, McPhe became a regular on the Canadiens for eight seasons and won one Stanley Cup in 1985-86. He also played with the Minnesota North Stars and Dallas Stars. In 744 NHL season games, McPhee scored 200 goals and 199 assists. In 134 playoff games, he scored 28 goals and 27 assists. McPhee played in the 40th National Hockey League All-Star Game in 1989.