About Dino Ciccarelli
Dino Ciccarelli ( DEE-no SIS-ə-RELL-ee, born February 8, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who was a right winger for 19 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Minnesota North Stars, Washington Capitals, Detroit Red Wings, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Florida Panthers. Ciccarelli excelled in first two years in the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League (OMJHL) but suffered a horrific broken leg that saw doubts over whether he would play again or even be recruited by an NHL team. Determined to play again, he returned to action the following year but was not selected in the 1979 NHL entry draft. However, he was signed as a free agent in the fall that saw him play in the minor leagues before being called up late in the 1980–81 season, where he averaged nearly a point a game in 32 games as the team advanced to the 1981 Stanley Cup playoffs. The team lost in the Cup Final, but he set records for most goals and points for a rookie in the postseason that have been tied but not surpassed. He recorded the first two 50-goal seasons in franchise history and his 55 goals in the 1981–82 season has not been surpassed in franchise history. Disgruntled at management, he was traded to the Capitals late in the 1988–89 season; he left Minnesota as the all-time goals and points leader. He was traded to the Red Wings prior to the 1992–93 season, where he recorded his 500th goal and played in the Stanley Cup Final in 1995. He spent his final three seasons with Tampa Bay and Florida, with the latter seeing him become the ninth player to reach 600 goals in NHL history. In over 1,200 games, he recorded 608 goals and 592 assists for 1,200 points. His 608 career NHL goals are the most goals scored by a draft-eligible player who was not drafted by an NHL team. Ciccarelli was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010. In his first season with the Knights, Ciccarelli had 39 goals and 82 points in 66 games, finishing fifth in team scoring. After the season, Ciccarelli was awarded the Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy, which is given to the highest scoring right winger in the OMJHL. In 1988–89, Ciccarelli made his first all-star game appearance in six years, as he played with the Campbell Conference in the 1989 NHL All-Star Game held in Edmonton, Alberta. In the game, Ciccarelli assisted on a goal by Steve Yzerman, as the Campbell Conference won the game over the Wales Conference by a score of 9–5.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.