(Photo/New Jersey Devils)
When you think of the sport of ice hockey, New Jersey doesn’t usually come to mind as being a hotbed, but since the very first National Hockey League Draft in 1963, there have been quite a few New Jersey natives selected.
When it comes to states like Minnesota, Michigan and Massachusetts, New Jersey pales in comparison in producing US Hockey stars. The state’s reputation as a hockey hotbed has been growing over the past 20 or 30 years.
David Williams, born in Plainfield and raised in Chatham, and Jim Dowd, born and raised in Brick, were the first true New Jersey players to make it to the NHL. Both players were selected by the New Jersey Devils. Williams in the 12th round of the 1985 draft and Dowd in the eighth round of the 1987 draft.
Williams is credited with being the first New Jersey raised player to appear in an NHL game. In 173 games playing for the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks (known as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim during his time) he scored 11 goals and 53 assists for 64 points.
In 1985-1986, six years before Dowd became first New Jersey native to play for the Devils, he helped Brick Township High School win the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association hockey championship. In 1988, he won the National Collegiate Athletic Association Frozen Four with Lake Superior State.
Dowd’s NHL career spanned 17years from 1991 to 2008, playing for the Devils, Vancouver Canuks, New York Islanders, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche and the Philadelphia Flyers. In 728 games, he scored 71 goals and 168 assists for a total of 239 points.
In 99 post season games he had 9 goals and 17 assists for 26 points, but the biggest playoff goal for him probably came when he notched the game winner, at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, MI, in Game 2 of the 1995 Stanley Cup Finals. That goal helped the Devils take a 2-0 lead in the series, as they then returned home to complete the sweep over the heavily favored Detroit Red Wings to capture their first of three Stanley Cups.
George Parros, raised in Randolph, but born in Scenery Hill, PA played his youth hockey with the New Jersey Colonials (known at the time as the Morris County Colonials) and his high school hockey at Delbarton School in Morristown. He impressed the scouts at Princeton University and following his graduation in 1998, he deferred admission to Princeton to play junior hockey with the Chicago Freeze of the North American Hockey League to get the chance to improve his play and get bigger.
In 54 games with the Freeze he averaged a point a game. In 1999, he began his four years at Princeton, becoming the captain in his senior year and scoring 52 points over 111 games. The Los Angeles Kings selected Parros in the eighth round of the 1999 entry draft. On October 5, 2005 he made his debut with the Kings becoming the seventh Princeton Tiger to play in the NHL.
Parros’s career spanned 10 years playing for the Kings, Avalanche, Ducks, Florida Panthers and Canadiens. Over that time he played 474 games scoring 18 goals and 18 assists for 36 points. In 2007, with the Ducks he was able to raise the Cup. Parros chose to announce his retirement this past December.
Kyle Palmieri, grew up in Montvale, but was born in Smithtown, NY and played youth hockey with the New Jersey Junior Devils before he joined the United States National Team Development program in Ann Arbor, MI and then one season with the University of Notre Dame. While at Notre Dame he scored nine goals and eight assists. In 2009, the Ducks selected him with the 26th overall pick in that year’s entry draft.
Palmieri, would record his first NHL goal in his debut for the Ducks, on November 3, 2010. He began his second professional season with 6 points in his first 2 games of the 2011-2012 American Hockey League season, including a hat trick, the Syracuse Crunch, top farm club of the Ducks, earning AHL player of the week for the period ending October 16, 2011.
The former St Peter’s Prep star has been currently playing for the Ducks for the past 2 full seasons, plus 2 partial seasons. Over those four seasons, he has played in 163 games while scoring 37 goals and 36 assists for 73 points.
James van Riemsdyk, born in Middletown and a star at Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, until his junior year, when he transferred to the US National Team Development program was selected second overall by the Flyers in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Van Riemsdyk was drafted right behind fellow American Patrick Kane marking the first time in NHL history that US born players were selected first and second overall.
Prior to attending Christian Brothers Academy, he played from mites through the first year of midgets with the Brick Hockey Club. As a kid growing up in the New York area, van Riemsdyk was an avid New York Rangers fan.
Over the past five years, he has been playing with the Flyers and currently the Toronto Maple Leafs he has put up 114 goals and 118 assists for 232 points in 371 games. He was one of the NHL stars that participated in Operation Hat Trick on November 24, 2012. Operation Hat Trick was the charity game played at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, which helped raise funds for Hurricane Sandy victims.
Van Riemsdyk’s younger brother Trevor also plays in the NHL after the Blackhawks signed him as an undrafted player, to a two-year entry level contract on March 24, 2014. The younger van Riemsdyk also played for Christian Brothers Academy until his senior year when he left the prestigious prep school to play for the New Hampshire Jr Monarchs of the Eastern Junior Hockey League.
He played his college hockey at the University of New Hampshire. His outstanding play in his sophomore year helped reward him with a selection to the 2012-2013 All Hockey East Conference First Team All Star. He made his NHL debut on October 9, 2014 and in 18 games thus far he has picked up one assist.
The van Riemsdyk brothers faced off against each other on November 1 2014 up in Toronto, with James’s Maple Leafs defeating Trevor’s Blackhawks 4-3. JVR had a goal in the matchup while TVR was held off the board.
John Carlson raised in Colonia but born in Natick, MA, began his hockey career with the New Jersey Rockets of the Atlantic Youth Hockey League. He had attended St. Joseph’s High School in Metuchen for three years before attending Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, IN.
In 2007-2008, he played for the Indianapolis Ice of the United States Hockey League, the top junior hockey league in the US. The following season he signed on to play for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League.
In the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Carlson with the 27th overall pick. Carlson’s professional debut was with the Capitals AHL affiliate the Hershey Bears, on May 2, 2009 in the Calder Cup playoffs versus the Wilkes-Barre Penguins, top farm club of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The following night he recorded his first professional goal in game 2 of the series.
On November 21, 2009 he made his debut for the Capitals against the Maple Leafs. The Capitals recalled him on January 21, 2010 and four days later on January 25th he would record his first NHL against Cam Ward and the Carolina Hurricanes.
His first NHL playoff goal was the tying goal in game 2 of the first round the 2010 NHL playoffs versus the Canadiens. That same season he also scored the game winning goal of the sixth and final game of the Calder Cup Finals between the Bears and the Texas Stars, the AHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars.
In the 316 games he has played so far with the Capitals, the defenseman has scored 38 goals and had 130 helpers bringing his total points to 168.
Bobby Sanguinetti, born in Trenton and raised in Lumberton, also played for the Rockets. He even won the peewee 2001 Tier One USA National Championship with them.
Sanguinetti grew up a Rangers fan and as a defenseman tries to model his game after former Ranger great, number two, Brian Leetch. He even wears the number 22 as a tribute to him. In the 2006 NHL Entry Draft the Rangers selected him in the first round with the 21st overall pick.
Sanguinetti had a breakthrough year in 2006-2007, finishing second overall amongst OHL defenseman in goals scored with 23 and 10th overall in points scored by defenseman with 53. Even though his Owen Sound Attack was swept from the first round of the playoffs, he still managed to have a good series with three goals and three assists in the four games.
With his junior team eliminated the Rangers decided to call him up to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolfpack. In the seven regular season games he had five assists and added one point in the playoffs for the Wolfpack. In April of 2007, the Rangers signed him to his entry level contract.
Sanguinetti made his NHL debut on December 27. 2009 versus the Lightning playing just over 16 minutes on 22 shifts. In the five games with the Rangers he was unable to record a point but had four penalty minutes. The Rangers decided to trade him to the Hurricanes on June 26, 2010 for a second round pick.
During the lockout shortened season of 2012-2013, Sanguinetti scored his first NHL goal on February 24, 2013 against the Islanders, at the Nassau Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum. In the 37 games with the Hurricanes he recorded six points, two goals and four assists.
When the Hurricanes and Sanguinetti were unable to reach a contract agreement before the 2013-2014 season, he signed a deal with the Atlant Moscow Oblast of the Russian Kontinental Hockey League. On July 1, 2014, the Canuks signed him to one year deal and he is currently playing for their AHL affiliate the Utica Comets.
T.J. Brennan, born and raised in Moorestown, left Moorestown High School in his senior year to begin his career as a hockey player. He played two seasons with the now defunct St. Johns Fog Devils of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He moved with the team to Montreal where he played in the inaugural season of the Montreal Junior Hockey Club.
In the 2006-2007 season for the Fog Devils, he scored 16 goals and 25 assists, winning him the Raymond Lagace Trophy as the QMJHL defensive Rookie of the Year. The following year he played three fewer games and still matched his offensive output from the previous year. In the team’s six game playoff run he averaged a point per game.
The Buffalo Sabres selected Brennan in the second round of the 2007 entry draft with the 31st overall pick. On April 18, 2009 he signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Sabres. In the 2009-2010 season, with the Portland Pirates, AHL affiliate of the Sabres, he began to get accustomed to the AHL and work to develop his defensive game he began working on with his junior club in Montreal.
Even though his point production dropped as he worked to become a stronger defenseman, his work ethic improved as he learned quickly that in order to stay in the lineup, he would have to earn that place every night or else become a healthy scratch. His hard work quickly paid off as he didn’t miss two games back to back from January 12, 2010 until the end of the postseason.
Brennan made his NHL debut on November 23, 2011 scoring his first NHL goal on the same night against Tim Thomas and the Boston Bruins. After the Sabres traded him to the Panthers in March of 2013 then traded from the Panthers to the Nashville Predators in June of 2013 he was eventually released and on July 5 2013 the Maple Leafs signed him to a one-year, two-way contract.
Buoyed by the successful season he had with the Toronto Marlies, the AHL affiliate of the Maple Leafs, on July 4, 2014 the Islanders signed him to a one-year contract after inviting him to training camp. Prior to this 2014-2015 season the Islanders traded him to the Blackhawks, who then assigned him to their AHL affiliate the Rockford Icehogs, after he cleared waivers.
Brennan has played in all 43 Icehogs games so far this season, scoring 8 goals and 24 assists for 32 points to bring to his AHL totals to 76 goals 123 assists for 199 points in 301 games. In the 40 games he’s played in the NHL so far he has managed to score 4 goals and 7 assists for 11 points.
Bobby Ryan, born in Cherry Hill and raised in Collingswood, was selected second overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Ducks. His back story is a complicated one that he made public during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
When he was 10 years old his parents took him on the run after his father was charged with attempted murder. His father had searched for a new home, in Canada and Alaska before finding a spot in southern California, for his family that would allow his son the chance to excel at hockey. The young Bobby, using a fake name, picked out by his father while the family was on the run. His father had chosen Ryan because he liked the movie “Saving Private Ryan.”
His father was caught in 2000 after the S.W.A.T. team raided their home in the middle of the night and was brought back to New Jersey to serve a three year prison term. The story does have a happy ending though as his parents are still together and back living in South Jersey, where his father runs former Flyers general manager, Bobby Clark’s gym.
In 2003, after winning a national championship with his minor hockey team the Los Angeles Junior Kings, he had initially committed to play for the US National U-18 Team. Despite telling the OHL and their teams he wouldn’t play major junior hockey, the Owen Sound Attack drafted him seventh overall in the 2003 OHL Selection Draft.
He was convinced to play for the Attack and began his rookie campaign with a 39 point season. After improving to 89 points in his second season, the Ducks decided to make him the second overall pick in 2005.
He closed out his OHL career after the Attack were eliminated from the 2006-2007 playoffs he was assigned by the Ducks to their AHL affiliate the Portland Pirates for their final eight games. In the 2007-2008 season he started his career with the Ducks, scoring a goal in his debut versus the Kings, across the pond at the O2 Arena in London, England.
Ryan was returned to Portland after four games, but was recalled on March 7, 2008 after a leg injury sidelined Corey Perry for the remainder of the season. The following season he made the opening roster but due to salary cap issues was sent down to the Ducks new AHL affiliate the Iowa Chops. He was recalled later in the season, and on January 8, 2009 recorded a natural hat trick against the Kings at Staples Center. It was the first hat trick of his career.
He was a finalist for the 2009 Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year). The Ducks traded Ryan to the Senators on July 5 2013. The Senators then resigned him to a seven year on October 2, 2014 ensuring they will have his services through the 2021-2022 season. In 491 NHL games so far, he has scored 182 goals 188 assists for 370 points. Like James van Riemsdyk, Ryan participated in Operation Hat Trick as well.
Back in 1994-1995, when Ryan, was still known as Bobby Stevenson around the rinks in South Jersey, he noticed a toddler about one or two, running around. That toddler was the young son of one of his coaches and would eventually become known as “Johnny Hockey.”
Johnny Gaudreau, born in Carney’s Point and raised in Gloucester happened to be the little tyke, Ryan remembered seeing skating around the Hollydell Ice Arena in Sewell. Gaudreau’s father was the director of hockey at the rink.
After leading Gloucester Catholic to the NJSIAA Non-Public Finals in 2009-2010, Gaudreau was named second team All Star by the Star Ledger. He played for the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League in the 2010-2011 season. During that season he was selected to play in the 2011 USHL All Star Game. His outstanding play throughout the season, led to him being selected to the USHL All-Rookie Team and All-USHL Second Team.
The Flames selected him in the fourth round of the 2011 Entry Draft with the 104th selection. Listed at 5’6” he was one of the shortest players selected in the 2011 draft. After attending training camp with the Flames, he then went on to begin his NCAA career at Boston College.
As a freshman at BC, Gaudreau went on to score 21 goals and 23 assists in 44 games leading all freshman in scoring. He played an integral part in Boston College’s National Championship, even scoring a highlight reel goal late in the third period of their 4-1 win in the finals over Ferris State. He was awarded the Bill Flynn Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the Hockey East Tournament as well as helping BC win the Beanpot Tournament for the third consecutive year and being named the Beanpot MVP.
Gaudreau emerged as a star in his sophomore year improving his stats to 21 goals and 30 assists in 50 games, leading the nation in points per game. He even led the Eagles to a fourth consecutive Beanpot Championship after winning a gold for Team USA in the 2013 World Juniors.
Despite losing to archrivals Boston University in the Hockey East semifinals and being knocked out of the NCAA tournament in the first round by Union College, he was awarded the Hockey East Player of the Year and also named ACHA First Team All American due to his offensive production. On April 3, 2013 he was one of the finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, which is awarded to the top NCAA men’s ice hockey player.
Even though there were rumors Gaudreau was going to join the Flames, he decided to remain in college for his junior year. One of the main reason was to play with his younger brother Matt, who was about to begin his NCAA career with Boston College. His decision was a fortunate one as he dominated the NCAA in just about every major scoring category with 36 goals and 44 assists for 80 points in 40 games. His 2.00 point per game pace was the highest by any player in the country since 2003.
Gaudreau tied Paul Kariya’s record for Hockey East single season scoring streak of 31 games, while scoring 29 goals and 61 points during the string. He was named the league’s player of the year for the second year in a row and scoring champion as well as being named a unanimous first team All Star. Although the Eagles suffered a disheartening loss to Union College in the 2014 Frozen Four, on April 11, Gaudreau won the Hobey Baker Award.
Gaudreau signed his entry-level contract with the Flames on the same day he won the Hobey Baker. He made his NHL debut in the Flames final game of the 2013-3014 season versus the Canuks, scoring his first NHL goal on his first shot in his first professional game. He earned a spot on the Flames roster to start the 2014-2015 season but started out slowly, not registering a point until the sixth game.
After that first point he started to heat up and put up 12 goals and 18 assists in 37 games. On December 22, 2014 he recorded his first NHL hat trick against Jonathan Quick and the Kings in a come from behind 4-3 victory. With that hat trick he became the youngest Flames player to record one since Joe Nieuwendyk, accomplished the feat in 1987-1988. As of the All Star Break, Gaudreau is second in rookie scoring only behind Nashville Predator’s Filip Forsberg.
The 2013 NHL Entry Draft was hosted by the Devils at the Prudential Center in Newark. There were two players born and raised in New Jersey taken in that draft. Those players were Connor Clifton and Anthony Brodeur.
Clifton, was born in Matawan and raised in Long Branch, in 2009-2010 he played for Christian Brothers Academy and also joined his older brother Tim on the New Jersey Hitman of the Empire Junior Hockey League. In 36 games with the Hitman that first year he scored two goals and 10 assists and two goals and 10 assists in 3 playoff games. For the following season he gave up on high school hockey to be able to focus on his junior career.
In the 2010-2011 season he had four goals and 13 assists in 36 games, as well as two goals and two assists in seven playoff games for the Hitman. For his third season, he began the year with the Hitman’s EJHL team as well as their Empire League team. In mid-season he had joined the US National Team Development program U17 team.
In 34 EJHL teams he scored one goal and 14 assists as well as one assist in four Empire League games. In the 12 games he played for the U17 US National Team Development program he scored one goal. The one goal was an overtime game winner coming against the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms. He also represented the USA in a pair of U17 tournaments in November 2011.
In 2012-2013 he was named to Team USA’s U18 program for the Ivan Hinka Tournament afterwards joining the National Team Development Program on a full time basis. At the 2013 U18 World Junior Championships, he scored 8 goals and 15 assists helping Team USA win the silver.
Central Scouting ranked him 88th among North American skaters. The Peterborough Petes drafted him in the fourth round of the 2013 OHL Priority Draft with the 75th pick. At the 2013 NHL draft in Newark, the Coyotes selected him 133rd overall in the fifth round. Currently he is in his sophomore year playing Quinnipiac University, one of the top ranked NCAA hockey programs.
Brodeur, born in West Paterson and grew up in Essex Fells, was brought up on hockey while his father, future Hall of Famer and long-time Devils goalie, Martin Brodeur, was winning three Stanley Cups, four Vezina Trophies as well as setting numerous NHL records. The younger Brodeur, who is also a goal tender, plays an aggressive butterfly style that focusing on strong positioning to the shooter. Similar to his father, his stick handling and his glove hand are two of his strengths. The way he kicks shots towards the boards, doesn’t give many shooters any chance for a rebound.
In 2010-2011, he was given the opportunity to play for the U16 team at Shattuck-Saint Mary Prep School in Fairbault, MN. One of the top hockey schools in the US. That first season he was 25-2 with three shutouts and a 2.18 goals against average and .919 save percentage. His Shattuck-St. Mary Saints finished 49-4-1 and reached the USA Hockey U16 Championship game where they came up short in a 3-2 loss, against Detroit Honeybaked.
His junior year in 2011-2112, while splitting time in net again, he posted a 24-3-1 record with four shutouts, a 2.31 GAA and .931 save percentage. His Saints defeated the Los Angeles Junior Kings, 2-1, in the USA U18 Tier 1 Championships. In the three games he played he posted a 2-1 record with a 3.10 GAA and .878 save percentage.
His senior year, he record a 21-5-2 record with five shutouts, 2.48 GAA and .923 save percentage. His Saints team returned to the U18 in the semi-finals by Neponset Valley, MA. Brodeur posted a 2-0 with a 2.19 GAA and a .920 save percentage. That June he announced that he was foregoing college hockey to play for the QMJHL Gatineau Olympiques.
On June 30, 2013, the Devils gave Marty the honor of announcing their seventh round and final pick of the draft. From the floor of the Prudential Center, Marty stepped up to the mic to make the announcement that the 208th overall pick would be his son.
In 2013-2014, he played 30 games a backup for the Olympiques posting a record of 13-10-2 with a 2.90 GAA and .887 save percentage. Before the 2014-2015, Brodeur, along with his twin brothers William and Jeremy, were invited to the Devils development camp. Following development camp, he then attended training camp before being returned to Gatineau to start the season. In November, the Olympiques waived him and Drummondville Voltigeurs claimed him. His record with the Voltigeurs is 7-1 with 3.50 GAA and .899 save percentage.
Matt Herr, born in Hackensack and raised in Alpine, was the fourth round pick of the Capitals in the 1994 Entry Draft and played 58 games for the Captials, Panthers and Bruins. He represented the 1996 US National Junior team in the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championships in Boston. Was also named to the US Men’s National Team at the 1999 IIHF World Championships in Oslo, Norway. He has also served as a coach of several US teams that have competed internationally, most recently the U18 Select team that played in the 2012 Ivan Hlinka Tournament.
There are some other notable players that have some ties to New Jersey hockey but really aren’t considered New Jersey natives. Players like Brian Lawton who was born in New Brunswick but grew up in Cumberland, RI. Lawton was a first overall pick of the Minnesota North Stars in the 1983 entry draft. He played in 483 games with six teams, including the North Stars, Rangers, Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, Bruins and Sharks. He also served as an agent and a former general manager of the Lightning.
Another player with ties to the state would be, Paul Mara, born in Ridgewood and raised in Belmont, MA. Mara was selected seventh overall by the Lightning in the 1997 Draft. Over the course of his career he played in 734 games with the Lightning, Coyotes, Bruins, Rangers, Ducks and Canadiens.
Red Wings forward, Drew Miller may have grown up in East Lansing, MI, but he was born in Dover. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2003 NHL Draft by the Ducks. Miller made his NHL debut against the Wild on April 19, 2007. He has played in 453 games while playing for the Ducks, Lightning and currently with the Red Wings.
Mathieu Schneider, was born in Manhattan, NY and had lived with his family in West New York until they moved to Woonsocket, RI before he started high school. An offensive defenseman that had appeared in 1289 games with 10 teams, including the Canadiens, Islanders, Maple Leafs, Rangers, Kings, Red Wings, Ducks, Atlanta Thrashers, Canuks and Coyotes. The Canadiens drafted him in the third round with the 44th overall pick. Schneider was a Stanley Cup helped the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup in 1993.
Randy Wood, was signed as an undrafted player out of Yale University, Islanders in 1986. Although he was raised in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA he was born in Princeton in 1963. Wood’s father was the head coach of the Princeton University hockey team from 1959 to 1965. Wood played in the NHL for 12 seasons with the Islanders, Sabres, Maple Leafs and Stars. At the 2013 Entry Draft in Newark, Wood’s son Miles, was selected 100th overall in the fourth round by the Devils.
Kevin Shattenkirk, Jeremy Roenick and Brian Mullen may not have born or raised in New Jersey, but they also have some ties to the state. At the age of 14, Roenick commuted from Fairfax, VA to play for the New Jersey Rockets. During his time with the Flyers, Roenick lived in Moorestown. Mullen is another alumni of the Rockets and currently serving as an assistant coach with the team. Shattenkirk, began his hockey career with the Junior Devils.
Over the past few years hockey has been growing in popularity within the state. There are now about 161 high schools in New Jersey that field an ice hockey program. The NJSIAA crowns champions within three categories now; Private, Public A and Public B.
The private and public schools participated in one tournament through 1994, but as the private schools had the ability to recruit players without having to worry about where they were from pretty much dominated the tournament. In 1995 they began holding separate tournaments for public and private schools, with the public champions taken on the private champs in an overall championship.
The overall championship was eventually eliminated in 2005 due to the fact the public schools had only won one time in 1997 over the 10 years. In 2008, the public tournament was divided into two categories to give the smaller schools a chance at a championship.
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