Matt Cullen

Last updated

Matt Cullen
Matt Cullen 2017-06-08.jpg
Cullen with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals
Born (1976-11-02) November 2, 1976 (age 48)
Virginia, Minnesota, U.S.
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 202 lb (92 kg; 14 st 6 lb)
Position Center
Shot Left
Played for Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Florida Panthers
SG Cortina
Carolina Hurricanes
New York Rangers
Ottawa Senators
Minnesota Wild
Nashville Predators
Pittsburgh Penguins
National teamFlag of the United States.svg  United States
NHL draft 35th overall, 1996
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Playing career 1997–2019

Matthew David Cullen (born November 2, 1976) is an American former professional ice hockey center who played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Cullen won the Stanley Cup three times during his career, with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017, and won a bronze medal in at the 2004 World Championship with the United States.

Contents

As of 2024, Cullen is one of 21 players to play over 1,500 NHL games and the only one of the group to never be named an All-Star. He is also one of two players American-born players to play in at least 1,500 NHL games.

Playing career

Cullen graduated from Moorhead High School in 1995; his father, Terry Cullen, was the school's varsity ice hockey coach. During his time at Moorhead High, Cullen led Moorhead to three state tourney appearances and two runner-up finishes. He was an all-state tourney selection three years, and was a Mr. Hockey finalist in 1995, when he was named the state's Player of the Year by the Associated Press after scoring 47 goals and adding 42 assists in 28 games.

Cullen played at St. Cloud State University from 1995 to 1997, and was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team in 1995 and WCHA All-Star in 1996. [1] He was then drafted in the second round, 35th overall, by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the 1996 NHL entry draft. Cullen played for the Ducks from 1997 until 2003, when he was traded to the Florida Panthers.

During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Cullen played in the Italian Serie A with SG Cortina, where he led the league in scoring with 27 goals and 33 assists in 36 games.

In the 2005–06 season, after NHL play resumed, Cullen won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes. After the season, he became an unrestricted free agent and subsequently signed a four-year contract with the New York Rangers. [2] After just one season with the Rangers, Cullen was traded back to the Hurricanes during the 2007 off-season in exchange for defenseman Andrew Hutchinson, forward Joe Barnes and a third-round draft pick in the 2008 NHL entry draft in the Rangers' attempt to free up salary space underneath the cap. [3]

On February 22, 2009, Cullen scored the first hat-trick of his career in a game against the Colorado Avalanche. On February 12, 2010, he was traded to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Alexandre Picard and a 2010 second-round draft pick. [4]

On July 1, 2010, Cullen returned to his home state when he signed a three-year deal as a free agent with the Minnesota Wild. [5] Upon the expiration of his three-year contract with the Wild, and with the team facing salary cap constraints, Cullen departed as a free agent and signed a two-year contract with the Nashville Predators on July 5, 2013. [6]

On August 6, 2015, Cullen signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins, [7] reuniting him with former Hurricanes' general manager Jim Rutherford, with whom he won a Stanley Cup in 2006. Cullen won his second Stanley Cup when the Penguins defeated the San Jose Sharks in six games in the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals. On August 17, 2016, Cullen signed a second one-year deal with the Penguins. [8] In June 2017, Cullen won his second consecutive Stanley Cup with the Penguins when they defeated the Nashville Predators in six games in the Stanley Cup Finals. [9]

On August 16, 2017, after winning back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with the Penguins, Cullen signed a one-year contract to return to the Minnesota Wild. [10] After Jaromír Jágr was placed on waivers by the Calgary Flames that season, Cullen became the oldest active player in the NHL at 41. [11]

On July 1, 2018, Cullen returned to the Penguins, signing a one-year contract. [12]

On July 10, 2019, after completing 21 seasons in the NHL, Cullen announced his retirement. [13] Upon his retirement, Cullen was one of two American-born NHL players to play in at least 1,500 games. [14]

After retiring from the NHL in 2019, Cullen became a player development coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins. He saw his first action as an NHL bench coach in February 2022, when filling in for the injured Todd Reirden. [15]

In 2023, Cullen was inducted to St. Cloud State University's athletics hall of fame. [1] [16] In 2024, Cullen was elected to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. [14] [17]

International play

Cullen also played on four World Championship teams and was a 2004 bronze medalist with the United States national team.

Personal life

Cullen is a member of a well-known hockey playing family, originating from Ontario. He is the older brother of Mark Cullen and Joe Cullen, who also played hockey professionally. Cullen and his wife have three sons, and they reside in Moorhead, Minnesota, during the off-season. [18] Cullen is a Christian. [19]

Cullen founded the "Cullen Children's Foundation", also known as "Cully's Kids", in 2003. The foundation provides financial resources to organizations that support children's healthcare needs with an emphasis on cancer. [20]

In 2020, Cullen bought in on the Fargo Force Hockey Academy and changed the name to the Cullen Force Academy upon his buy in. [21]

Career statistics

Cullen at the Stanley Cup parade with the Carolina Hurricanes. Matt Cullen.jpg
Cullen at the Stanley Cup parade with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1994–95 Moorhead High School USHS 2847428978—————
1995–96 St. Cloud State University WCHA 3912294128—————
1996–97 St. Cloud State UniversityWCHA3615304570—————
1996–97 Baltimore Bandits AHL 6336730220
1997–98 Cincinnati Mighty Ducks AHL181512272—————
1997–98 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim NHL 616212723—————
1998–99 Cincinnati Mighty DucksAHL31238—————
1998–99 Mighty Ducks of AnaheimNHL751114254740000
1999–2000 Mighty Ducks of AnaheimNHL8013263924—————
2000–01 Mighty Ducks of AnaheimNHL8210304038—————
2001–02 Mighty Ducks of AnaheimNHL7918304824—————
2002–03 Mighty Ducks of AnaheimNHL507142112—————
2002–03 Florida Panthers NHL30661222—————
2003–04 Florida PanthersNHL566131924—————
2004–05 SG Cortina ITA 3627346158188132136
2005–06 Carolina Hurricanes NHL7825244940254141812
2006–07 New York Rangers NHL8016254152101346
2007–08 Carolina HurricanesNHL5913364932—————
2008–09 Carolina HurricanesNHL69222143201833614
2009–10 Carolina HurricanesNHL6012284026—————
2009–10 Ottawa Senators NHL21448863580
2010–11 Minnesota Wild NHL7812273934—————
2011–12 Minnesota WildNHL7314213524—————
2012–13 Minnesota WildNHL42720271050332
2013–14 Nashville Predators NHL7710293932—————
2014–15 Nashville PredatorsNHL62718251661124
2015–16 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL8116163220244268
2016–17 Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL72131831302527924
2017–18 Minnesota WildNHL791111222051122
2018–19 Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL71713201440000
NHL totals1,51626646573159213219395872

International

Medal record
Representing Flag of the United States.svg  United States
World Championships
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2004 Prague
YearTeamEventResult GPGAPtsPIM
1996 United States WJC 5th63140
1998 United States WC 12th62134
1999 United StatesWC6th61674
2003 United StatesWC13th61122
2004 United StatesWCBronze medal icon.svg92464
Junior totals63140
Senior totals276121814

Awards and honors

Cullen raising the Stanley Cup in Nashville, 2017. Matt Cullen 2017-06-11 1.jpg
Cullen raising the Stanley Cup in Nashville, 2017.
AwardYearRef
College
All-WCHA Rookie Team 1996
All-WCHA Second Team 1997
NHL
Stanley Cup champion 2006, 2016, 2017 [14]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "Matt Cullen (2023) - Hall of Fame". scsuhuskies.com. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Rangers sign former Hurricanes center Cullen". ESPN.com. July 1, 2006. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  3. ↑ Burnside, Scott (July 17, 2007). "Cullen returns to Carolina; Rangers gain Hutchinson, Barnes". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  4. ↑ LeBrun, Pierre (February 12, 2010). "Canes acquire Picard plus 2010 pick". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  5. ↑ Andresen, Glen (July 1, 2010). "Cullen Comes Home". NHL.com. Archived from the original on July 6, 2010. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Nashville Predators Sign Matt Cullen To A Two-Year Contract". NHL.com. July 5, 2013. Archived from the original on July 10, 2013. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Penguins Agree To Terms With Veteran Center Matt Cullen". NHL.com. August 6, 2015. Archived from the original on August 9, 2015. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Penguins Re-Sign Forward Matt Cullen to a One-Year Contract". NHL.com. August 17, 2016. Archived from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Penguins repeat as Stanley Cup champions". CBC.ca. June 11, 2017. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Wild Signs Forward Matt Cullen". NHL.com. August 16, 2017. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  11. ↑ Myers, Dan (February 1, 2018). "With no Jagr, Cullen assumes 'oldest active player' mantle". NHL.com. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Penguins Sign Forward Matt Cullen to a One-Year Contract". NHL.com. July 1, 2018. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Penguins F Cullen retires after 21 seasons". TSN.ca. July 10, 2019. Archived from the original on July 10, 2019. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  14. 1 2 3 "Matt Cullen". ushockeyhalloffame.com. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  15. ↑ Haase, Taylor (February 24, 2022). "Cullen 'a natural' stepping into coaching role". DKPittsburghSports.com. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  16. ↑ Myers, Jess (September 5, 2024). "Moorhead's Matt Cullen inducted into U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame". The Rink Live. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  17. ↑ Ruff, Walt (September 5, 2024). "Matt Cullen To Be Inducted Into U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame". NHL.com. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  18. ↑ "NHL Champion Checks Fear of Failure". CBN.com. December 10, 2022. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  19. ↑ Mercer, Kevin (April 12, 2019). "Pittsburgh Penguins center Matt Cullen trusts in the Lord's plan as team enters NHL playoffs". Sports Spectrum. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  20. ↑ Shircliff, Elaine (November 6, 2015). "Foundation Friday : Cullen Children's Foundation". thehockeywriters.com. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Matt Cullen Joins the Fargo Force Academy". Fargo Force. April 1, 2021. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
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