Rob Niedermayer

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Rob Niedermayer
Rob Niedermayer Sabres.jpg
Niedermayer with the Buffalo Sabres in 2011
Born (1974-12-28) December 28, 1974 (age 51)
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 204 lb (93 kg; 14 st 8 lb)
Position Right wing
Shot Left
Played for Florida Panthers
Calgary Flames
Anaheim Ducks
New Jersey Devils
Buffalo Sabres
HC Lugano
National teamFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
NHL draft 5th overall, 1993
Florida Panthers
Playing career 1993–2011

Robert Wade Niedermayer Jr. [1] (born December 28, 1974) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 17 National Hockey League (NHL) seasons for the Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames, Anaheim Ducks, New Jersey Devils, and Buffalo Sabres.

Contents

He is the younger brother of former NHL defenceman Scott Niedermayer (the two were teammates for four seasons). [2] Born in Cassiar, British Columbia, he and his brother Scott grew up in Cranbrook.

Playing career

Niedermayer was drafted fifth overall by the Florida Panthers in the 1993 NHL entry draft. At the time, he was playing for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He began his NHL career immediately following his draft, without playing a game in the minors. During the 1995–96 season, he set career highs in goals, assists and points in the regular season. In the 1996 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Panthers went on an improbable playoff drive to the Stanley Cup Final before being swept in four games by the Colorado Avalanche. 1998-99 was his best season, putting up 18 goals and 33 assists for 51 points; however, Niedermayer was hurt by concussions in the next years and was never able to achieve the same level of scoring ability again. His NHL role soon turned into a defensive forward.

On July 23, 2001, Niedermayer was traded to the Calgary Flames (alongside a draft pick) in exchange for Valeri Bure and Jason Wiemer. [3] At the 2003 NHL trade deadline, he was sent to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. [4] That same year, he helped the Anaheim Ducks make an improbable run to the Stanley Cup Final, his second such run. But again, Niedermayer's team lost, although this time it was in seven games to his brother's team, the New Jersey Devils. He and Scott became the first set of brothers to play against each other in the Stanley Cup Final since Ken and Terry Reardon did it in 1946. [2] In the summer of 2005, Rob's brother Scott was signed by the Mighty Ducks, and for the first time in their NHL careers, the two brothers were playing on the same team. [5]

He and his brother Scott (by this point captain of the Ducks, with Rob as an alternate) won the Stanley Cup together as members of the Anaheim Ducks after defeating the Ottawa Senators four games to one in 2007, becoming the first brothers to win the Stanley Cup together since Duane and Brent Sutter accomplished the feat twice with the New York Islanders in 1982 and 1983. [2] After Scott took the first lap around the ice with the Stanley Cup, he handed it to Rob. This was a break with Stanley Cup tradition; normally, the alternate captain who has waited longest to win the Cup (in the 2006–07 Ducks' case, Chris Pronger and Teemu Selänne) takes the next lap after the captain takes his lap.

On September 25, 2009, Niedermayer was signed by the New Jersey Devils, a team his brother Scott played on for 14 NHL seasons. On July 7, 2010, Niedermayer was signed by the Buffalo Sabres to a one-year contract worth a reported $1.15 million. [6]

Rob Niedermayer warming up during the 2007 playoffs RNiedermayer1.JPG
Rob Niedermayer warming up during the 2007 playoffs

After becoming a free agent following the 2011 season, Niedermayer signed with HC Lugano of the Swiss National League A.

Personal

On July 16, 2006, Niedermayer married longtime girlfriend Jessica Bentall, daughter of Barney Bentall, whom he had been dating since March 2001. Together, they have three daughters, one of whom now plays soccer for the Mount Royal University Cougars Women's Soccer team, in Calgary, Alberta. [7] [8] [9] [10]

Niedermayer was a minority owner of major junior club the Kootenay Ice in the WHL for 18 years before selling his stake (along with brother Scott) to the Chynoweth family after the 2015–16 season. [11]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1990–91 Medicine Hat Tigers WHL 7124265081237102
1991–92 Medicine Hat TigersWHL713246787742352
1992–93 Medicine Hat TigersWHL5243347767—————
1993–94 Florida Panthers NHL 659172651—————
1994–95 Medicine Hat TigersWHL139152414—————
1994–95 Florida PanthersNHL48461036—————
1995–96 Florida PanthersNHL822635611072253812
1996–97 Florida PanthersNHL601424385452136
1997–98 Florida PanthersNHL33871541—————
1998–99 Florida PanthersNHL8218335150—————
1999–2000 Florida PanthersNHL8110233346—————
2000–01 Florida PanthersNHL671220325041016
2001–02 Calgary Flames NHL576142049—————
2002–03 Calgary FlamesNHL548101842—————
2002–03 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim NHL122241521371018
2003–04 Mighty Ducks of AnaheimNHL5512162834—————
2004–05 Ferencvárosi TC HUN 521314—————
2005–06 Mighty Ducks of AnaheimNHL76152439891613410
2006–07 Anaheim DucksNHL82511167721551039
2007–08 Anaheim DucksNHL7888165420000
2008–09 Anaheim DucksNHL7914721421303312
2009–10 New Jersey Devils NHL711012224550006
2010–11 Buffalo Sabres NHL71514192271342
2011–12 HC Lugano NLA 1424612—————
NHL totals1,153186283469904116182543111

International

Medal record
Representing Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2004 Czech Republic
World Junior Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1993 Sweden
YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
1993 Canada WJC Gold medal icon.svg70222
1999 Canada WC 4th102138
2004 CanadaWCGold medal icon.svg924622
Junior totals70222
Senior totals1945930

Awards and honours

AwardYear
WHL
East First All-Star Team 1993
NHL
Stanley Cup champion (Anaheim Ducks) 2007

Transactions

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Rob Niedermayer". ESPN. Archived from the original on 2007-10-28. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
  2. 1 2 3 McEvoy, Colin (February 9, 2023). "The Ultimate Sibling Rivalry: 8 Sets of Brothers Who Faced Off in Sports Championships". Biography . Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Niedermayer sticks with Flames". ESPN. 2001-06-23. Retrieved 2010-03-13.
  4. ↑ "Ducks Acquire Steve Thomas and Rob Niedermayer". Anaheim Mighty Ducks. March 11, 2003. Archived from the original on August 20, 2003. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Sign Niedermayer Brothers to Four-Year Contracts". Anaheim Mighty Ducks. August 4, 2005. Archived from the original on December 24, 2005. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Sabres sign Rob Niedermayer to one-year deal". ESPN.com. 7 July 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  7. ↑ https://mrucougars.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster [ bare URL ]
  8. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2010-11-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ↑ "Niedermayer player biography". buffalonews.com. 2012-07-24. Retrieved 2012-07-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  10. ↑ "Cranbrook's Brothers of the Blades". 14 December 2021. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  11. ↑ "Niedermayers' sell shares in Kootenay Ice". cfjctoday.com. 2016-04-27. Retrieved 2016-04-27.