Steven Rice

Last updated
Steven Rice
Born (1971-05-26) May 26, 1971 (age 54)
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 223 lb (101 kg; 15 st 13 lb)
Position Right wing
Shot Right
Played for New York Rangers
Edmonton Oilers
Hartford Whalers
Carolina Hurricanes
NHL draft 20th overall, 1989
New York Rangers
Playing career 19901998
2002–2007

Steven Rice (born May 26, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played eight seasons in the National Hockey League in the 1990s. Rice was born in Kitchener, Ontario.

Rice was drafted 20th overall by the New York Rangers in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. Following his outstanding performance at the 1991 World Junior Hockey Championships, in which he captained Canada to the gold medal, he was considered one of the top young power forward prospects in the game. In the summer of 1991, he was sent to the Edmonton Oilers as one of the centerpieces going the other way in the trade of superstar centre Mark Messier.

His results in Edmonton would be mixed - he spent most of his first two seasons there with their AHL affiliate, but established himself as a full-time NHL player in 1993–94 scoring 17 goals. Following that season, he signed free-agent offer sheet with the Hartford Whalers, and joined the Whalers the following season when Edmonton declined to match the offer. In his three years in Hartford, he established himself as a quality role player, scoring a career high 21 goals in 1996–97. However, a nightmare campaign in 1997–98 following the franchise's move to Carolina, in which he scored just 2 goals, effectively ended his NHL career. He retired at the premature age of 27.

Rice came out of retirement in 2002, playing in the Ontario Hockey Association's Major League Hockey, for the Cambridge Hornets until 2006, and then briefly for the Brantford Blast in the same league before retiring for good in 2006.

He played 329 career NHL games, scoring 64 goals and 61 assists for 125 points.

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1986–87 Waterloo Siskins MWJHL 741510
1987–88 Kitchener Rangers OHL 591114254340110
1988–89 Kitchener RangersOHL643631674252138
1989–90 Kitchener RangersOHL5839377610216481224
1990–91 Kitchener RangersOHL2930306043656112
1990–91 New York Rangers NHL 11112422136
1990–91 Binghamton Rangers AHL 84151252022
1991–92 Edmonton Oilers NHL30002
1991–92 Cape Breton Oilers AHL4532205238544810
1992–93 Edmonton OilersNHL2825728
1992–93 Cape Breton OilersAHL513428626314461022
1993–94 Edmonton OilersNHL6317153236
1994–95 Hartford Whalers NHL4011102161
1995–96 Hartford WhalersNHL5910122247
1996–97 Hartford WhalersNHL7821143559
1997–98 Carolina Hurricanes NHL4724638
2002–03 Cambridge Hornets OHA-Sr. 2317203715632510
2003–04Cambridge HornetsOHA-Sr.2418234124
2004–05Cambridge HornetsOHA-Sr.2924184212
2005–06Cambridge Hornets MLH 2422133541
2006–07 Brantford Blast MLH22241210671316
2007–08Brantford BlastMLH10369101097168
2007–08 Brantford Blast AC 536912
NHL totals329646112527522136