Jeffrey Michael Nielsen (born September 20, 1971 in Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 7,764 people, 3,446 households, and 1,943 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,057.8 people per square mile . There were 3,621 housing units at an average density of 493.3 per square mile...

, Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

) is a retired American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 professional ice hockey

Ice hockey

Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 player who played in the NHL

National Hockey League

The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

 with the New York Rangers

New York Rangers

The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...

, Anaheim Mighty Ducks

Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

, and Minnesota Wild

Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....

. He is the older brother of Kirk Nielsen

Kirk Nielsen

Kirk Nielsen is a retired American professional ice hockey player. He played 6 games in the NHL with the Boston Bruins during the 1997–98 season. He is the younger brother of Jeff Nielsen.-External links:...

.

Playing career

A highly touted prospect while in high school, Nielsen was drafted by the New York Rangers

New York Rangers

The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...

 in the 4th round, 69th overall in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft

1990 NHL Entry Draft

The 1990 National Hockey League Entry Draft was the 28th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted by the Vancouver Canucks at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on June 16, 1990...

. After being drafted Nielsen choose to play in the college ranks and played for the University of Minnesota

University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...

 for 4 years. He gradually improved each year and led the team in points during his senior season (1993–1994) and earned a spot on the WCHA

Western Collegiate Hockey Association

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....

 second All-Star team the same season.

After college Nielsen joined the Rangers minor league affiliate Binghamton Rangers

Binghamton Rangers

The Binghamton Rangers were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Binghamton, New York, USA at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.-History:The market was previously served by:-Playoffs:-Single Season:...

. He played 3 years with the Binghamton Rangers, most notably scoring 53 points in 76 games during the 1996–1997 season. That year he also made his NHL debut, appearing in 2 games with the New York Rangers.

Nielsen then signed with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. He split the 1997–1998 season between the Mighty Ducks and their minor league affiliate Cincinnati Mighty Ducks

Cincinnati Mighty Ducks

The Cincinnati Mighty Ducks were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, at the Cincinnati Gardens.-History:...

. For the 1998–1999 season Nielsen was able to crack the NHL Mighty Ducks starting lineup, playing 80 games and scoring 9 points. The 1999–2000 season saw Nielsen play in 79 games and score an NHL career high 18 points.

Nielsen was claimed in the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft

2000 NHL Expansion Draft

The 2000 NHL Expansion Draft was held on June 23, 2000, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The draft took place to fill the rosters of the league's two expansion teams for the 2000–01 season, the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Minnesota Wild.-Rules:...

 by the newly formed Minnesota Wild. He played one season with the Wild before retiring from hockey in 2001.

Career statistics

				Regular Season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1996–97	New York Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...	NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...		2	0	0	0	2
1997–98	Anaheim Mighty Ducks Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...	NHL		32	4	5	9	16
1998–99	Anaheim Mighty Ducks	NHL		80	5	4	9	34
1999–2000	Anaheim Mighty Ducks	NHL		79	8	10	18	14
2000–01	Minnesota Wild Minnesota Wild The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....	NHL		59	3	8	11	4
NHL Totals				252	20	27	47	70

International play

Year	Team	Comp	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2000	USA	WC	7	1	1	2	2

External links