Jeff O'Neill
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey O'Neill is a Canadian former professional ice hockey
winger
in the National Hockey League
(NHL). During his career, he played for the Hartford Whalers
/Carolina Hurricanes
and the Toronto Maple Leafs
. He retired from hockey after a September 2008 tryout with the Carolina Hurricanes.
, north of Toronto
, playing minor hockey for the King City Kings MHA as a youth. O'Neill grew up with two older brothers, Don and Ryan, both of whom played hockey. O'Neill moved up to the AAA level at age 13 in the Pee Wee age class with the Richmond Hill-Vaughan Kings of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association
. As a 14-year-old, he played at the Midget level with his brother Ryan — almost three years younger than some of his peers. At 15, O'Neill signed with the Thornhill Thunderbirds
Jr. A club (OHA) where he finished second in the Metro Junior Hockey League
in scoring as a rookie.
O'Neill was the first overall selection of the Guelph Storm
in the 1992 OHL Priority Selection, held at Maple Leaf Gardens
in June 1992. He was named OHL Rookie of the Year that year after scoring 79 points in 65 games with the upstart Storm. His point total of 79 for a 16-year-old was the second highest total by a 16-year-old since Kirk Muller
recorded 112 with the Guelph Platers
in 1982–83. He also played in the American Hockey League
for the Springfield Falcons
. O'Neill spent three years in the OHL with the Storm before jumping to the NHL with the Hartford Whalers
in 1995.
) in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft
. He went to the 2002 Stanley Cup Final
with the Hurricanes before losing to the Detroit Red Wings
. He ranks first or second in almost every Hurricanes scoring record. O'Neill was selected to the Eastern Conference
team for the 2002–03 NHL All-Star Game
.
On 30 July 2005, the Hurricanes traded O'Neill to the Toronto Maple Leafs
for a conditional draft pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft
. He expressed a desire to play for the Maple Leafs before the signing of the CBA
.
Re-united with former Carolina Hurricanes
coach Paul Maurice
, O'Neill enjoyed a resurgence early in the season and, benefiting from playing on the top line with Mats Sundin
and Alexander Steen
, was briefly one of the top scorers. However, towards the end of the season, O'Neill had been benched for the remaining games due to poor offensive performance. His poor performance combined with his fear of flying led him to consider retirement at the end of the season. He was invited to the Carolina Hurricanes
2008-09 Training Camp, but did not make the final roster and was released.
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...
winger
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
in the National Hockey League
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...
(NHL). During his career, he played for the Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
/Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
and the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. He retired from hockey after a September 2008 tryout with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Minor hockey
O'Neill grew up in the community of King CityKing City, Ontario
King City is an affluent, unincorporated village in King Township, Ontario, Canada, located just north of Toronto. It is the largest community in King Township, with 1,629 dwellings and a population of 4,902.-History:...
, north of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, playing minor hockey for the King City Kings MHA as a youth. O'Neill grew up with two older brothers, Don and Ryan, both of whom played hockey. O'Neill moved up to the AAA level at age 13 in the Pee Wee age class with the Richmond Hill-Vaughan Kings of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association
Ontario Minor Hockey Association
The Ontario Minor Hockey Association is a major ice hockey governing body at the minor level. The OMHA is empowered by the Ontario Hockey Federation and Hockey Canada. The OMHA oversees minor hockey from Initiation to Juvenile throughout the majority of southern Ontario...
. As a 14-year-old, he played at the Midget level with his brother Ryan — almost three years younger than some of his peers. At 15, O'Neill signed with the Thornhill Thunderbirds
Thornhill Thunderbirds
The Thornhill Thunderbirds were a Canadian Junior "B" ice hockey team from Thornhill, Ontario. They played in the Central Junior B Hockey League.-History:...
Jr. A club (OHA) where he finished second in the Metro Junior Hockey League
Metro Junior A Hockey League
----The Metro Junior "A" Hockey League was a junior level ice hockey league based out of Southern Ontario. The league originated in 1956 as the Metro Junior "B" Hockey League, which lasted until 1991, when it changed its designation from Junior B to Junior A. It remained a Jr...
in scoring as a rookie.
O'Neill was the first overall selection of the Guelph Storm
Guelph Storm
The Guelph Storm is a major junior ice hockey team based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. They have played in the OHL since the 1991–92 season. The team plays home games at the Sleeman Centre.-History:...
in the 1992 OHL Priority Selection, held at Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens is an indoor arena that was converted into a Loblawssupermarket and Ryerson University athletic centre in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.One of the temples of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the...
in June 1992. He was named OHL Rookie of the Year that year after scoring 79 points in 65 games with the upstart Storm. His point total of 79 for a 16-year-old was the second highest total by a 16-year-old since Kirk Muller
Kirk Muller
Kirk Christopher Muller is a retired professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League for 19 seasons from 1984–85 until 2002–03...
recorded 112 with the Guelph Platers
Guelph Platers
The Guelph Platers were a junior ice hockey team in theOntario Hockey Association from 1975 to 1982, and the Ontario Hockey League from 1982 to 1989, based in Guelph, Ontario.-History:...
in 1982–83. He also played in the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
for the Springfield Falcons
Springfield Falcons
The Springfield Falcons are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . They play in Springfield, Massachusetts, at the MassMutual Center and are the top affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League. The Falcons' two main rivals are the Connecticut Whale and the...
. O'Neill spent three years in the OHL with the Storm before jumping to the NHL with the Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
in 1995.
NHL
O'Neill was drafted in the first round, fifth overall by the Hartford Whalers (now Carolina HurricanesCarolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
) in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft
1994 NHL Entry Draft
The 1994 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Hartford Civic Center on June 28–29, 1994.-Selections by round:Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...
. He went to the 2002 Stanley Cup Final
2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championships of the National Hockey League, was played from April until June. The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Carolina Hurricanes four games to one to clinch the 10th championship in their history. It was the Hurricanes first ever appearance in the...
with the Hurricanes before losing to the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
. He ranks first or second in almost every Hurricanes scoring record. O'Neill was selected to the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (NHL)
The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Western Conference....
team for the 2002–03 NHL All-Star Game
53rd National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 53rd National Hockey League All-Star Game was held during the 2002–03 NHL season, and took place at the Office Depot Center in Sunrise, Florida, the home of the Florida Panthers, on February 2, 2003...
.
On 30 July 2005, the Hurricanes traded O'Neill to the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
for a conditional draft pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft
2006 NHL Entry Draft
The 2006 NHL Entry Draft was the 44th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on June 24, 2006.The draft order for the first 14 picks was decided during a lottery held on April 20, 2006....
. He expressed a desire to play for the Maple Leafs before the signing of the CBA
NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement
The NHL collective bargaining agreement is the basic contract between the National Hockey League team owners and the NHL Players Association , designed to be arrived at through the typical labor-management negotiations of collective bargaining...
.
Re-united with former Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
coach Paul Maurice
Paul Maurice
Paul Maurice is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player and twice head coach of the National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes. At age 43, Maurice became the youngest coach in NHL history to coach 1,000 games. Maurice reached this milestone on November 28, 2010...
, O'Neill enjoyed a resurgence early in the season and, benefiting from playing on the top line with Mats Sundin
Mats Sundin
Mats Johan Sundin is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player. Originally drafted first overall in 1989, Sundin played his first four seasons in the NHL with the Quebec Nordiques. He was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1994, where he played the majority of his career, serving 11...
and Alexander Steen
Alexander Steen
Alexander Steen is a Canadian-born Swedish professional ice hockey player and alternate captain for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:Steen played for Frölunda HC from 1999 to 2004...
, was briefly one of the top scorers. However, towards the end of the season, O'Neill had been benched for the remaining games due to poor offensive performance. His poor performance combined with his fear of flying led him to consider retirement at the end of the season. He was invited to the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
2008-09 Training Camp, but did not make the final roster and was released.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1992–93 | Guelph Storm Guelph Storm The Guelph Storm is a major junior ice hockey team based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. They have played in the OHL since the 1991–92 season. The team plays home games at the Sleeman Centre.-History:... |
OHL Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada.... |
65 | 32 | 47 | 79 | 88 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 1993–94 | Guelph Storm | OHL | 66 | 45 | 81 | 126 | 95 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 31 | ||
| 1994–95 | Guelph Storm | OHL | 57 | 43 | 81 | 124 | 56 | 14 | 8 | 18 | 26 | 34 | ||
| 1995–96 | Hartford Whalers Hartford Whalers The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97... |
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... |
65 | 8 | 19 | 27 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Springfield Falcons Springfield Falcons The Springfield Falcons are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . They play in Springfield, Massachusetts, at the MassMutual Center and are the top affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League. The Falcons' two main rivals are the Connecticut Whale and the... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 72 | 14 | 16 | 30 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Carolina Hurricanes Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center... |
NHL | 74 | 19 | 20 | 39 | 67 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 75 | 16 | 15 | 31 | 66 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1999–00 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 80 | 25 | 38 | 63 | 72 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 82 | 41 | 26 | 67 | 106 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 | ||
| 2001–02 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 76 | 31 | 33 | 64 | 63 | 22 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 27 | ||
| 2002–03 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 82 | 30 | 31 | 61 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 67 | 14 | 20 | 34 | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 74 | 19 | 19 | 38 | 64 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 74 | 20 | 22 | 42 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 821 | 237 | 259 | 496 | 670 | 34 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 37 | ||||