John Tonelli
Encyclopedia
John A. Tonelli is a retired Canadian
professional ice hockey forward
. He was a four-time Stanley Cup
champion with the New York Islanders
, and also played with the Calgary Flames
, Los Angeles Kings
, Chicago Blackhawks
, and the Quebec Nordiques
of the National Hockey League
.
left wing
for the Islanders. He played in the Stanley Cup
finals in 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1984 with the Islanders, winning four championships in the process, and made an additional appearance as runner-up in the Cup finals in 1986 with the Flames.
On May 24, 1980, Tonelli had the assist on Bob Nystrom
's overtime Stanley Cup
-winning goal against the Philadelphia Flyers
, giving the Islanders their first of four straight Cups. In Game 6 at Nassau Coliseum, Lorne Henning
stole the puck at center ice, passed to Tonelli, who then criss-crossed with Nystrom, feeding him the puck on Nystrom's backhand for the winning goal at 7:11 of overtime. It was a play the two had perfected during practice.
Tonelli was a gritty forward with a never-say-die attitude for The New York Islanders who won four straight Stanley Cups. Tonelli, who was affectionately dubbed "The Greasy Jet" by his teammates, is remembered for scoring important "clutch goal
s" in the Islanders' run of four straight Stanley Cups and five straight finals appearances, particularly during the 1981-82 season. During the playoffs that year, The Islanders were five minutes away from being eliminated by a much weaker Pittsburgh Penguin
team, trailing 3-1 in the deciding game. Tonelli assisted on a Mike McEwen goal that closed the champions within one goal, and tied the game himself with 2:21 to play. For an encore, it was John Tonelli that scored in overtime to win the game for the Islanders, thus extending their long reign as Stanley Cup champions.
Tonelli also scored the winning goal in a February 20, 1982 game against the Colorado Rockies
, beating former teammate Chico Resch
with just 47 seconds to play to allow the Islanders to set an NHL record (since broken) with their fifteenth consecutive victory.
He was known for being virtually unbeatable in digging out the puck
in the corners of the rink
; however, Tonelli also had an excellent shot, was a good passer, and had excellent timing both offensively and defensively. Tonelli was also very versatile. During his eight seasons with the Islanders, coach Al Arbour
used Tonelli on the famed "Banana Line" with Wayne Merrick
and Bob Nystrom
, on the top line with Bryan Trottier
and Mike Bossy
, and later he played flank for Brent Sutter
and Patrick Flatley
.
Although Tonelli played a key role in the four Cup victories the team won from 1980 to 1983, in some ways his career culminated in the fall of 1984 when he played for Canada in the Canada Cup
, an invitation he almost turned down. He not only made the team, he had nine points, including a key assist on Mike Bossy's goal in overtime of the semifinal. Canada won the championship and Tonelli was named the tournament's best player, winning the 1984 Canada Cup MVP award.
He then rejoined the Islanders and had his best season ever, scoring 42 goals and 100 points in 1984-1985 before being traded to the Calgary Flames during the 85-86 season. The Flames, with Tonelli's experience, reached the Stanley Cup finals for the first time.
Tonelli finished his 1028-game NHL career with 325 goals and 511 assists for 836 points.
is named in his honour. He currently resides in New York City
, working for Fidelity National Financial
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional ice hockey forward
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
. He was a four-time Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
champion with the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, and also played with the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
, Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
, and the Quebec Nordiques
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
of 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...
.
Bio
In 1982 and 1985, Tonelli was a second team All-StarNational Hockey League All-Star Game
The National Hockey League All-Star Game is an exhibition ice hockey game that is traditionally held at the midway point of the regular season of the National Hockey League , with many of the league's star players playing against each other...
left wing
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...
for the Islanders. He played in the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
finals in 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1984 with the Islanders, winning four championships in the process, and made an additional appearance as runner-up in the Cup finals in 1986 with the Flames.
On May 24, 1980, Tonelli had the assist on Bob Nystrom
Bob Nyström
Robert Thore Nystrom is a retired professional ice hockey right winger. He played for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League from 1972 to 1986. He is best remembered as having scored the winning goal at the 7:11 mark of overtime to give the New York Islanders the 1980 Stanley Cup...
's overtime Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
-winning goal against the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, giving the Islanders their first of four straight Cups. In Game 6 at Nassau Coliseum, Lorne Henning
Lorne Henning
Lorne Henning is a Canadian hockey executive. He currently serves as Director of Player Personnel and Assistant General Manager for the NHL's Vancouver Canucks...
stole the puck at center ice, passed to Tonelli, who then criss-crossed with Nystrom, feeding him the puck on Nystrom's backhand for the winning goal at 7:11 of overtime. It was a play the two had perfected during practice.
Tonelli was a gritty forward with a never-say-die attitude for The New York Islanders who won four straight Stanley Cups. Tonelli, who was affectionately dubbed "The Greasy Jet" by his teammates, is remembered for scoring important "clutch goal
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...
s" in the Islanders' run of four straight Stanley Cups and five straight finals appearances, particularly during the 1981-82 season. During the playoffs that year, The Islanders were five minutes away from being eliminated by a much weaker Pittsburgh Penguin
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
team, trailing 3-1 in the deciding game. Tonelli assisted on a Mike McEwen goal that closed the champions within one goal, and tied the game himself with 2:21 to play. For an encore, it was John Tonelli that scored in overtime to win the game for the Islanders, thus extending their long reign as Stanley Cup champions.
Tonelli also scored the winning goal in a February 20, 1982 game against the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies (NHL)
The Colorado Rockies were an American professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League that played in Denver, Colorado, from 1976 to 1982. They were a relocation of the Kansas City Scouts, a 1974 expansion team. The franchise moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1982 and was...
, beating former teammate Chico Resch
Chico Resch
Glenn Allan "Chico" Resch is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender and television sportscaster. Resch played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1973 to 1986, winning one Stanley Cup with the New York Islanders in 1980...
with just 47 seconds to play to allow the Islanders to set an NHL record (since broken) with their fifteenth consecutive victory.
He was known for being virtually unbeatable in digging out the puck
Hockey puck
A puck is a disk used in various games serving the same functions as a ball does in ball games. The best-known use of pucks is in ice hockey, a major international sport.- Etymology :The origin of the word "puck" is obscure...
in the corners of the rink
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
; however, Tonelli also had an excellent shot, was a good passer, and had excellent timing both offensively and defensively. Tonelli was also very versatile. During his eight seasons with the Islanders, coach Al Arbour
Al Arbour
Alger Joseph "Radar" Arbour is a retired Canadian ice hockey player and a coach and executive in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
used Tonelli on the famed "Banana Line" with Wayne Merrick
Wayne Merrick
Leonard Wayne Merrick is a retired former professional ice hockey player who played 774 career National Hockey League games for the St...
and Bob Nystrom
Bob Nyström
Robert Thore Nystrom is a retired professional ice hockey right winger. He played for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League from 1972 to 1986. He is best remembered as having scored the winning goal at the 7:11 mark of overtime to give the New York Islanders the 1980 Stanley Cup...
, on the top line with Bryan Trottier
Bryan Trottier
Bryan John Trottier is a retired Canadian-American professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins. He won four Stanley Cups with the Islanders, two with the Penguins and one as an assistant coach with the...
and Mike Bossy
Mike Bossy
Michael Dean Bossy is a former Canadian ice hockey player who played for the New York Islanders for his entire career and was part of their four-year reign as Stanley Cup champions in the early 1980s...
, and later he played flank for Brent Sutter
Brent Sutter
Brent Colin Sutter is a retired National Hockey League player and current head coach of the Calgary Flames. Selected by the New York Islanders 17th overall at the 1980 NHL Entry Draft, Sutter played over 1,000 games for the Islanders and Chicago Blackhawks during his 18-year career. He won the...
and Patrick Flatley
Patrick Flatley
Patrick Flatley is a retired professional ice hockey forward who played in the NHL for 14 seasons between 1983 and 1997 for the New York Islanders and New York Rangers.-Playing career:...
.
Although Tonelli played a key role in the four Cup victories the team won from 1980 to 1983, in some ways his career culminated in the fall of 1984 when he played for Canada in the Canada Cup
Canada Cup (ice hockey)
The Canada Cup was an invitational international ice hockey tournament held on five occasions between 1976 and 1991. The tournament was created to meet demand for a true world championship that allowed the best players from participating nations to compete regardless of their status as professional...
, an invitation he almost turned down. He not only made the team, he had nine points, including a key assist on Mike Bossy's goal in overtime of the semifinal. Canada won the championship and Tonelli was named the tournament's best player, winning the 1984 Canada Cup MVP award.
He then rejoined the Islanders and had his best season ever, scoring 42 goals and 100 points in 1984-1985 before being traded to the Calgary Flames during the 85-86 season. The Flames, with Tonelli's experience, reached the Stanley Cup finals for the first time.
Tonelli finished his 1028-game NHL career with 325 goals and 511 assists for 836 points.
Other
The John Tonelli Arena in Milton, OntarioMilton, Ontario
Milton is a town in Southern Ontario, Canada, and part of the Halton Region in the Greater Toronto Area. Milton received a tremendous amount of awareness following the release of the results of the 2006 Census, which indicated that Milton is the fastest growing municipality in the Greater Golden...
is named in his honour. He currently resides in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, working for Fidelity National Financial
Fidelity National Financial
Fidelity National Financial , headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, USA , is a Fortune 500 company that provides real estate and financial services...
.
Awards
- OMJHL First All-Star Team (1975)
- Most valuable playerMost Valuable PlayerIn sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
of the 1984 Canada Cup1984 Canada CupThe 1984 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament played during the first three weeks of September 1984. The best-of-three final took place between Canada and Sweden, with Canada winning two games to nil...
tournament. - Named to the NHL Second All-Star Team in 1982 and 1985
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 | ||
| 1973–74 | Toronto Marlboros Toronto Marlboros The Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club, commonly known as the Toronto Marlboros, was founded in 1903. It operated a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association and Ontario Hockey League from 1904 to 1989... |
OHA Ontario Hockey Association The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the... |
69 | 18 | 37 | 55 | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | Toronto Marlboros | OMJHL | 70 | 49 | 86 | 135 | 85 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | Houston Aeros Houston Aeros (WHA) The Houston Aeros were a professional ice hockey team in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1978.-Franchise history:The Aeros became one of the original franchises in the World Hockey Association when the Dayton Arrows franchise was moved to Houston in 1972... |
WHA World Hockey Association The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926... |
79 | 14 | 17 | 31 | 66 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 18 | ||
| 1976–77 | Houston Aeros | WHA | 80 | 24 | 31 | 55 | 109 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 12 | ||
| 1977–78 | Houston Aeros | WHA | 65 | 23 | 41 | 64 | 103 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | ||
| 1978–79 | New York Islanders New York Islanders The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 73 | 17 | 39 | 56 | 44 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 1979–80 | New York Islanders | NHL | 77 | 14 | 30 | 44 | 49 | 21 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 18 | ||
| 1980–81 | New York Islanders | NHL | 70 | 20 | 32 | 52 | 57 | 16 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 16 | ||
| 1981–82 | New York Islanders | NHL | 80 | 35 | 58 | 93 | 57 | 19 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 18 | ||
| 1982–83 | New York Islanders | NHL | 76 | 31 | 40 | 71 | 55 | 20 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 20 | ||
| 1983–84 | New York Islanders | NHL | 73 | 27 | 40 | 67 | 66 | 17 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 31 | ||
| 1984–85 | New York Islanders | NHL | 80 | 42 | 58 | 100 | 95 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ||
| 1985–86 | New York Islanders | NHL | 65 | 20 | 41 | 61 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985–86 | Calgary Flames Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the... |
NHL | 9 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 22 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 49 | ||
| 1986–87 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 78 | 20 | 31 | 51 | 72 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 1987–88 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 74 | 17 | 41 | 58 | 84 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | ||
| 1988–89 | Los Angeles Kings Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 71 | 31 | 33 | 64 | 110 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||
| 1989–90 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 73 | 31 | 37 | 68 | 62 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 1990–91 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 71 | 14 | 16 | 30 | 49 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 12 | ||
| 1991–92 | Chicago Blackhawks Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10... |
NHL | 33 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Quebec Nordiques Quebec Nordiques The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 19 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 1028 | 325 | 511 | 836 | 911 | 172 | 40 | 75 | 115 | 200 | ||||