Peter Worrell
Encyclopedia
Peter Worrell is a retired professional ice hockey
player. Worrell played seven seasons in the National Hockey League
(NHL) for the Florida Panthers
and the Colorado Avalanche
. During that time he was considered one of the most feared enforcers in the game.
and 1996-97) and part of the 1997 Memorial Cup
winning team. Worrell totaled 464 PIMs
during the 1995-96 season, which was the fifth highest total in league history. Worrell also scored 23 goals and 36 assists for a total of 59 points in 63 games that same season. The following season, Worrell's final in juniors, he improved his point total to 63 in 62 games, despite his goals scoring decreasing to 17. Worrell added a goal and 3 assists in his four Memorial Cup games. By the end of his junior career Worrell had collected close to 1,200 penalty minutes while collecting 131 points.
in the 7th round, 166th overall, in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft
. Following his final season with the Olympiques Worrell began his pro career in 1997 with the Beast of New Haven
in the American Hockey League
. The 1997-98 season
also saw Worrell make his NHL debut with the Panthers, playing in 19 games, accumulating 153 PIMs, but failing to register a single point. On February 8, 1999 Worrell scored his first NHL goal in a game vs. the St. Louis Blues. During the 1999–2000 season Worrell missed 34 games with a knee injury, but manages to match his 9 points from the previous year. The season also saw Worrell become involved in a notorious incident with New Jersey Devils
defenseman Scott Niedermayer
. After a collision along the boards where Worrell appeared to elbow Niedermayer in the face, Niedermayer hit Worrell on the top of the helmet with his stick. A scrum ensued and as Worrell was being escorted off the ice by the referees he made throat-slashing gestures to the Devils bench. Niedermayer was suspended 10 games (the Devils 9 final regular season games and their first playoff game). Worrell missed the Panthers next game due to headaches, dizziness and nausea.
On July 18, 2003 he was traded from the Florida Panthers along with a 2nd Round pick in the 2004 draft to Colorado Avalanche
for Eric Messier
and Vaclav Nedorost
. Worrell missed the first 27 games of the season with another knee injury. Worrell made his Avalanche debut on December 11, 2003; the game marked his first in eight months. Worrell played in 49 games for Colorado collecting 3 goals and an assist, it was his lowest NHL point total, yet marked the first time that he was a plus player ending the season with a plus-2 rating.
Following his first season with the Avalanche the NHL lockout caused the cancellation of the 2004–05 NHL season. Worrell did not play professionally during the lockout like many other NHLers and considered himself retired. However, once the NHL returned Worrell decided that he would attempt to make a comeback and signed with the New York Rangers
. The Rangers assigned first to the Hartford Wolfpack in the AHL but never played a game for them. Hartford sent Worrell to the Charlotte Checkers of the ECHL
to work on his conditioning. Worrell played 37 games for Charlotte; it was the last time he played professionally.
hockey club team. He is also coaching North Broward Preparatory School
Varsity Ice Hockey Team, located in Coconut Creek, Florida
.
, a fan with a bullhorn yelled out "go back to Africa
", and someone once brought a sign that read "6-foot-6 of pure shit go back to hell". These are just some examples of the racism that Worrell endured, but it did not stop after juniors.
While playing the Washington Capitals
in a 1997
game Craig Berube
called Worrell a "monkey". Berube received a one game suspension from the league for his actions.
In a 1998 game vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning
, Darcy Tucker
and Sandy McCarthy
allegedly taunted Worrell by making ape like gestures to him while all three were in their respective penalty boxes. Following the game Tucker and Worrell got into an argument when Tucker, according to a Panther's staff member, called Worrell a "big ape". The NHL investigated the incident, reviewing videotape, interviewed players and employees of both teams, off-ice and on-ice officials and arena and security personnel. The NHL concluded that there was insignificant evidence to support the claims. Also in 1998 Flyers
forward Chris Gratton
was alleged to have used a racial slur against Worrell following a scuffle in the game. A newspaper reporter claimed that he read Gratton's lips and printed the story. Gratton denied using the slur telling reporters "We said some stuff behind the net.... What I said was, Learn how to play the game, basically, with a couple of words I don't want to use." Worrell helped to clear Gratton's name when he told the NHL that he never heard the slur.
owned by former teammate Andreas Lilja
, in Pompano Beach, Florida
. He was pulled over for driving with an expired license plate tag. Worrell, a 6' 7" Caribbean-Canadian, identified himself as Lilja, a 6' 3" Swedish Caucasian
. According to the arresting officer, Deputy Lionel Davis, "After asking the defendant several times his name, Worrell continued to deliberately falsify and obstruct my investigation," Davis cleared up the misidentification after finding Worrell's passport in the SUV. Worrell was charged with driving with a suspended license and resisting arrest without violence, both misdemeanors. Worrell had his license suspended twice because of two convictions for drunken driving. In June 2002, he was arrested for DUI
, leaving the scene of an accident and criminal mischief for kicking a police car's window off its track. He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 10 days in jail for those incidents.
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. Worrell played seven seasons 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) for the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
and the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
. During that time he was considered one of the most feared enforcers in the game.
Junior career
Worrell was a member of the Hull Olympiques for his three junior seasons. During these three seasons Worrell was part of two QMJHL championship teams (1994–951994–95 QMJHL season
The 1994–95 QMJHL season was the 26th season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The QMJHL unveils an updated logo one season after its special 25th anniversary logo, using a stylized ice skate and the letters of the league's French acronym...
and 1996-97) and part of the 1997 Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
winning team. Worrell totaled 464 PIMs
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,...
during the 1995-96 season, which was the fifth highest total in league history. Worrell also scored 23 goals and 36 assists for a total of 59 points in 63 games that same season. The following season, Worrell's final in juniors, he improved his point total to 63 in 62 games, despite his goals scoring decreasing to 17. Worrell added a goal and 3 assists in his four Memorial Cup games. By the end of his junior career Worrell had collected close to 1,200 penalty minutes while collecting 131 points.
Professional career
Worrell was selected by the Florida PanthersFlorida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
in the 7th round, 166th overall, in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft
1995 NHL Entry Draft
The 1995 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Edmonton Coliseum in Edmonton, Alberta. The drafting order was now set partially by a lottery system whereby teams would not be guaranteed first pick if they finished last. Instead, a draft lottery was instituted in which the winner of the lottery could move...
. Following his final season with the Olympiques Worrell began his pro career in 1997 with the Beast of New Haven
Beast of New Haven
The Beast of New Haven were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League in the 1997–98 and 1998–99 seasons. The team was based in New Haven, Connecticut, and played at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which was demolished in 2007. The Beast were affiliated with the Carolina Hurricanes and the...
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...
. The 1997-98 season
1997-98 NHL season
-Stanley Cup Final:The 1998 Stanley Cup Final was played in the 105th year of the Stanley Cup. The series was played between the Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings and the Eastern Conference champion Washington Capitals. The Red Wings were led by Captain Steve Yzerman, Coach Scotty...
also saw Worrell make his NHL debut with the Panthers, playing in 19 games, accumulating 153 PIMs, but failing to register a single point. On February 8, 1999 Worrell scored his first NHL goal in a game vs. the St. Louis Blues. During the 1999–2000 season Worrell missed 34 games with a knee injury, but manages to match his 9 points from the previous year. The season also saw Worrell become involved in a notorious incident with New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
defenseman Scott Niedermayer
Scott Niedermayer
Scott Niedermayer is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for two teams: the New Jersey Devils and the Anaheim Ducks. Niedermayer was known for his skating stride, and ability for leading or joining the offensive rush...
. After a collision along the boards where Worrell appeared to elbow Niedermayer in the face, Niedermayer hit Worrell on the top of the helmet with his stick. A scrum ensued and as Worrell was being escorted off the ice by the referees he made throat-slashing gestures to the Devils bench. Niedermayer was suspended 10 games (the Devils 9 final regular season games and their first playoff game). Worrell missed the Panthers next game due to headaches, dizziness and nausea.
On July 18, 2003 he was traded from the Florida Panthers along with a 2nd Round pick in the 2004 draft to Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
for Eric Messier
Eric Messier
Éric Messier is a Canadian former defenceman in the National Hockey League. He played in the NHL for the Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers.-Playing career:...
and Vaclav Nedorost
Vaclav Nedorost
-International:-External links:...
. Worrell missed the first 27 games of the season with another knee injury. Worrell made his Avalanche debut on December 11, 2003; the game marked his first in eight months. Worrell played in 49 games for Colorado collecting 3 goals and an assist, it was his lowest NHL point total, yet marked the first time that he was a plus player ending the season with a plus-2 rating.
Following his first season with the Avalanche the NHL lockout caused the cancellation of the 2004–05 NHL season. Worrell did not play professionally during the lockout like many other NHLers and considered himself retired. However, once the NHL returned Worrell decided that he would attempt to make a comeback and signed 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...
. The Rangers assigned first to the Hartford Wolfpack in the AHL but never played a game for them. Hartford sent Worrell to the Charlotte Checkers of the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
to work on his conditioning. Worrell played 37 games for Charlotte; it was the last time he played professionally.
Post playing career
On May 18, 2010 it was announced that Worrell agreed to become the head coach for the Florida Atlantic UniversityFlorida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational, research university located in , United States. The university has six satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, and in Fort...
hockey club team. He is also coaching North Broward Preparatory School
North Broward Preparatory School
North Broward Preparatory School is an accredited, college-preparatory, independent, non-sectarian school serving families of the pre-kindergarten through high school age groups in the Palm Beach and Broward counties of Southern Florida. Originally located in Lighthouse Point, FL, the school was...
Varsity Ice Hockey Team, located in Coconut Creek, Florida
Coconut Creek, Florida
Coconut Creek is a city in Broward County, Florida , nestled between Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. It had a population of 52,909 at the 2010 census...
.
Facing racism
During his career Worrell has often had to deal with racism, beginning in juniors, Worrell had spectators throw bananas at him while he was in the penalty boxPenalty box
The penalty box is the area in ice hockey, rugby league, rugby union and some other sports where a player sits to serve the time of a given penalty, for an offense not severe enough to merit outright expulsion from the contest...
, a fan with a bullhorn yelled out "go back to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
", and someone once brought a sign that read "6-foot-6 of pure shit go back to hell". These are just some examples of the racism that Worrell endured, but it did not stop after juniors.
While playing the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
in a 1997
1997-98 NHL season
-Stanley Cup Final:The 1998 Stanley Cup Final was played in the 105th year of the Stanley Cup. The series was played between the Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings and the Eastern Conference champion Washington Capitals. The Red Wings were led by Captain Steve Yzerman, Coach Scotty...
game Craig Berube
Craig Berube
Craig "The Chief" Berube is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, Washington Capitals and New York Islanders...
called Worrell a "monkey". Berube received a one game suspension from the league for his actions.
In a 1998 game vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
, Darcy Tucker
Darcy Tucker
Darcy Tucker is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, who played most of his National Hockey League career with the Toronto Maple Leafs. A sixth round draft choice, Tucker began his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens...
and Sandy McCarthy
Sandy McCarthy
Sandy McCarthy is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 11 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Calgary Flames, Tampa Bay Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers and Boston Bruins.-Playing career:Sandy McCarthy was selected by...
allegedly taunted Worrell by making ape like gestures to him while all three were in their respective penalty boxes. Following the game Tucker and Worrell got into an argument when Tucker, according to a Panther's staff member, called Worrell a "big ape". The NHL investigated the incident, reviewing videotape, interviewed players and employees of both teams, off-ice and on-ice officials and arena and security personnel. The NHL concluded that there was insignificant evidence to support the claims. Also in 1998 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...
forward Chris Gratton
Chris Gratton
Christopher A. Gratton is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who last played with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League...
was alleged to have used a racial slur against Worrell following a scuffle in the game. A newspaper reporter claimed that he read Gratton's lips and printed the story. Gratton denied using the slur telling reporters "We said some stuff behind the net.... What I said was, Learn how to play the game, basically, with a couple of words I don't want to use." Worrell helped to clear Gratton's name when he told the NHL that he never heard the slur.
Legal Troubles
On December 6, 2004 Worrell was pulled over while driving a Ford ExpeditionFord Expedition
The Ford Expedition is a full-size SUV built by the Ford Motor Company. Introduced in 1997 as a replacement to the Ford Bronco, it was previously slotted between the smaller Ford Explorer and the larger Ford Excursion, but as of the 2005 model year, it is Ford's largest and last truck-based,...
owned by former teammate Andreas Lilja
Andreas Lilja
Andreas Lilja is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League .-Professional hockey:...
, in Pompano Beach, Florida
Pompano Beach, Florida
Pompano Beach ) is a city in Broward County, Florida, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean just to the north of Fort Lauderdale. The nearby Hillsboro Inlet forms part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 99,845...
. He was pulled over for driving with an expired license plate tag. Worrell, a 6' 7" Caribbean-Canadian, identified himself as Lilja, a 6' 3" Swedish Caucasian
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
. According to the arresting officer, Deputy Lionel Davis, "After asking the defendant several times his name, Worrell continued to deliberately falsify and obstruct my investigation," Davis cleared up the misidentification after finding Worrell's passport in the SUV. Worrell was charged with driving with a suspended license and resisting arrest without violence, both misdemeanors. Worrell had his license suspended twice because of two convictions for drunken driving. In June 2002, he was arrested for DUI
DUI
DUI is a three letter acronym that may stand for:* Driving under the influence * Democratic Union for Integration — the largest ethnic Albanian party in the Republic of Macedonia* Data Use Identifier...
, leaving the scene of an accident and criminal mischief for kicking a police car's window off its track. He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 10 days in jail for those incidents.
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 | ||
| 1994–95 1994–95 QMJHL season The 1994–95 QMJHL season was the 26th season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The QMJHL unveils an updated logo one season after its special 25th anniversary logo, using a stylized ice skate and the letters of the league's French acronym... |
Hull Olympiques | QMJHL Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League... |
56 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 243 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 91 | ||
| 1995–96 1995–96 QMJHL season The 1995–96 QMJHL season was the 27th season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The league continued to expand eastward, adding an expansion team in Moncton, New Brunswick, and the Saint-Jean Lynx relocated to the eastern Quebec city of Rimouski in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region... |
Hull Olympiques | QMJHL | 63 | 23 | 36 | 59 | 464 | 18 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 81 | ||
| 1996–97 1996–97 QMJHL season The 1996–97 QMJHL season was the 28th season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The league continues explore new markets as the Saint-Hyacinthe Laser move north to Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec. The New Faces Cup is renamed the RDS Cup, for its new sponsor, Réseau des sports. Fourteen... |
Hull Olympiques | QMJHL | 62 | 18 | 45 | 63 | 495 | 14 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 83 | ||
| 1997–98 1997–98 AHL season The 1997–98 AHL season was the 62nd season of the American Hockey League. The AHL shifts teams in their divisions, and the Canadian division reverts to being named Atlantic division. The Northern conference is renamed the Eastern conference, and the Southern conference renamed the Western... |
Beast of New Haven Beast of New Haven The Beast of New Haven were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League in the 1997–98 and 1998–99 seasons. The team was based in New Haven, Connecticut, and played at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which was demolished in 2007. The Beast were affiliated with the Carolina Hurricanes 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... |
50 | 15 | 12 | 27 | 309 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 1997–98 | Florida Panthers Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are 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... |
19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 153 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 62 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 258 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 1998–99 AHL season The 1998–99 AHL season was the 63rd season of the American Hockey League. Nineteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Providence Bruins finished first overall in the regular season, and won their first Calder Cup championship.-Team changes:... |
Beast of New Haven | AHL | 10 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 65 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 48 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 169 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 2000–01 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 71 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 248 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 79 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 354 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 63 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 193 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Colorado Avalanche Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise... |
NHL | 49 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 179 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Charlotte Checkers | ECHL ECHL The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States... |
37 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 139 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 391 | 19 | 27 | 46 | 1554 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | ||||