Jimmy Vesey
Jimmy Vesey | |||
---|---|---|---|
![]() Vesey in 2016 | |||
Born |
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | May 26, 1993||
Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
Weight | 207 lb (94 kg; 14 st 11 lb) | ||
Position | Left wing | ||
Shoots | Left | ||
NHL team Former teams |
New Jersey Devils New York Rangers Buffalo Sabres Toronto Maple Leafs Vancouver Canucks | ||
National team |
![]() | ||
NHL Draft |
66th overall, 2012 Nashville Predators | ||
Playing career | 2016–present |
James Edward Vesey Jr. (born May 26, 1993) is an American professional ice hockey left winger for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the New York Rangers, Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks. He was selected by the Nashville Predators in the third round, 66th overall, of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Vesey won the Hobey Baker Award in 2016.
Playing career[]
College[]
Vesey played four years with Harvard University in the NCAA. The North Reading, Massachusetts native finished his collegiate career with 144 points (80 goals, 64 assists) in 128 games and was named ECAC Player of the Year after the 2014–15 season.[1]
In his junior year, Vesey's outstanding play was rewarded with a top-ten nomination for the Hobey Baker Award.[2] On April 2, 2015, Vesey was named to the Hobey Hat Trick, the 3 finalists for the award, along with University of North Dakota's Zane McIntyre and Boston University's Jack Eichel, with Eichel going on to win the award.[3] In 2016, Vesey once again qualified for the Hobey Hat Trick, along with Michigan Wolverine's Kyle Connor and Boston College's Thatcher Demko, this time going on to win the Hobey Baker Award on April 8, 2016.[4]
Professional[]
Vesey was selected by the Nashville Predators in the 3rd round with the 66th overall selection of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Vesey was good enough for Nashville general manager David Poile to guarantee the senior a roster spot for the end of the 2015–16 regular season and playoffs. But Vesey informed the Predators he was not interested in signing. Vesey wanted to choose his destination, which any collegian can do four years out from when they are drafted.[5]
Vesey's decision came as a blow to the Predators' organization. However, it was also within the bounds of the NHL's Collective Bargaining Agreement, which gives teams four years to sign college draftees and thus allows for the drafted player to move to free agency shortly after his senior year.[6] On March 30, 2016, almost five months before he was officially set to become a free agent, it was reported that Vesey would sign with his hometown team, the Boston Bruins. [7] However, these reports did not end up being true.
On June 20, 2016, the Buffalo Sabres acquired Vesey's rights from the Predators in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.[1] The deal was made in order to give the Sabres an extra few weeks of exclusive negotiating rights with Vesey before he became a free agent. Despite this, Vesey's agent informed ESPN that he had still intended to become a free agent.[8] While discussions with the Sabres continued, a deal was not struck and in accordance with the NHL CBA, Vesey became an unrestricted free agent on August 16.[9]
In the two days following his free agency, Vesey met with seven NHL teams.[10] Five more teams requested to meet with Vesey, but were denied.[a][11][12][13]
New York Rangers[]
On August 20, 2016, Vesey signed with the New York Rangers.[14] After attending the training camp, Vesey received the Lars-Erik Sjöberg Award, which is given to the best Rangers' rookie in the camp.[15] On October 17, 2016, Vesey scored his first NHL goal in a 7–4 win over the San Jose Sharks.[16][17]
On November 8, 2017, in a game against the Boston Bruins, Vesey scored 2 goals in 29 seconds. This was the quickest number of goals scored by a Rangers player since Jaromír Jágr did so in 26 seconds in 2006.[18] The Rangers eventually won the game 4–2.[18] On March 12, 2018, Vesey recorded his first career NHL hat trick in a game against the Carolina Hurricanes, which the Rangers won 6–3.[19]
Buffalo Sabres[]
On July 1, 2019, the Sabres again acquired Vesey in exchange for another third-round draft selection through a trade with the Rangers. This marks the first time in professional sports that a player was traded to the same team with the same compensation twice.[20] In the 2019–20 season, Vesey was unable to add the offensive punch expected for the Sabres, posting a career low 9 goals and 20 points in 64 games, before the remainder of the regular season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks[]
As a free agent from the Sabres, Vesey was signed to a one-year, $900,000 contract by the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 11, 2020.[21] In the pandemic-delayed 2020–21 season, Vesey initially appeared for the Maple Leafs on the second line with John Tavares and William Nylander before shifting into in a bottom-six forward role, contributing with 5 goals and 7 points through 30 games.
On March 17, 2021, Vesey was claimed off waivers from Toronto by the Vancouver Canucks, marking his fourth NHL club in three seasons.[22][23] Vesey made 20 regular season appearances with the Canucks, collecting 3 assists, as the team missed out on the playoffs.
New Jersey Devils[]
As a free agent from the Canucks, on September 14, 2021, Vesey was signed to a professional tryout contract (PTO) by the New Jersey Devils.[24] On October 10, 2021, Vesey signed a one-year, $800,000 contract by the Devils, which marked his fifth NHL club in four seasons.[25]
International play[]
Medal record | ||
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Representing ![]() | ||
Ice hockey | ||
World Championships | ||
![]() |
2015 Czech Republic | |
World Junior Championships | ||
![]() |
2013 Russia |
Vesey won a gold medal while playing for the U.S. national junior team at the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship and took home a bronze medal as part of senior team at the 2015 IIHF World Championship.[1]
Personal life[]
His father, Jim Vesey, was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the eighth round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, going on to play 15 games in the National Hockey League; he works as a scout for the Maple Leafs.[26]
Jimmy's younger brother Nolan was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.[26] He was traded in June 2018 to the Edmonton Oilers and signed an entry-level contract with them.[27]
Growing up, Vesey was friends with 2012 NHL Entry Draft pick Matt Grzelcyk. The two first met when they were around the age of six, playing hockey together for a team named the Middlesex Islanders. The Islanders were coached by Vesey's father.[28] They similarly both attended the Belmont Hill School in Belmont, Massachusetts, and played hockey together there.[29]
Career statistics[]
Regular season and playoffs[]
Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
2009–10 | Belmont Hill School | HS-Prep | 30 | 13 | 17 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
2010–11 | Belmont Hill School | HS-Prep | 32 | 23 | 12 | 35 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2011–12 | South Shore Kings | EJHL | 45 | 48 | 43 | 91 | 52 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 2 | ||
2012–13 | Harvard University | ECAC | 27 | 11 | 7 | 18 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2013–14 | Harvard University | ECAC | 31 | 13 | 9 | 22 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2014–15 | Harvard University | ECAC | 37 | 32 | 26 | 58 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2015–16 | Harvard University | ECAC | 33 | 24 | 22 | 46 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2016–17 | New York Rangers | NHL | 80 | 16 | 11 | 27 | 26 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 9 | ||
2017–18 | New York Rangers | NHL | 79 | 17 | 11 | 28 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2018–19 | New York Rangers | NHL | 81 | 17 | 18 | 35 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2019–20 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 64 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2020–21 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 30 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2020–21 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 20 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
NHL totals | 354 | 64 | 56 | 120 | 92 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
International[]
Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | United States | WJC | ![]() |
7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | |
2015 | United States | WC | ![]() |
9 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | |
Junior totals | 7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | ||||
Senior totals | 9 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
Awards and honors[]
Award | Year | |
---|---|---|
College | ||
All-ECAC Hockey Rookie Team | 2012–13 | |
Hobey Baker Award top ten finalist | 2014–15 | [30] |
ECAC Player of the Year | 2014–15 | [31] |
All-ECAC First Team | 2014–15 | [31] |
ECAC Player of the Year | 2015–16 | [32] |
All-ECAC First Team | 2015–16 | [32] |
Hobey Baker Award winner | 2015–16 | [33] |
Notes[]
- ^ The seven teams Vesey granted meetings to were the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and the Toronto Maple Leafs. The five teams Vesey denied meetings to were the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers.
References[]
- ^ a b c "SABRES ACQUIRE RIGHTS TO VESEY". sabres.nhl.com. June 20, 2016. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
- ^ "Ciampini & Vesey Among Hobey Baker Memorial Award Top Ten Finalists". ECAC Hockey. March 19, 2015. Retrieved April 5, 2015. Cite journal requires
|journal=
(help) - ^ "2015 3 Finalists announced". Hobey Baker Award. April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
- ^ Lambert, Ryan (April 8, 2016). "Harvard's Jimmy Vesey wins 2016 Hobey Baker Award". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
- ^ Shinzawa, Fluto (May 14, 2016). "NHL prospect Jimmy Vesey has practiced patience". The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
- ^ Peters, Chris (March 29, 2016). "Report: Top prospect Jimmy Vesey picks free agency over Predators". CBSSports.com. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
- ^ "Report: Jimmy Vesey to sign with Bruins as UFA".
- ^ Clinton, Jared (June 21, 2016). "Vesey's agent says NCAA standout plans to become free agent despite trade to Sabres". The Hockey News. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
- ^ Muir, Allan (August 15, 2016). "Big decision looming for prized free-agent Jimmy Vesey". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
- ^ Clinton, Jared (August 18, 2016). "Vesey met with seven teams, discussing options Thursday — what can each team offer?". The Hockey News. Archived from the original on September 2, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
- ^ Ryan, Chris (August 17, 2016). "Jimmy Vesey meeting with final contenders Wednesday, reports say". NJ.com. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
- ^ "Jimmy Vesey wants to play close to home: report". National Hockey League. August 16, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
- ^ "Rangers celebrity fans making pitches to Jimmy Vesey". National Hockey League. August 17, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
- ^ "Rangers Agree to Terms With Jimmy Vesey". NHL.com. August 20, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
- ^ "Jimmy Vesey Named Winner of Lars-Erik Sjoberg Award". NHL.com. October 6, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
- ^ Rosen, Dan (October 18, 2016). "Jimmy Vesey scores first NHL goal". NHL.com. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
- ^ Cyrgalis, Brett (October 18, 2016). "Rangers rookie Jimmy Vesey soaks up 'pure joy' of first goal". New York Post. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
- ^ a b "Quick-strike ability of Vesey highlights Rangers win". NHL.com. November 9, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
- ^ Rosen, Dan (March 12, 2018). "Vesey's hat trick lifts Rangers past Hurricanes". NHL.com. Retrieved March 12, 2018.
- ^ "Sabres acquire Vesey from Rangers". Buffalo Sabres. July 1, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
- ^ "Maple Leafs sign Jimmy Vesey". Toronto Maple Leafs. October 11, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- ^ "Canucks Claim Forward Jimmy Vesey Off Waivers". NHL.com. March 17, 2021. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
- ^ "Canucks claim Vesey from Maple Leafs, Senators nab Forsberg from Jets". The Sports Network. March 17, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- ^ "Devils Sign Three Players to Professional Tryout Contracts". NHL.com. September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- ^ "New Jersey Devils Sign Jimmy Vesey". Pro Hockey Rumors. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
- ^ a b Fox, Luke (March 30, 2016). "Report: Jimmy Vesey will sign with Boston Bruins". SportsNet.ca. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
- ^ "Oilers acquire prospect Nolan Vesey in trade with Leafs". CBC.ca. June 8, 2018. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
- ^ Prewitt, Alex (November 27, 2015). "Prospects and pals, Matt Grzelcyk and Jimmy Vesey make NHL wait". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
- ^ Rayan, Connor (October 9, 2014). "Reenergized Grzelcyk embraces captaincy with Terriers". The Daily Free Press. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
After playing high school hockey with Vesey at Belmont Hill School in Belmont, Grzelcyk, just 16 years old at the time, made the move out to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to join the USA Hockey National Team Development Program
- ^ "Ciampini & Vesey Among Hobey Baker Memorial Award Top Ten Finalists". ECAC Hockey. March 19, 2015. Cite journal requires
|journal=
(help) - ^ a b "2014-15 Men's awards". ECAC Hockey. April 15, 2015. Retrieved April 15, 2015. Cite journal requires
|journal=
(help) - ^ a b "Harvard, Quinnipiac, Yale bag top ECAC Hockey postseason honors". ECAC Hockey. March 18, 2016.
- ^ "2016 Winner". www.hobeybaker.com. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
External links[]
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
Awards and achievements | ||
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Preceded by | Hobey Baker Award 2015–16 |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by | ECAC Hockey Player of the Year 2014–15, 2015–16 |
Succeeded by |
Preceded by | ECAC Hockey Tournament MOP 2015 |
Succeeded by |
- 1993 births
- Living people
- American men's ice hockey left wingers
- Buffalo Sabres players
- Harvard Crimson men's ice hockey players
- Hobey Baker Award winners
- Ice hockey players from Massachusetts
- Nashville Predators draft picks
- New Jersey Devils players
- New York Rangers players
- People from North Reading, Massachusetts
- Sportspeople from Middlesex County, Massachusetts
- Toronto Maple Leafs players
- Vancouver Canucks players
- AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans