Matt Cullen
Matt Cullen | |||
---|---|---|---|
![]() Cullen with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017 | |||
Born |
Virginia, Minnesota, U.S. | November 2, 1976||
Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
Weight | 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb) | ||
Position | Center | ||
Shot | Left | ||
Played for |
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Florida Panthers SG Cortina Carolina Hurricanes New York Rangers Ottawa Senators Minnesota Wild Nashville Predators Pittsburgh Penguins | ||
National team |
![]() | ||
NHL Draft |
35th overall, 1996 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | ||
Playing career | 1997–2019 |
Matthew David Cullen (born November 2, 1976) is an American former professional ice hockey center who played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Cullen is a three-time Stanley Cup champion (with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017), and earned a bronze medal in the World Championships as a member of the U.S. team.
As of 2020, Cullen is one of only 21 players to play over 1,500 NHL games. He is the only one of the group to never be named an All-Star.
Playing career[]
Cullen graduated from Moorhead High School in 1995; his father, Terry Cullen, was the school's varsity ice hockey coach. During his time at Moorhead High, Cullen led Moorhead to three state tourney appearances and two runner-up finishes. He was an all-state tourney selection three years, and was a Mr. Hockey finalist in 1995, when he was named the state's Player of the Year by the Associated Press after scoring 47 goals and adding 42 assists in 28 games.
Cullen played at St. Cloud State University from 1995 to 1997, and was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team in 1995 and WCHA All-Star in 1996. He was then drafted in the second round, 35th overall, by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. Cullen played for the Ducks from 1997 until 2003 when he was traded to the Florida Panthers. He also played on four World Championship teams and was a 2004 bronze medalist on Team USA.
During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Cullen played in the Italian Serie A with SG Cortina, where he led the league in scoring with 27 goals and 33 assists in 36 games.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c7/Matt_Cullen.jpg/200px-Matt_Cullen.jpg)
In the 2005–06 season, after NHL play resumed, Cullen won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes. After the season, he became an unrestricted free agent and subsequently signed a four-year contract with the New York Rangers. After just one season with the Rangers, Cullen was traded back to the Hurricanes during the 2006–07 off-season in exchange for defenseman Andrew Hutchinson, forward Joe Barnes and a third-round draft pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft in the Rangers' attempt to free up salary space underneath the cap.[1]
On February 22, 2009, Cullen scored the first hat-trick of his career in a game against the Colorado Avalanche. On February 12, 2010, he was traded to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Alexandre Picard and a second-round draft pick.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Matt_Cullen_2017-06-11_1.jpg/220px-Matt_Cullen_2017-06-11_1.jpg)
On July 1, 2010, Cullen returned to his home state when he signed a three-year deal as a free agent with the Minnesota Wild.[2] Upon the expiration of his three-year contract with the Wild, and with the team facing salary cap constraints, Cullen departed as a free agent and signed a two-year contract with the Nashville Predators on July 5, 2013.[3]
On August 6, 2015, Cullen signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins, reuniting him with former Hurricanes' general manager Jim Rutherford, with whom he won a Stanley Cup in 2006. Cullen won his second Stanley Cup on June 12, 2016.[4] On August 17, 2016, Cullen signed a second one-year deal with the Penguins.[5] On June 11, 2017, Cullen won his second consecutive Stanley Cup with the Penguins when they defeated the Predators in six games in the Stanley Cup Finals.[6]
On August 16, 2017, after winning back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with the Penguins, Cullen signed a one-year contract to return to the Minnesota Wild.[7] After Jaromír Jágr was placed on waivers by the Calgary Flames that season, Cullen became the oldest active player in the NHL at 41.[8]
On July 1, 2018, Cullen returned to the Penguins, signing a one-year contract, after spending the previous season with the Wild.[9]
On July 10, 2019, after completing 21 seasons in the NHL, Cullen announced his retirement from professional hockey.[10]
After retiring from the NHL in 2019, Cullen became a player development coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Personal life[]
Cullen is the older brother of EC Red Bull Salzburg player Mark Cullen, as well as of Braehead Clan player Joe Cullen. Matt Cullen has a wife and three sons. Cullen currently resides in Moorhead, Minnesota, in the off-season with his family.[11] Cullen is a Christian.[12]
Cullen founded the "Cullen Children's Foundation", also known as "Cully's Kids", in 2003. The foundation provides financial resources to organizations that support children's healthcare needs with an emphasis on cancer.[13]
In 2020, Matt Cullen bought in on the Fargo Force Hockey Academy and changed the name to the Cullen Force Academy upon his buy in. https://www.fargoforce.com/news_article/show/1155753
Career statistics[]
Regular season and playoffs[]
Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
1994–95 | Moorhead High School | USHS | 28 | 47 | 42 | 89 | 78 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1995–96 | St. Cloud State University | WCHA | 39 | 12 | 29 | 41 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1996–97 | St. Cloud State University | WCHA | 36 | 15 | 30 | 45 | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1996–97 | Baltimore Bandits | AHL | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
1997–98 | Cincinnati Mighty Ducks | AHL | 18 | 15 | 12 | 27 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1997–98 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 61 | 6 | 21 | 27 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1998–99 | Cincinnati Mighty Ducks | AHL | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1998–99 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 75 | 11 | 14 | 25 | 47 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1999–2000 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 80 | 13 | 26 | 39 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2000–01 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 82 | 10 | 30 | 40 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2001–02 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 79 | 18 | 30 | 48 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2002–03 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 50 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2002–03 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 30 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2003–04 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 56 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2004–05 | SG Cortina | ITA | 36 | 27 | 34 | 61 | 58 | 18 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 36 | ||
2005–06 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 78 | 25 | 24 | 49 | 40 | 25 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 12 | ||
2006–07 | New York Rangers | NHL | 80 | 16 | 25 | 41 | 52 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | ||
2007–08 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 59 | 13 | 36 | 49 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2008–09 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 69 | 22 | 21 | 43 | 20 | 18 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 14 | ||
2009–10 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 60 | 12 | 28 | 40 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2009–10 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 21 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 0 | ||
2010–11 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 78 | 12 | 27 | 39 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2011–12 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 73 | 14 | 21 | 35 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2012–13 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 42 | 7 | 20 | 27 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ||
2013–14 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 77 | 10 | 29 | 39 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2014–15 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 62 | 7 | 18 | 25 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||
2015–16 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 81 | 16 | 16 | 32 | 20 | 24 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 8 | ||
2016–17 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 72 | 13 | 18 | 31 | 30 | 25 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 24 | ||
2017–18 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 79 | 11 | 11 | 22 | 20 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
2018–19 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 71 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
NHL totals | 1,516 | 266 | 465 | 731 | 592 | 132 | 19 | 39 | 58 | 72 |
International[]
Medal record | ||
---|---|---|
Representing ![]() | ||
World Championships | ||
![]() |
2004 Prague |
Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996 | United States | WJC | 5th | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | |
1998 | United States | WC | 12th | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
1999 | United States | WC | 6th | 6 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 4 | |
2003 | United States | WC | 13th | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
2004 | United States | WC | ![]() |
9 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | |
Junior totals | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | ||||
Senior totals | 27 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 14 |
Awards and honors[]
Award | Year | |
---|---|---|
College | ||
All-WCHA Rookie Team | 1996 | |
All-WCHA Second Team | 1997 | |
NHL | ||
Stanley Cup champion | 2006, 2016, 2017 | [14] |
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "Cullen returns to Carolina; Rangers gain Hutchinson, Barnes". ESPN. July 17, 2007. Retrieved December 2, 2008.
- ^ "Cullen comes home". Minnesota Wild. July 1, 2010. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
- ^ "Nashville Predators sign Matt Cullen to a two-year contract". Nashville Predators. July 5, 2013. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
- ^ "Penguins sign Matt Cullen to 1-year deal". Pittsburgh Penguins. August 6, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
- ^ "Penguins Re-Sign Forward Matt Cullen to a One-Year Contract". Pittsburgh Penguins. August 17, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
- ^ "Penguins repeat as Stanley Cup champions". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. June 11, 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
- ^ "Wild Signs Forward Matt Cullen". NHL.com. August 16, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
- ^ Dan Myers (February 1, 2018). "With no Jagr, Cullen assumes 'oldest active player' mantle". NHL.com. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
- ^ "Penguins Sign Forward Matt Cullen to a One-Year Contract". NHL.com. July 1, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
- ^ "Penguins Cullen retires after 21 seasons". The Sports Network. July 10, 2019. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
- ^ "NHL Champion Checks Fear of Failure".
- ^ Mercer, Kevin. "Pittsburgh Penguins center Matt Cullen trusts in the Lord's plan as team enters NHL playoffs". Sports Spectrum. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ Shircliff, Elaine (November 6, 2015). "Foundation Friday : Cullen Children's Foundation". thehockeywriters.com. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
- ^ "Penguins win Stanley Cup, defeat Sharks in Game 6". National Hockey League. June 12, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 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
- Matt Cullen's Day With the Stanley Cup
- 1976 births
- American men's ice hockey centers
- Anaheim Ducks draft picks
- Baltimore Bandits players
- Carolina Hurricanes players
- Cincinnati Mighty Ducks players
- Florida Panthers players
- Ice hockey players from Minnesota
- Living people
- Mighty Ducks of Anaheim players
- Minnesota Wild players
- Nashville Predators players
- New York Rangers players
- Ottawa Senators players
- People from Virginia, Minnesota
- Pittsburgh Penguins players
- SG Cortina players
- St. Cloud State Huskies men's ice hockey players
- Stanley Cup champions