NHL Number 25 - Joe Nieuwendyk

Joe Nieuwendyk played the majority of his NHL career with the Flames and the Stars, but he would win Stanley Cups with three different NHL teams, in three different decades en route to what I consider a Hall of Fame hockey career.

Nieuwendyk, who played his college hockey at Cornell and had his jersey number 25 retired at that University along with fellow alum Ken Dryden, would begin playing in the NHL during the 1986-87 season at age 20, although he played in a mere 9 games that first season. The following season, which can be considered his true rookie season, Nieuwendyk would score 92 points in 75 games. Of those 92 points, 51 were goals, good enough to put Nieuwendyk in rare company along with Gretzky, Bossy, Ovechkin and Selanne as the one of the only rookies to score more than 50 goals. It was also good enough to earn Nieuwendyk the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL Rookie of the Year.

Nieuwendyk would follow up his rookie season with another 51 goals during the 1988-89 campaign. One year later, he put up 95 points (45 goals and 50 assists) for the Flames. He would continue to put up strong offensive numbers throughout his NHL career. Over 1,257 games, Nieuwendyk would accumulate 1,126 points, of which 564 were goals and 562 were assists.

He would win the Stanley Cup with the Flames (1989), the Stars (1999), and the Devils (2003). In 1999, he would be awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

In 1995, Nieuwendyk was awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for leadership.

Did you know....................that Joe is a cousin of former New York Ranger Jeff Beukeboom?

Read more about Joe Nieuwendyk here

Number 25 in Other Sports

NFL Number 25
MLB Number 25