Hartnell can make a claim few other NHL players can. As part of a Nashville Predators team that took on the Pittsburgh Penguins in a game designed to bring international awareness to the League, he made his NHL debut on Oct. 7, 2000, in a neutral site affair played in Japan.
Since then, the Regina, Saskatchewan, native has carved out a career similar to that of his idol Cam Neely, establishing himself as a gritty power forward who has scored the majority of his goals off rebounds or deflections from in front of the net.
Hartnell can make a claim few other NHL players can. As part of a Nashville Predators team that took on the Pittsburgh Penguins in a game designed to bring international awareness to the League, he made his NHL debut on Oct. 7, 2000, in a neutral site affair played in Japan.
Since then, the Regina, Saskatchewan, native has carved out a career similar to that of his idol Cam Neely, establishing himself as a gritty power forward who has scored the majority of his goals off rebounds or deflections from in front of the net.
Hartnell's willingness to work the battleground in front of the opponent's net has allowed him to remain a regular on the Columbus Blue Jackets power play, but he's also known for playing a sound defensive game and is often asked to contribute as a penalty killer.
In addition to being one of the game's more solid two-way players, Hartnell has also developed a reputation for being one of the game's more interesting characters, one who, among other things, has stolen an opponent's glove, thrown a glove at an opponent in an effort stop a breakaway and been accused (though not convicted) of biting an opponent during a scrum. He also made a cameo appearance along with Ian Laperriere, James van Riemsdyk and Matt Carle in the movie "This is 40."
Hartnell began his NHL career as a first-round pick (No. 6) of the Predators in the 2000 NHL Draft. He scored his first career NHL goal on Nov. 11, 2000, against the Boston Bruins and was a member of the 2012 NHL All-Star team. As a member of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2008 he scored hat tricks within nine days of each other, on Dec. 11 and Dec. 20, against the Carolina Hurricanes and the Washington Capitals, respectively.
The Blue Jackets acquired Hartnell from the Flyers in a trade on June 23, 2014.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (2012)
- Signed as a free agent by Oslo (Norway), October 21, 2004.
- Traded to Philadelphia by Nashville with Kimmo Timonen for Nashville's 1st round pick (previously acquired, Nashville selected Jonathon Blum) in 2007 NHL Draft, June 18, 2007.
- Traded to Columbus by Philadelphia for RJ Umberger and Columbus' 4th round pick (later traded to Los Angeles -- Los Angeles selected Austin Wagner) in 2015 NHL Draft, June 23, 2014.
- Signed as a free agent by Nashville, July 1, 2017.
