Amonte scored 416 goals in the NHL and one of the biggest goals in the history of hockey in the United States during his 15-season career.
The Hingham, Massachusetts, native was selected by the New York Rangers in the fourth round (No. 68) of the 1988 NHL Draft after he scored 30 goals in 28 games during his junior season at Thayer Academy. He scored 35 goals in 25 games as a senior, then scored 25 and 31 goals in two seasons at Boston University before turning pro with the Rangers in 1991-92.
Amonte scored 416 goals in the NHL and one of the biggest goals in the history of hockey in the United States during his 15-season career.
The Hingham, Massachusetts, native was selected by the New York Rangers in the fourth round (No. 68) of the 1988 NHL Draft after he scored 30 goals in 28 games during his junior season at Thayer Academy. He scored 35 goals in 25 games as a senior, then scored 25 and 31 goals in two seasons at Boston University before turning pro with the Rangers in 1991-92.
Amonte scored 35 goals in 79 games to help New York win the Presidents' Trophy as the best regular-season team in the NHL and finished second in voting for the Calder Trophy as top rookie. He scored 33 goals in 1992-93 but 16 in 72 games in 1993-94 when the Rangers traded him to the Chicago Blackhawks on March 21, 1994.
The trade cost Amonte the chance to play on a Stanley Cup winner -- New York ended a 54-year championship drought less than three months later. But it reunited him with former Thayer teammate Jeremy Roenick and gave the Blackhawks a high scoring forward just entering his prime.
Amonte scored at least 31 goals in six consecutive seasons from 1995-96 through 2000-01. He broke the 40-goal mark in three of those seasons, scored an NHL career-high 44 goals in 1998-99 and followed that with 43 goals and an NHL career-high 84 points in 1999-00.
Following his 31-goal season in 1995-96, Amonte was selected to play for the United States at the inaugural World Cup in 1996. He scored two goals in seven games, but the second one came with 2:35 left in the third period of Game 3 in the final against Canada that broke a 2-2 tie in a 5-2 victory that gave the U.S. its biggest hockey win since the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics.
Amonte signed with the Phoenix Coyotes as a free agent July 12, 2002 but he lasted less than a season with the Coyotes, who traded him to the Philadelphia Flyers on March 10, 2003. He scored 20 goals and 53 points for the Flyers in 2003-04, then helped Philadelphia reach the Eastern Conference Final before signing with the Calgary Flames as a free agent Aug. 2, 2005. He scored his 400th NHL goal for the Flames against the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 10, 2005.
Amonte retired after the 2006-07 season with 900 points (416 goals, 484 assists) in 1,174 NHL games, and 55 points (22 goals, 33 assists) in 99 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009, two years before he returned to Thayer as hockey coach.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- Hockey East Second All-Star Team (1991)
- NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team (1991)
- NHL All-Rookie Team (1992)
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001)
- Traded to Chicago by NY Rangers with the rights to Matt Oates for Stephane Matteau and Brian Noonan, March 21, 1994.
- Signed as a free agent by Phoenix, July 12, 2002.
- Traded to Philadelphia by Phoenix for Guillaume Lefebvre, Atlanta's 3rd round pick (previously acquired, Phoenix selected Tyler Redenbach) in 2003 NHL Draft and Philadelphia's 2nd round pick (later traded to NY Rangers -- NY Rangers selected Brandon Dubinsky) in 2004 NHL Draft, March 10, 2003.
- Signed as a free agent by Calgary, August 2, 2005.
