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| 1983 NHL DRAFT PICK |
 |
Cam Neely
Selected in first round
No.
9 overall by Vancouver Canucks
Born June 6, 1965
 | Position:
Right Wing
Height: 6-1 Weight: 185
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|
| BEFORE THE DRAFT |
Last Team:
Portland (WHL)
Birthplace:
Comox, British Columbia (Canada)
Hometown: Moose Jaw,
Saskatchewan |
 |
 |
|
| PRE-DRAFT
STATISTICS | | Year |
Team | League |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1981-82 |
Ridge Meadows | B.C. AAA |
64 | 73 |
68 | 141 |
134 | | 1982-83 |
Portland | WHL |
72 | 56 |
64 | 120 |
130 |
|
PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
Memorial Cup:
1983 (Portland)
Memorial Cup Goals Leader: 1983 (Portland) (5 goals)
Miscellaneous: Ranked by NHL Central Scouting Bureau as No. 9 overall
prospect for the 1983 NHL draft. ... Rated in The Hockey News draft preview issue as
No. 13 overall prospect for the 1983 NHL draft. ... Scored hat trick for
Portland in 1983 Memorial Cup final victory over Oshawa. ... Grew up in
British Columbia and Moose Jaw, Sask., while his father served in the
Royal Canadian Air Force. ... Lived in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, during
his midget hockey career. |
| NHL CAREER |
Debut: October 5, 1983 (Calgary at
Vancouver)
Numbers: 21 (Vancouver); 8
(Boston) (number retired)
Stanley Cup: Never won.
Status:
Retired September 5, 1996 |
| CAREER NHL STATISTICS | | Years |
Teams | GP |
G | A |
TP | PIM | | 1983-1996 |
Vancouver, Boston | 726 |
395 | 299 |
694 | 1,241 |
|
| CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS |
| Years | Teams |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1984-1995 |
Vancouver, Boston | 93 |
57 | 32 |
89 | 168 |
|
NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
HOCKEY HALL OF FAME:
Inducted 2005
Masterton Trophy: 1993-94 (Boston)
Sporting News All-Star First Team: 1987-88 (Boston)
NHL All-Star Second Team: 1987-88, 1989-90, 1990-91, 1993-94 (Boston)
Sporting News All-Star Second Team: 1989-90, 1990-91 (Boston)
All-Star Game: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1996 (Boston)
Stanley Cup Finals (Lost): 1988, 1990 (Boston)
Boston Radio Network No. 1 Star (Three-Stars Leader): 1987-88,
1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91, 1993-94, 1995
Boston Dufresne Trophy (Home
MVP): 1987-88, 1990-91, 1995
Boston Seventh Player Award (Unsung Hero): 1986-87, 1993-94
NHL Records: Most power-play goals in one playoff year (9 for Boston
in 1991, shares record)
Boston Records: Most points in one
game (7 at Chicago on Oct. 16, 1988, shares record), most goals in one
season by a right wing (55 in 1989-90), most career playoff goals (55), most
goals in a playoff year (16 in 1991), most hat tricks in playoff year (2 in
1991, shares record)
50-Goal Seasons: 1989-90 (Boston) (55), 1990-91 (Boston) (51),
1993-94 (Boston) (50)
NHL Power-Play Goals Leader: 1995 (Boston)
(16 goals)
NHL Game-Winning Goals Leader: 1993-94
(Boston) (13 goals)
NHL Playoffs Power-Play Goals Leader: 1991
(Boston) (9 goals)
Boston Points
Leader: 1988-89 (75), 1989-90 (92)
Boston Goals
Leader: 1986-87 (36), 1987-88 (42), 1988-89 (37), 1989-90 (55), 1990-91
(51), 1993-94 (50), 1995 (27), 1995-96 (26)
Boston Playoffs Points
Leader: 1987 (6), 1990 (28)
Boston Playoffs Goals
Leader: 1987 (5), 1989 (7), 1990 (12),
1991 (16), 1993 (4), 1995 (2)
Boston Playoffs Penalty-Minutes
Leader: 1990 (51)
Miscellaneous: Played his first NHL game in adopted hometown of Vancouver. ...
Was NHL's youngest player in 1983-84, opening the season at age 18 years, 4
months. ... Sent back to Portland (WHL) just five games into his rookie
season, but was recalled for good in December 1983. ... Missed part of
1984-85 season with dislocated kneecap, an injury suffered when he was
checked by Denis Potvin during Vancouver's Oct. 23, 1984, game at N.Y.
Islanders. He did not return to action until Vancouver's Nov. 12, 1984, game
vs. Montreal. ... Missed 1985-86 season-opener with dislocated kneecap, an
injury suffered during Vancouver's 1985 training camp. ... Missed part of
1985-86 season with separated shoulder, an injury suffered when he collided
with Ed Olczyk during Vancouver's Nov. 26, 1985, game vs. Chicago. He did
not return to action until Vancouver's Dec. 11, 1985, game vs. Winnipeg. ...
Played on line with Rick Middleton and Thomas Gradin for Boston in 1986-87.
... Missed part of 1986-87 season with sprained knee, suffered during Boston's
Nov. 1, 1986, game at Philadelphia. He did not return to action until
Boston's Nov. 15, 1986, game vs. New Jersey. ... Missed two games in
November 1987 so that he could return to Vancouver and be with his ailing
mother. ... Missed part of 1987-88 season with slipped right kneecap, an
injury suffered during Boston's Feb. 12, 1988, game at Edmonton. He did not
return to action until Boston's Feb. 25, 1988, game vs. Hartford. ... Played
on line with Bob Joyce and Craig Janney for remainder of 1987-88 season
after Janney joined Boston from U.S. Olympic team and Joyce joined Bruins
from Canadian Olympic team. ... Led Boston with 11 power-play goals in
1987-88. ... Missed parts of 1988-89 season with broken right thumb and
inflamed right knee, injuries suffered during Boston's Dec. 6, 1988, game at
N.Y. Islanders. ... Missed part of 1988-89 season with re-aggravation of
right knee injury, suffered during Boston's practice on March 6, 1989. ...
Missed part of 1988-89 season with strained right shoulder, an injury
suffered during Boston's March 23, 1989, game vs. New Jersey. He did not
return to action until Boston's April 1, 1989, game at Quebec. ... Tied for
Boston lead with six game-winning goals in 1988-89. ... Scored at least one
goal in eight consecutive games from Dec. 23, 1989, to Jan. 11, 1990 -- the
second-longest streak in Boston history. He would later tie that mark with
an eight-game streak from Dec. 9, 1990, to Dec. 23, 1990. ... Missed parts of 1989-90 season
with hyper-extended knee, an injury suffered during Boston's Oct. 20, 1989,
game at Edmonton, and with pulled groin, an injury suffered during Boston's
March 15, 1990, game vs. Winnipeg.
... Tied for NHL lead with 12 game-winning goals in 1989-90. ... Finished
second in NHL with 25 power-play goals in 1989-90. ... Tied for third in NHL
with 55 goals in 1989-90. ... Missed part of 1990-91 season with broken
nose, an injury suffered during Boston's Oct. 27, 1990, game vs. Chicago.
The injury required surgery. ... Suspended by NHL for five games during
1990-91 season for hitting Randy Ladouceur over the back of the head with
his stick during Boston's Nov. 23, 1990, game vs. Hartford. Neely received a
match penalty for attempting to injure Ladouceur on the play. The penalty
prompted a review by the NHL league office. A hearing was held on Nov. 26,
1990, and the NHL announced the suspension on Nov. 27, 1990. Hartford had
been seeking a 10-game suspension, while Boston had been asking for one
game. Neely sat out Boston's games between Nov. 27 and Dec. 9. ... Missed
part of 1990-91 season with left hip pointer injury, suffered during
Boston's March 14, 1991, game vs. Montreal. ... Became second player in
Boston history (along with Phil Esposito) to score at least 50 goals in
back-to-back seasons when he achieved feat with his 50th goal of 1990-91
season on March 26, 1991, at Quebec. ... Tied for second in NHL with 51
goals in 1990-91. ... Missed Boston's 1991 training camp and first half of
1991-92 season with deep bruise in left thigh, an injury suffered when he
was checked by Ulf Samuelsson during Game 6 of Boston's Wales Conference
finals series at Pittsburgh on May 11, 1991. ... Missed remainder of 1991-92
season, entire 1992 playoffs and start of 1992-93 season with strained left
knee that filled with fluid, an injury suffered during Boston's Jan. 23,
1992, game vs. Montreal. The injury required season-ending surgery on Feb.
3, 1992, and follow-up arthroscopic surgery on Sept. 17, 1992. He did not
return to action until Boston's Feb. 25, 1993, game vs. Minnesota. ...
Played on line with Adam Oates and Joe Juneau for Boston after his return to
lineup in 1993. ... Missed part of 1992-93 season with recurrence of fluid
in left knee, an injury suffered in March 1993. ... Missed parts of 1993-94
season with re-aggravation of left knee injury, suffered during Boston's
Oct. 7, 1993, game vs. Buffalo, and with hip-flexor injury, suffered during
Boston's Feb. 8, 1994, game at Quebec. ... Scored his 300th career NHL goal
for Boston on Nov. 4, 1993, vs. Calgary. ... Played on line with Adam Oates
and Dimitri Kvartalnov for Boston in 1993-94. ... Missed remainder of 1993-94 season
and entire 1994 playoffs with torn MCL in right knee, an injury suffered during Boston's March
19, 1994, game vs. New Jersey. ... Missed part of 1995 season with
irritation in right hip joint, an injury suffered during Boston's April 6,
1995, game vs. Buffalo. He did not return to action until Boston's April 19,
1995, game vs. Buffalo. ... Tied for Boston lead with five game-winning
goals in 1995. ... Played on line with Adam Oates and Todd Elik for Boston
in 1995-96. ... Missed remainder of 1995-96 season and entire 1996 playoffs with
right hip-flexor injury, initially suffered during Boston's Jan. 31, 1996,
game at Ottawa and re-aggravated for the final time during Boston's Feb. 21,
1996, game at Anaheim. ... Was represented by player agent Jay Fee during
latter portion of his NHL career. ... Attempted comeback from retirement in
November 1998, when he practiced with the Bruins for one week before
determining his hip could not withstand NHL play. He ended the comeback on
Nov. 16, 1998. ... Boston retired Neely's No. 8 prior to a Jan. 12, 2004,
game vs. Buffalo.
Injury Woes End Career:
After five stellar seasons in Boston, Neely's took a major turn for the
worse, when he suffered a severe left thigh injury at the end of the 1991
playoffs. He suffered the injury when checked by Ulf Samuelsson in
Game 6 of Boston's Wales Conference finals series at Pittsburgh on May 11,
1991. It was Boston's last game of the 1991 playoffs. The injury led to the
development of myositis ossificans in the thigh -- as a portion of Neely's
thigh muscle turned to bone. Neely was not able to skate again until Nov.
29, 1991, and he did not make his 1991-92 season debut until Boston's Jan.
2, 1992, game vs. Winnipeg. He scored the Bruins' only goal in that game. He
was able to play in nine total games before disaster struck on Jan. 23,
1992, vs. Montreal. In that game, he experienced severe pain in his left
knee. Doctors discovered the knee was filled with fluid. They performed
season-ending surgery on Feb. 3, 1992, to remove a piece of cartilage that
had come off Neely's joint surface. The injury was related to unnecessary
pressure Neely had put on his knee to compensate for pain in his thigh.
Doctors then performed a second arthroscopic surgery on Sept. 17, 1992.
While recovering from the second surgery, Neely missed the remainder of the
1991-92 season, the entire 1992 playoffs, Boston's 1992 training camp and
the start of the 1992-93 season. He did not resume practicing with the
Bruins in full equipment until Jan. 23, 1993, and finally made his 1992-93
season debut on Feb. 25, 1993, vs. Minnesota -- more than 13 months after
his last NHL appearance. In typical Cam Neely fashion, he scored a
power-play goal on just his third shift, just 4:51 into the first period.
However, four games into his comeback, Neely was sidelined again when
doctors discovered a buildup of fluid in his left knee following Boston's
March 4, 1993, game vs. Vancouver. He did not return to action until
Boston's March 16, 1993, game vs. New Jersey. To protect his knee, he sat
out every other game for Boston until March 28, 1993, when he resumed a full
schedule, although he continued to skip the second game in back-to-back
nights. He then played in all four of Boston's 1993 playoff games, as the
Bruins were swept by Buffalo in the first round. Returning healthy for the
1993-94 season, Neely ran into trouble again, when he re-injured his knee
during Boston's Oct. 7, 1993, game vs. Buffalo. Despite considering
retirement at that time, he came back from that injury after missing only
three games and resumed his habit of not playing in back-to-back games and
also skipping most Boston practices. At one point in late December and early
January, he even played seven straight games before resting his left knee
again. During this time, he scored at a rapid remarkable rate, racking up 50
goals in only 49 total games in 1993-94. In fact, his 50 goals in 44 games
was unofficially the third-fastest 50 goals in NHL history. But things took
a dramatic turn for the worse later in the season when he tore the MCL in
his right knee after a collision with Ken Daneyko during Boston's March 19,
1994, game vs. New Jersey. The injury ended his season. The 1994-95 NHL
lockout gave Neely more time to rest his knee, and he finally returned to
action for Boston's 1995 season opener at Philadelphia on Jan. 22, 1995. His
health was good enough for him to play in all of Boston's first 13 games, 42
of Boston's 48 total regular-season games, and all five playoff games in
1995, taking just one game off in order to rest his left knee and missing
the other five with a hip injury. It looked as though he might have truly
beaten his knee troubles. He went on to play the first 35 games of Boston's
1995-96 season before being benched by head coach Kasper for Boston's Jan.
3, 1996, game at Toronto. The benching enraged Neely, but he was back in the
lineup for Boston's next game vs. Hartford and played the next 11 games
before missing Boston's Feb. 1, 1996, game vs. Florida with a sore right hip. The hip-flexor
injury also kept him out of nine of
Boston's last 10 games in February 1996, and doctors told him not to return
until the hip was healed. The problems in the hip, which were related to
overcompensating for the problems in his knee, were too much to overcome.
Neely, who had played his last NHL game for Boston on Feb. 21, 1996, vs.
Anaheim, would never play another NHL game despite a brief comeback attempt
in November 1998.
Doctors had told Neely in early April 1996 that he would ultimately need a
hip replacement if he continued to play in the NHL. On April 4, 1996, Neely
began hinting that he was prepared to retire, since he did not want to
permanently damage his hip. A July 25, 1996, examination confirmed Neely's
fear that continuing to play would put his degenerative hip at great risk,
and in August 1996, the Bruins began to prepare for the possibility that
Neely would retire. On Sept. 5, 1996, Neely made it official at age 31. The
Bruins paid the remaining $4.3 million on Neely's contract, which ran
through the 1997-98 season. |
| NON-NHL CAREER |
Post-Draft Teams:
Portland (WHL)
World Championships: 1985 (silver medal) (injured,
did not play)
NON-NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Boston Celtics Heroes Among Us Award: 2002
Miscellaneous: Never played in minor leagues. ... Was named to Team Canada's
roster for
the 1985 World Championships, but missed entire tournament with rib injury. ...
Invested in restaurant named Decoys, and later Isola, on Martha's Vineyard
in summer of
1992. ... Appeared in the 1994 films D2: The Mighty Ducks and Dumb
and Dumber. ... Played on
Vancouver's off-season charity softball team. ... Established Cam Neely
Foundation to raise money for cancer patients at New England Medical Center.
... Founded Cam Neely House at the New England Medical Center, giving cancer
patients and their families a place to stay while the patients received
treatment. He had devoted himself to helping cancer patients after losing
his mother to colon cancer and his father to brain cancer. ... Continued
running Cam Neely Foundation and Cam Neely House after his retirement. ...
Continued acting in films after his retirement, with roles in Me, Myself
and Irene, What's the Worst That Can Happen? and Stuck on You.
... Received honorary degree from University of Massachusetts at Boston in
2003.
Personal: Full name is Cameron Michael
Neely. ... Older brother of former major-junior player Scott Neely. |
| HOW HE GOT AWAY |
| TRADE:
Vancouver traded Neely and 1987 first-round pick (Glen Wesley) to Boston in
exchange for Barry Pederson on June 6, 1986. |
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|
SNAPSHOT '83 | | Total Selected: |
242 | | Forwards: |
134 | | Defense: |
86 | | Goaltenders: |
22 | | Major Junior: |
122 | | Tier II/Jr. B: |
19/5 | | College Players: |
15 | | High School: |
47 |
| Canadian: |
148 |
| Euro-Canadian: |
0 | | USA Citizens: |
60 | | U.S.-Born: |
60 |
| European: |
34 |
| Reached NHL: |
113 |
| Stanley Cup: |
21 | | Hall of Fame: |
4 |
| All-Star Game: |
20 |
| Year-end All-Star: |
7 |
| Olympians: |
34 |
| Picks Traded: |
41 |
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