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One of the greatest hockey quotes came from Dino Ciccarelli as he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010, “In our sport, you only get to celebrate the ultimate when you win the Cup. You don’t celebrate winning a division or a conference, so that leaves a lot of people out of celebrating accomplishment. That’s why winning the Cup is so special”.   Ciccarelli is one of the greatest players to play NHL hockey and never win a Stanley Cup.

 

Ciccarelli began his career with the Minnesota North Stars as a free agent in 1979. He broke into the league by storm, and holds the record for the most goals by a rookie in a single playoff year with 14. In Minnesota he was a fan favorite and known as “Dino the Dinosaur”.

 

Ciccarelli played as a right winger in the NHL, and played a total of nineteen seasons. The Minnesota North Stars were his first team, but was traded in 1989 to the Washington Capitals. Later in his career he moved on to play with the Detroit Red Wings, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Florida Panthers.

 

His career was not always smooth and free from controversy. In 1987, Ciccarelli pleaded guilty of indecent exposure, and one year later he attacked Toronto Maple Leafs Luke Richardson with his stick. This wild stick swinging assault landed him in jail for one day, and also earned him a $1000 dollar fine.

 

Dino had a great career on the ice. He was a fan favorite and was known for his ability to stand in front of the net, and deflect shots from the point or bang home rebounds. He was the master of the gritty, ugly goal.

 

Ciccarelli will be remembered for his gritty in your face play. He was a power play specialist, many of his goals came on the power play. The Hockey Hall of Fame recognized him with induction in 2010. He finished his career with 1232 games played, 608 goals, 592 assists, for a total of 1200 NHL points.