Scott Niedermayer

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

As a junior, Niedermayer was a member of a Kamloops Blazers team that won two Western Hockey League championships and was voted the most valuable player of the 1992 Memorial Cup, leading the Blazers to the Canadian Hockey League championship. The third overall selection at the 1991 NHL entry draft by New Jersey, Niedermayer played the majority of his professional career with the Devils before moving to Anaheim in 2005. Internationally, Niedermayer played with Team Canada on several occasions. He is a member of the Triple Gold Club, having won the Stanley Cup as well as a World Championship (2004) and Olympic gold medals (2002, 2010). Niedermayer also played for the Memorial Cup champions, and championship teams at the 1991 World Junior Championships and the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, making him and Corey Perry the only players in history to have ever won each of the six major North American and international competitions available to players. He was introduced in to the IIHF All-Time Canada Team in 2020. Regarded as one of the greatest defencemen in NHL history, Niedermayer has earned numerous accolades throughout his career. He was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2012, into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November 2013, and into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2015. The New Jersey Devils, Anaheim Ducks, and Kamloops Blazers have all retired his uniform number.

In Their Own Story

In the 2004 Stanley Cup Final, Scott Niedermayer faced his own brother, Rob, who played for the opposing Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Their mother admitted she hoped Rob would win since Scott already had two championships. Scott dashed those hopes by recording two assists in the deciding seventh game, leading New Jersey to a 3–0 victory and his third Stanley Cup. Later, as an Anaheim Duck, he cemented his legacy in 2007 by winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, guiding the team to their first championship. His international career was equally dominant; he won Olympic gold medals in 2002 and 2010, a World Championship in 2004, and a World Cup of Hockey title that same year. Along with Corey Perry, he became one of only two players in history to win all six major North American and international competitions.

Reader's Guide

Niedermayer was born in Edmonton, Alberta, but spent the first three years of his life in Cassiar, British Columbia before his family settled in Cranbrook, British Columbia. His father, Bob, was a doctor in Cassiar and then Cranbrook, and his mother Carol was a teacher. He has a younger brother, Rob. Scott and his brother were inseparable when they were younger and often played hockey together. While their father was often their team doctor, their mother taught them to skate. She enrolled them in figure skating to aid their skills development and taught power skating classes in Cranbrook in exchange for ice time for her sons. An offensive defenceman, Scott led his Cranbrook midget team in scoring with 55 goals and 92 points in 1988–89. Niedermayer played three seasons of junior hockey with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League (WHL) between 1989 and 1992. He recorded 69 points in 64 games in his first season, 1989–90, and helped the Blazers win the President's Cup as WHL champions. The Blazers advanced to the 1990 Memorial Cup as the top ranked team in Canada, but disappointed in the tournament by losing all three games. Niedermayer earned several accolades in 1990–91. He scored 26 goals and 82 points in 57 games to earn a place on the Western Conference All-Star team. Additionally, he was named the recipient of the Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Trophy as the WHL's scholastic player of the year and won the Canadian Hockey League Scholastic Player of the Year award. A top prospect for the 1991 NHL entry draft, Niedermayer was selected in the first round, third overall, by the New Jersey Devils. He began the 1991–92 season with New Jersey as the team wanted him to experience the NHL before being returned to Kamloops. After sitting out the Devils first five games, Niedermayer made his NHL debut on October 16, 1991, against the New York Rangers. He appeared in four games with the Devils, recording one assist, before he was sent back to junior. Though he appeared in only 35 games in the 1991–92 WHL season, Niedermayer's 39 points were enough to earn him a second berth on the West All-Star team. After losing in the Western Conference Final the previous season, the Blazers rebounded to win their second WHL championship in three years in 1992. Niedermayer tied for third place in playoff scoring with 23 points. At the 1992 Memorial Cup, he scored seven points in

Did You Know?

• Niedermayer is a member of the Triple Gold Club, having won the Stanley Cup, a World Championship (2004), and Olympic gold medals (2002, 2010).
• He and Corey Perry are the only players in history to have won each of the six major North American and international competitions available to players.
• Niedermayer was introduced into the IIHF All-Time Canada Team in 2020.
• He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November 2013.

Elite Career Trajectory

Scott Niedermayer played 18 seasons and over 1,000 games in the NHL for the New Jersey Devils and Anaheim Ducks. Drafted third overall by New Jersey in 1991, he spent the majority of his career with the Devils before moving to Anaheim in 2005. His offensive prowess was recognized league-wide when he captured the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 2003–04 as the NHL's top defenceman. His playoff dominance culminated in 2007 when he earned the Conn Smythe Trophy while leading Anaheim to a championship. In 2017, his enduring excellence was acknowledged when he was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players.

Unrivaled International Dominance

On the global stage, Niedermayer is a member of the Triple Gold Club, having won the Stanley Cup, a World Championship in 2004, and Olympic gold medals in 2002 and 2010. His international resume includes victories at the 1991 World Junior Championships and the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. This collection makes him and Corey Perry the only players to win all six major North American and international competitions available to players. He was introduced into the IIHF All-Time Canada Team in 2020.

Junior Foundations and Early Promise

Niedermayer played three seasons with the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL between 1989 and 1992, winning two league championships. In 1990–91, he scored 26 goals and 82 points in 57 games, earning a place on the Western Conference All-Star team and the Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Trophy as the WHL's scholastic player of the year. After being drafted third overall by New Jersey in 1991, he made his NHL debut on October 16, 1991, against the New York Rangers. In 1992, he led the Blazers to a Canadian Hockey League championship at the Memorial Cup with seven points in five games, winning the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as MVP.

Enduring Legacy and Honors

Niedermayer has been inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (2012), the Hockey Hall of Fame (November 2013), and the IIHF Hall of Fame (2015). The New Jersey Devils, Anaheim Ducks, and Kamloops Blazers have all retired his uniform number. He currently serves as a special assignment coach for the Anaheim Ducks.