Jeff O'Neill

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

O'Neill grew up in King City, north of Toronto, playing minor hockey for the King City Kings MHA. He played in the 1990 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Richmond Hill-Vaughan Kings. At 14, he played at the Midget level with his brother Ryan — almost three years younger than some of his peers. At 15, he signed with the Thornhill Thunderbirds Jr. A club. He was the first overall selection of the Guelph Storm in the 1992 OHL Priority Selection and was named OHL Rookie of the Year after scoring 79 points in 65 games. He spent three years in the OHL with the Storm before jumping to the NHL with the Hartford Whalers in 1995. He represented Canada at the world junior hockey championships in 1995, winning a gold medal. O'Neill was drafted fifth overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1994 NHL entry draft. He followed the franchise to North Carolina in 1997. He scored at least 30 goals per season each year between 2000 and 2003, including a career high 41 goals during the 2000-2001 NHL season. In the 2001-02 playoffs, the Hurricanes reached the Stanley Cup Final; O'Neill led his team in playoff goals, including an overtime winner in game three of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Hurricanes lost to the Detroit Red Wings in five games. The next season, O'Neill recorded his third 30-goal season and was selected to his first NHL All-Star Game. After his brother was killed in a car accident in July 2005, O'Neill expressed a desire to play for the Maple Leafs. On July 30, 2005, Carolina traded O'Neill to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a conditional draft pick. Re-united with former coach Paul Maurice, O'Neill scored 20 goals in the 2006-07 season but was benched for the remaining few games. After sitting out the following season, he was invited to the 2008-09 Training Camp by the Hurricanes, played in two exhibition games, then retired before the start of the season.

In Their Own Story

After three years with Guelph, O'Neill jumped to the NHL with the Hartford Whalers in 1995. He spent two seasons in Hartford before moving with the franchise to North Carolina in 1997. His production soared in Carolina; between 2000 and 2003, he scored at least 30 goals each season. O'Neill led his team in playoff goals, scoring a critical overtime winner in Game three of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Toronto Maple Leafs, a game he later called the greatest of his professional career. Although the heavily favored Detroit Red Wings eliminated Carolina in five games, O'Neill's performance defined that Cinderella run. In July 2005, following the tragic death of his brother Don in a car accident in Toronto, O'Neill sought a trade to be closer to family. On July 30, 2005, Carolina GM Jim Rutherford traded him to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a conditional draft pick. Reunited with former coach Paul Maurice, he enjoyed a resurgence early in the 2006-2007 season on the top line with Mats Sundin and Alexander Steen. Despite scoring 20 goals that year, inconsistent play led to him being benched late in the season. Combined with a fear of flying, this prompted retirement considerations. He returned for two exhibition games with Carolina in 2008 before officially retiring.

Reader's Guide

O'Neill is a sports broadcaster and hockey analyst with The Sports Network, appearing on Toronto Maple Leafs broadcasts and TSN Hockey programs. He co-hosts OverDrive on TSN Radio 1050 with Bryan Hayes and Jamie McLennan.

Did You Know?

• At age 14, O'Neill played at the Midget level with his brother Ryan — almost three years younger than some of his peers.
• O'Neill's number was later retired by the Thornhill Thunderbirds in 2004.
• He scored a career high 41 goals during the 2000-2001 NHL season.