Jeremy Roenick

Lore & Background

Roenick excelled in hockey at a young age with Thayer Academy to where he was drafted in 1988 as the eighth overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks at the age of 18. He spent the majority of the 1988–89 season with the Hull Olympiques of the QMJHL before being called up by Chicago, where he recorded 18 points in 20 games. He recorded the first of fourteen 20-goal seasons in the 1989–90 season before recording four consecutive seasons with at least 40 goals, which included 50 goals in both the 1991–92 and 1992–93 seasons while reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the only time in 1992. Injuries plagued his final two seasons with Chicago before he was traded to the Coyotes in 1996, where he recorded five straight 20-goal seasons before signing as a free agent with the Flyers in 2001, where he subsequently recorded his 1,000th point. A trade to Los Angeles in 2005 saw him later play in Phoenix and his final stop with San Jose in the next few years. In 2007, he became the third-American born player to reach 500 goals and the 40th overall. He retired in 2009, having scored 513 goals and 703 assists in 1,363 games as one of only 24 players at the time with 500 goals and 700 assists in league history. Roenick also represented Team USA in several international tournaments. After retiring in 2009, Roenick joined NBC Sports as a hockey analyst from 2010 to 2020. Roenick was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2024.

Reader's Guide

Roenick began playing hockey at age four. As a youth, he played in the 1982 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Middlesex County, Connecticut, and in the 1983 tournament with the Washington Capitals minor ice hockey team. He later moved to Fairfax, Virginia, and played for the bantam-level New Jersey Rockets. He then enrolled at Thayer Academy, where he played on the same line as future NHL line-mate Tony Amonte. Roenick was drafted eighth overall in the 1988 NHL entry draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. He played for the Hull Olympiques in 1988–89, scoring 70 points in 28 games. He represented the United States at the 1989 World Junior Championship; in his second World Junior Championship, he led the tournament in scoring and was named a Tournament All-Star. Roenick's line, which included Mike Modano and John LeClair, totaled 41 points. During the tournament, Roenick became the all-time leading American scorer, totaling 25 points. Roenick's record stood for 21 years before being broken by Jordan Schroeder in 2010. Following the tournament, the Blackhawks called him up during the 1988–89 season. Roenick made his NHL debut on October 6, 1988, against the New York Rangers and scored his first goal on February 14, 1989, against the Minnesota North Stars. In 20 games at the NHL level, Roenick scored 18 points. In the 1989 Stanley Cup playoffs, he helped the Blackhawks reach the Conference Finals. In a game against the St. Louis Blues, Roenick got into an altercation with Blues' defenseman Glen Featherstone, who crosschecked Roenick in the mouth and broke his front teeth. Roenick remained in the game and scored a goal on the power play. In the 1989–90 season, Roenick joined the Blackhawks full-time and scored 26 goals and 66 points. During the 1990 playoffs, he helped the Blackhawks reach the Campbell Conference Finals before losing to the Edmonton Oilers. In 1990–91, Roenick paced the team with ten game-winning goals as the Blackhawks won the Presidents' Trophy. Roenick finished second on the team with 41 goals, 53 assists and 94 points and played in his first NHL All-Star Game. The following year, Roenick led the team with 53 goals, 50 assists and 103 points and played in his second All-Star Game. The team marched to the 1992 Stanley Cup Final. Roenick scored 22 points in 18 games as the team captured the Clarence S.

Did You Know?

• Roenick recorded 18 points in 20 games in his rookie season, not 9 points.
• Roenick wore a cast on his left arm in Game 3 of the 1992 Final, not his right arm.