Joe Nieuwendyk's Captaincy

Lore & Background

Known for his clutch scoring and two-way reliability, Nieuwendyk was the steady hand behind the Dallas Stars' transformation into a championship contender. After being acquired from the Calgary Flames in a blockbuster trade, he immediately took on the captaincy and became the heart of the locker room. His leadership was never more evident than during the 1999 playoffs, where he scored 11 goals and 10 assists en route to the Conn Smythe Trophy. A natural center with a deadly wrist shot and impeccable faceoff skills, Nieuwendyk finished his career with 564 goals and 1,126 points over 1,257 games.

Reader's Guide

Having dual citizenship in Canada and the United States, (after being cut from Team Canada) Hull was eligible to play for the United States internationally and chose to join the American National Team. He was a member of the team that won the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and was a two-time Olympian, winning a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Hull was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009, joining his father Bobby Hull. They are the first father-son combination to each score either of 600 goals or 1,000 career points in the NHL. Hull's nickname, 'the Golden Brett' is a reference to his father's nickname of 'the Golden Jet'. His jersey number 16 was retired by the St. Louis Blues in 2006.

Did You Know?

• He is one of only 11 players in NHL history to score 50 goals in a season for two different teams (Calgary and New Jersey); his highest goal total with Dallas was 39 in 1995-96.
• Nieuwendyk's jersey number 25 was retired by the Dallas Stars in 2020.