Rick DiPietro

Lore & Background

DiPietro moved to Winthrop, Massachusetts at age 10 and played in the 1994 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a team from Beverly, Massachusetts. He attended Saint Sebastian's School and played one season (1999–2000) with Boston University in the NCAA's Hockey East, earning All-Rookie Team, Second Team All-Hockey East, co-MVP, and Hockey East Rookie of the Year honors. He nearly set the NCAA record for most saves in a game with 77 saves in a quadruple overtime loss to St. Lawrence University. In his only Beanpot Tournament, he was named MVP and won the Eberly Trophy.

Professional

After being drafted first overall by the Islanders, general manager Mike Milbury traded incumbent goalie Roberto Luongo to make room for DiPietro. A groin injury during training camp caused him to start the season with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in the AHL.

He debuted on January 27, 2001, but managed only three wins in 20 games that season. His goals against average improved from 3.49 in 2000–01 to 2.36 in 2003–04. On March 5, 2007, he broke the Islanders franchise record with 56 saves in a 2–1 shootout loss to the New York Rangers.

A string of injuries began in 2008, starting with a concussion from a collision with Montreal Canadiens forward Steve Bégin on March 13, 2007, followed by another concussion against the Rangers. He underwent hip surgery in the 2007 off-season and later had multiple knee surgeries.

On February 2, 2011, he engaged in a goaltender fight with Pittsburgh's Brent Johnson, taking a single punch that knocked him unconscious, inflicted a concussion, and broke his jaw. He was limited to 50 NHL appearances over the five seasons after 2008, and the Islanders bought out his contract on July 2, 2013, with eight years remaining. He retired after being released by the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL on November 26, 2013.

A Historic Draft Pick and a Contract That Redefined the League

Rick DiPietro entered the NHL entry draft on June 24, 2000, as a name destined to echo through hockey history. Chosen first overall by the New York Islanders, he became only the second goaltender in the league's history to claim the top selection and the fourth American to hold that distinction. Islanders general manager Mike Milbury made a bold strategic move to clear the path, trading incumbent netminder Roberto Luongo to accommodate the young prospect, who was celebrated for his mobility and puckhandling ability. The contract that followed in September 2006 was nothing short of unprecedented.

A 15-year, $67.5 million deal made it the longest commitment ever signed under the 2005 NHL collective bargaining agreement, surpassing Alexei Yashin's prior ten-year benchmark. The arrangement was so extraordinary that the NHL front office had actually discouraged the Islanders from extending a 15-year offer back in September 2005. Years later, during the 2010 off-season, the New Jersey Devils attempted to sign Ilya Kovalchuk to a 17-year deal, but the league rejected it as salary cap circumvention, underscoring just how far DiPietro's contract had stretched the boundaries of the sport's financial norms.

A Career Derailed by a Relentless Injury Spiral

What began as a promising trajectory quickly unraveled into a painful odyssey. In March 2007, DiPietro suffered a concussion after racing out of his crease to poke-check a puck at the blueline, colliding with Montreal's Steve Bégin. He returned briefly but sustained a second concussion against the Rangers and missed the remainder of that regular season. The 2007 off-season brought hip labrum surgery, followed by a knee meniscus operation he announced on a Sirius radio show in June 2008.

The 2008-09 campaign proved equally brutal. After sitting out the first four games, DiPietro played only two more before being placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed lower-body issue. Another knee surgery followed in November, and by January 2009, general manager Garth Snow confirmed he would miss the rest of the year due to post-surgical swelling.

Over the next five seasons, his NHL appearances were limited to just 50 games. The Islanders ultimately bought out his contract on July 2, 2013, with eight years still remaining. He signed a tryout deal with the AHL's Charlotte Checkers in October but was released by November 26, 2013, and retired. Multiple hockey writers now classify him as a draft bust.

One Dazzling Season at Boston University

Before the NHL spotlight, DiPietro's collegiate career at Boston University was a single, brilliant season. Playing in the 1999-2000 campaign in Hockey East, he earned All-Rookie Team honors, Second Team All-Hockey East recognition, the team's co-MVP award, and the conference's Rookie of the Year title. His most remarkable performance came in the NCAA regional final against St. Lawrence, where he stopped 77 of 80 shots in a 3-2 quadruple overtime loss, nearly setting the NCAA record for saves in a single game. In the Beanpot Tournament, he claimed both the MVP award and the Eberly Trophy, presented to the competition's top goaltender.

His talent was so evident that the Islanders' general manager Mike Milbury traded Roberto Luongo specifically to create a path for DiPietro's arrival. The young netminder, known for his mobility and puckhandling, was expected to become a franchise cornerstone. His NHL debut on January 27, 2001, against the Buffalo Sabres was widely anticipated, though his first 20 games yielded only three wins and 15 losses for a struggling Islanders squad.

Life Beyond the Crease: Media and a Lingering Legacy

Long after his playing days ended, DiPietro's connection to hockey has remained both financial and professional. The Islanders' 2013 contract buyout means the organization continues to pay him $1.5 million annually through the 2028-29 season, a lingering echo of that once-record-setting 15-year deal. Yet his post-playing life has found a genuine second act in the broadcast booth. He currently co-hosts "DiPietro and Rothenberg" on ESPN New York alongside Dave Rothenberg, bringing his insider perspective to daily sports conversation.

Beginning with the 2021-22 season, he also serves as an analyst on NHL telecasts for ESPN, offering goaltending expertise to a national audience. Born in Lewiston, Maine, and raised in Winthrop, Massachusetts after moving there at age ten, DiPietro's journey from a Beverly, Massachusetts youth team in the 1994 Quebec International Pee-Wee Tournament to a national TV analyst represents a remarkable arc. His story of extraordinary promise, a historic contract, a devastating injury spiral, and an eventual return to the game through media has become one of the NHL's most discussed narratives.

Reader's Guide

Rick DiPietro's legacy is defined by his historic draft selection and contract, followed by a career cut short by injuries. As the second goaltender ever taken first overall, he was expected to anchor the Islanders' net for years. His 15-year, $67.5 million contract was the longest under the 2005 NHL collective bargaining agreement and was nearly surpassed only by the New Jersey Devils' attempted 17-year deal for Ilya Kovalchuk, which was rejected. However, a series of concussions, hip surgeries, and knee problems limited him to just 50 NHL games over the five seasons after 2008.

Multiple hockey writers consider him a draft bust. The buyout of his contract means the Islanders will continue to pay him $1.5 million annually until the end of the 2028–29 season, a lasting financial reminder of the gamble. Despite his on-ice struggles, he transitioned to a media career as a co-host on ESPN New York and an NHL analyst for ESPN.