Jeremy Roenick

At 54 years old, Jeremy Roenick has this physical status:

Jeremy Shaffer Roenick (born January 17, 1970) is an American former professional ice hockey player who played the majority of his career in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks over the course of his 18 NHL season career and represented Team USA in numerous international tournaments.

On November 10, 2007, he became the third American-born player (Joe Mullen and Mike Modano were the first two) to score 500 goals.

Personal life

While with the Philadelphia Flyers, Roenick lived in Moorestown, New Jersey.

Roenick and his wife Tracy have two children: daughter Brandi and son Brett. They live in Scottsdale, Arizona. Tracy Roenick is an avid equestrienne rider, owner and trainer who earned a spot on the United States Equestrian Team Long List in 2001.

Roenick is a Republican. In 2016, he voiced his support for successful presidential candidate Donald Trump in an interview with Philadelphia radio station WIP-FM, though he said he had initially supported Florida senator Marco Rubio's campaign.

Roenick's nephew, Chris Calnan, was selected 79th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

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Playing career

Roenick started playing hockey at the age of four when a playmate convinced Roenick's parents to enroll Jeremy in a hockey league so that their child would be with someone he knew. Jeremy, the son of a Mobil oil district manager, toured the Northeastern United States regularly, joining new hockey teams with each stop. Roenick competed in the 1982 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Middlesex County, Connecticut, and the Washington Capitals minor ice hockey team, 1981.

Roenick later moved to Fairfax, Virginia, where he played for the bantam-level New Jersey Rockets, who had won back-to-back national championships in 1984-85 and 1985-86. Roenick had to fly from Dulles Airport to Newark, New Jersey, on a weekly basis to attend the Rockets' games at age 14. Roenick led the Rockets to a state championship, scoring 300 points in only 75 games. The Roenick family will return to Massachusetts, where Jeremy enrolled at Thayer Academy after one year of traveling for hockey. Roenick appeared on the same line as future NHL linemate Tony Amonte; the two teams went on to win two League Championships together.

Roenick was so impressive during his time at Thayer Academy that he was drafted straight out of high school, finishing eighth overall in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft to the Chicago Blackhawks. Wayne Gretzky introduced him to breakfast in an effort to convince Roenick to play for the Hull Olympiques, a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) team Gretzky owned. Before going on to represent the United States in the 1989 World Junior Championship, Roenick appeared for the Olympiques in 1988-1989, scoring 70 points in 28 games. Roenick led the tournament in scoring in his second World Junior Championship and was named a Tournament All-Star. Roenick's line, which included future NHL players Mike Modano and John LeClair, totaled 41 points, the most ever by a Team USA line and the sixth most in tournament history. Despite his scoring success, the United States finished fifth in the tournament and ranked fifth. Roenick made history by winning 25 points in the tournament. Roenick's record lasted for 21 years before being shattered by Jordan Schroeder in 2010. However, Roenick was defeated by three tournaments to defeat him, who held the record in only two events. The Blackhawks called Roenick up during the 1988-1989 season after his solid World Junior debut.

Roenick made his NHL debut against the New York Rangers on October 6, 1988, and then scored his first goal against the Minnesota North Stars on February 14, 1989. Roenick scored 18 points in 20 games at the NHL level. He was a member of the 1989 Stanley Cup playoffs who helped the Blackhawks reach the Conference Finals. Roenick gave the Chicago fans a glimpse of what kind of player he would be like during the playoffs. Roenick became embroiled in a match against the St. Louis Blues, causing an altercation with Blues' defenseman Glen Featherstone. Roenick was crosschecked in the mouth and broke his front teeth; Featherstone would be given a five-minute major penalty, while Roenick received a minor penalty. Roenick stayed in the game, but after his penalty time was over, he took a shot on the power play and scored a goal.

Roenick played for the Blackhawks full time during the 1989–90 season and helped the team win the Norris Division title by 22 points; he had scored 26 goals and 66 points in the regular season. Roenick helped the Blackhawks reach the Campbell Conference Finals in the 1990 playoffs before losing to the Edmonton Oilers. In 20 games, he scored 18 points. Denis Savard, the Blackhawks' trade forward, was traded for defenseman Chris Chelios in June 1990 due to the Blackhawks' belief in Roenick's abilities.

As the Blackhawks improved another 18 points to win the President's Trophy in 1990–91, Roenick led the team with ten game-winning goals. Roenick was second on the team with 41 goals, 53 assists, and 94 points, and he was in his first NHL All-Star Game. He scored eight points in six playoff games. Roenick led the team with 53 goals, 50 assists, and 103 points in his second All-Star Game. Though the team finished second in the Norris Division in the regular season, the team continued to progress to the 1992 Stanley Cup Finals in the playoffs. In 18 games, Roenick secured the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl over Edmonton before being swept by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the final round.

As the team improved 19 points to win their third Norris Division title in four years (47 wins, 106 points), Roenick led the Blackhawks with 50 goals, 107 points, and 22 power-play goals. Roenick appeared in his third All-Star Game during the season. The Blackhawks were defeated by the St. Louis Blues in the playoffs, with he scoring three points in four games. He ranked tenth on The Hockey News' Top-25 Players list at the end of the year.

Roenick led his team again in 1993-94, with 46 goals, a career-high 61 assists, 107 points, a career-high 24 power-play target, five shorthanded goals, and a +21 plus-minus rating as the Blackhawks fell 19 points in the standings. He appeared in his fourth mid-season All-Star Game. He scored seven points in six playoff games in the post-season. He ranked tenth on The Hockey News' Top-40 Players list at the end of the year. He has also been named winner of the Chicago Sports Profiles Humanitarian of the Year award.

Roenick had 34 points in 33 games during the lockout period from 1994-1995. With a bruised tibia, he missed 15 games. When the Blackhawks reached the Western Conference Final, where they lost to the Detroit Red Wings, he appeared in eight games in the 1995 playoffs. In 1995–96, Roenick scored 67 points in 66 games before missing the last 11 games due to a sprained ankle. He was the team's captain at 32 goals at the end of the year.

Roenick was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for Alexei Zhamnov, Craig Mills, and a first-round draft pick (Ty Jones). By (and will eventually be banned for) Teppo Numminen, Roenick, 97, became the first player to wear number 97 in NHL history, as the number 27 he wore in Chicago. Roenick's first season with his new team, he had 29 goals and 69 points. He came in second second on the team in 1997–98 with 56 points. He led the Coyotes with 72 points and appeared in his fifth All-Star Game while still knocking 154 hits. Roenick led the Coyotes in scoring from 1999 to 2000, this time scoring 34 goals and 44 assists for 78 points. He hit 125 runs on the season and appeared in his sixth All-Star Game. Roenick was the Coyotes' leading the team from 2000-2001 with 30 goals and 76 points. He played 80 games and received 133 hits.

Roenick became a free agent with the Philadelphia Flyers on July 2, 2001. In his first season with the Flyers, he received both the Bobby Clarke Trophy (MVP) and Yanick Dupre Memorial (Class Guy) awards. As the Flyers claimed the Atlantic Division championship, he led the team with 46 assists, 67 points, and a +32 plus-minus rating. In a match against the Ottawa Senators on January 30, he scored his 1,000th NHL point. He appeared in the Mid-Star Game three nights later. Roenick appeared in five games in the Senators' opener in the 2002 playoffs.

The Flyers' Roenick led the Flyers with 27 goals and 59 points in 2002-03, when the team won 45 games and finished second in the Atlantic Division. He also assisted the Flyers with 32 assists and eight power-play goals. Roenick appeared in his 1,000th NHL game on November 16. He appeared in the Mid-Winter Game in February. In the 2003 playoffs, he scored eight points in 13 games before losing to the Ottawa Senators once more.

Roenick was struck in the chest by an errant slapshot from Rangers' defenseman Boris Mironov on February 12, 2004. As he lay on the ice in a pool of blood, Roenick's jaw broke in 19 places and knocked him unconscious for several minutes. Roenick's ninth concussion on the play, and there was doubt that his brain's circulatory system had been harmed in addition to the fractured jaw, which caused him to consider retirement. However, further tests showed no circulatory damage and Roenick returned to action less than a month after suffering from concussion and fractured jaw, with less than two weeks remaining in the season. Roenick was limited to 62 games in 2003–04, but the Flyers won their third division title in five years in 47 games. With a.76 points-per-game average, he came in second on the team. Roenick helped the Flyers reach the Eastern Conference Finals in 2004, scoring four goals and 13 points, including the series-clinching overtime goal in game six of the second round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Flyers, on the other hand, lost in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the eventual Stanley Cup champions.

Following the NHL lockout, the Flyers stunned everybody by appointing Peter Forsberg on August 3, 2005. Roenick was traded by the Los Angeles Kings the next day in order to clear salary cap space for Forsberg's employment.

Roenick's 2005–06 season with the Kings was extremely disappointing, both for Roenick and the team. He only scored 22 points in 58 games, his lowest total figure since he scored 18 points in 20 games in his rookie season. Roenick, who missed time due to a broken ankle while blocking a shot during a penalty kill, played games late in the season after suffering a chip fracture in his right ankle, and the slapshot injury made Roenick's game a tentative player. Roenick was dissatisfied with his appearances, expressing in a remarkably apologetic way: "I went to Los Angeles to finish off the last year of my service and a year off playing [lockout] and it was a tough year for me, it was tough mentally. A lot of people are unaware that for six months I had a lot of difficulties with the concussions and dealing with the jaw injury."

At the conclusion of his first season in Los Angeles, he expressed a keen interest in joining a Canadian team. "I've always said I'd like to play in Canada before my career is over," Roenick said.

Rather, Roenick signed a one-year, $1.2 million contract with the Phoenix Coyotes on July 4, 2006, which brought him right back to the Phoenix Coyotes. He scored 28 points in 70 games in Phoenix, his second lowest scoring season for him. His second stint in Phoenix was not without his share of off-ice problems. Roenick left GM Place in Vancouver on December 12, 2006, after finding out he had been scratched from the game's roster against the Vancouver Canucks. On record, Roenick said he left the arena to go to a restaurant for what he described as "a nice dinner." Roenick believed he was fit enough to play in the game after a back injury, but Coyotes head coach Wayne Gretzky said he needed more time to recover. In the Coyotes' next game, Roenick's antics led to his suspension once more. Roenick's decision the next time was seconded, he was more accepting of Gretzky's decision, exchanging a different attitude following the announcement that his daughter, Brandi, had been diagnosed with the kidney disease IgA nephropathy.

Following his low-scoring career in Phoenix, Roenick's reign was a rumors that he would resign. In fact, Roenick sent them a text message announcing his release from the league on July 4, 2007. However, Roenick's agent, Neil Abbott, said later this month that the Philadelphia newspaper's "text message retirement" announcement had been premature, and that Roenick will make a decision about his future within the next month.

Roenick had signed a one-year, $500,000 deal with the San Jose Sharks to fill the position of checking line center, according to the team's news on September 4, 2007. Roenick praised Sharks general manager Doug Wilson, his ex roommate when they played together in Chicago, for giving him a second shot at hockey.

Roenick scored his 500th goal against the Phoenix Coyotes, an unassisted mark from center ice that bounced off the end boards and then crashed the other side of the net one month into his first season with San Jose – an unassisted mark from center ice that bounced off the end boards and then met the side of the net. Alex Auld, a goalkeeper, attempted to get the puck out of the goal mouth's groove, but failed to pull the puck off the goal mouth's heel and into the net. Roenick joined Mike Modano and Joe Mullen as the third American-born player to reach the 500-goal plateau. Roenick scored his 503rd goal against the Vancouver Canucks on January 10, 2008, defeating Joe Mullen for second in all-time scoring by American-born players. Roenick had a fantastic Game 7 showing against the Calgary Flames in 2008, scoring two goals and two assists to defeat Calgary. The Sharks were eliminated in six games after advancing to the second round to face Mike Modano and the Dallas Stars. Roenick has also scored ten game-winning goals this season.

Roenick re-signed with the Sharks on a one-year, $1.1 million contract, doubled his previous year's salary.

Roenick scored his 700th career assist against the Atlanta Thrashers on February 21, 2009, setting up a goal by Jonathan Cheechoo. He is the 48th player in NHL history and the sixth American-born player to reach that number.

Roenick resigned from both hockey and professional hockey on August 6, 2009. Roenick finished his career with 513 goals and 753 assists in 1,363 games for a total of 1,216 points.

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Awards and achievements

• QMJHL Second All-Star Team – 1989
• 1989 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships – Tournament all-star
• 1989 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships – Leading scorer
• Played in 9 NHL All-Star Games – 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004
• 1991 Canada Cup – All-Tournament Team
• NHL Skills Competition record for shooting accuracy (2004) – 4 for 4 (shared with Ray Bourque, Mark Messier, Tomáš Kaberle, Evgeni Malkin, Daniel Sedin and Dany Heatley)
• 500th career goal – November 10, 2007, against the Phoenix Coyotes (third American-born player to do so)
• 4th in IGNs: The Top Ten Athletes in Video Games.
• Second all-time American point producer in World Junior Championship history (Jordan Schroeder surpassed his number one point total in 2010)