John Cullen

At 59 years old, John Cullen has this physical status:

Barry John Cullen (born August 2, 1964) is a former professional ice hockey centre who competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Hartford Whalers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Tampa Bay Lightning.

He was a standout student for Boston University and is the school's all-time leading scorer.

Cullen signed with the Flint Spirits of the International Hockey League (IHL) in 1986 after the Buffalo Sabres selected him in the 1986 NHL Supplemental Draft but chose not to give him a deal, he was named the IHL's Most Valuable Player after leading the league in scoring. In 1997, his career was halted after he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

After an 18-month fight with the disease for which the NHL awarded him the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, he returned to serve as an assistant coach for a year with the Lightning in 1998.

Cullen appeared in two NHL All-Star Games during his career.

After leaving the game, he joined his brother in the automotive industry and briefly operated his own dealership until he was forced to close due to the 2008-10 automotive industry crisis.

Early life

Cullen was born in Puslinch, Ontario, on August 2, 1964. He is one of six children of Barry and Loretta Cullen. Brian and Ray's father and uncles all played in the NHL, and although Cullen and his three brothers all performed well, their father never coerced them, preferring that they enjoy the sport.

Terry, Terry, who was deemed a top NHL prospect until Terry's career was ended when he was struck from behind into the boards during a college game, he idolized him. Although his brother was highly awaited by American universities, John received only two scholarship offers, opting to attend Boston University (BU) in 1983. Ferris State University made his other bid.

Loretta, his mother, was diagnosed with skin cancer at the same time. Following his death early in his freshman year, Cullen considered returning to his Ontario hometown, but his father convinced her not to go back to school and hockey. He coped with the loss and dedicated every game he played to his mother's memory. Cullen said that the inspiration he gained from his mother's war inspired him to be a better player.

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Playing career

Cullen was a standout with the University of Bahami and was named Rookie of the Year in 1983-84 after leading his team in scoring with 56 points. However, the National Hockey League gave him over because he was unclaimed in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. In 1985, 1986, 1986, and 1987, he was selected to the Hockey East All-Star Teams, as well as a in 1986, where he was voted to the National Collegiate Athletic Association East Second Team All-American. He graduated as BU's all-time scoring leader with 241 points and was named to the BU's Hockey East 25th anniversary team in 2009.

Cullen was finally chosen by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1986 NHL Supplemental Draft, despite being passed over in the Entry Draft. Cullen signed with the Flint Spirits of the International Hockey League (IHL) for the 1987-88 season as the Sabres refused to give him a contract. He led the league with 157 points, 48 goals, and the James Gatschen Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player, as well as Ed Belfour's with the Gary F. Longman Memorial Trophy as the year's rookie of the year. The Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins were taken by Cullen's outstanding season in Flint. He signed a minimum deal with the Penguins, giving the Penguins a better deal than Buffalo, but he was furious about how they let him go the year before.

Cullen made his NHL debut in 1988-89, playing in 79 games with the Penguins and scoring 49 points. After Mario Lemieux's absence 21 games due to a back injury, he was given a bigger role with the Penguins the following year. He led to 32 goals and 92 points to finish third in team scoring. In addition, he appeared for Team Canada at the 1990 World Championships, scoring four points in ten games. Cullen had his best season in 1990-91. In the Penguins' first 65 games, he scored 94 points and appeared in his first NHL All-Star Game as one of the team's top offensive centers. However, Cullen's playing time and production decreased as Lemieux returned from missing an additional 50 games due to injury.

On March 1, 1991, the Penguins' needs led them to the conclusion of a blockbuster trade. Cullen, along with Zarley Zalapski and Jeff Parker in exchange for Hartford's all-time top scorer Ron Francis, as well as Ulf Samuelsson and Grant Jennings, was sent to the Hartford Whalers. The Penguins almost turned down the offer because they were concerned about Cullen's playmaking and leadership skills, while his former teammates praised Cullen as the primary reason they were in a playoff position at the time. Phil Bourque said later that the Penguins had won their first Stanley Cup of the season, but that Cullen was not able to participate in the competition.

Cullen, a footballer from Hartford, was battling Francis' resentment at the team's loss to the team. To express their dissatisfaction with the trade, Hartford fans booed him outright. In the 1991 Stanley Cup Playoffs, he played 16 points in 13 regular season games to finish the season with 110 points total between the Penguins and the Whalers. He initially accepted an invitation to join the Canadian team at the 1991 Canada Cup, but later decided not to participate because his deal had come to an end, prompting more insurance concerns. Cullen was missing the first four games before signing a four-year contract with Hartford worth $4 million, despite being still without a job when the 1991–92 season began. In his first full season with the Whalers, he scored 77 points in 77 games, as well as representing the team at the 1992 All-Star Game.

The Whalers sent Cullen to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1993 for the second round pick at the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, midway through the 1992-93 NHL season. Cullen was excited to play for his father's old team, but injuries limited his ability to function. His most serious injury was a herniated disc in his neck that doctors had feared would end his career. Cullen was able to return and play out his Toronto contract after a substantial neck brace. He returned to the Penguins for one season after the 1993–94 season, but Tony Esposito persuaded him to join the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1995.

Cullen was immediately successful with linemates Shawn Burr and Alexander Selivanov as the trio combined to score 130 points and lead the Lightning to their first playoff appearance in franchise history. They were eliminated by the Philadelphia Flyers in five games, but Cullen led the team in playoff scoring with three goals and three assists. The Lightning looked to improve in 1996–97; Cullen was leading the team in scoring, but he was suffering flu-like symptoms that he couldn't handle. He suffered with his illness for weeks while Tampa was looking for a playoff spot.

Cullen's wife called team trainers and begged them to investigate into his illness after two months of silently dealing with his illness. A massive black shadow was found in his chest on x-ray. Cullen had a baseball-sized tumor, according to a CAT scan, who was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. His season came to an end, and he began chemotherapy drugs that quickly reduced his cancer. The tumor had been eradicated by September 1997, but Cullen's body had cancer cells in it as a result of a precautionary test prior to training camp. He missed the entire 1997–98 NHL season as he continued to fight the disease, but his coworkers carried his #20 in support throughout the year.

Cullen went into cardiac arrest on one day during his hospitalization, requiring doctors to use a defibrillator to revive him. He underwent a bone marrow transplant that briefed his immune system to the point where he had very little human contact. The cancer was finally gone, according to another examination in April 1998, and Cullen immediately began preparing for a comeback.

Cullen has been a fan of one-year, $500,000 contract from 1998–99. On September 18, 1998, he played his first game in nearly 18 months at Innsbruck, Austria, with the Lightning and Sabres. Cullen scored the game-winning goal in a 3–1 win, after which he said he sat on the bench in disbelief over how he was given a second chance. He was welcomed to the team and received a roaring ovation from the crowds in Tampa Bay as he was introduced prior to their season-opening game.

Cullen was involved in four of the Lightning's first eight games, but it was evident that he had slowed and collapsed. The Lightning sent him to the Cleveland Lumberjacks of the IHL, but the Thunderbolts also gave him the option of retiring and taking up a position as an assistant coach. He decided against the dismissal, giving himself a month to decide whether he would return to play. In six games for Cleveland, he appeared in six games, and he set a new IHL record when he scored seven points in a 7–3 victory.

Cullen, on the other hand, was concerned that his cancer had returned after a bout of bronchitis. The results came back negative, but after spending time with his family, he realized that neither he nor his family were interested in returning to Cleveland. Cullen resigned on November 28, 1998, and the Lightning offered to serve as an assistant coach. The NHL named him the 1999 champion of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for dedication and perseverance, while the IHL named the John Cullen Award as the 1999 champion of the Year.

"John Cullen... beat cancer and came back to play and helped us win," former Lightning head coach Terry Crisp said plainly.

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