NHL News

Assembling The All-Time, All-Massachusetts Hockey Team

Published

2 months ago

August 17, 2024

Andrew Fantucchio

AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

As the license plates say, Massachusetts is the spirit of America.

That could be up for debate depending on who you ask, but one thing there’s no debating over is the place the Bay State holds in the landscape of United States hockey.

For decades, Massachusetts has been a factory, producing premiere talent that has excelled at all levels of the game, from the college ranks to the international stage and, of course, the National Hockey League.

So, as a fun exercise, I’ve assembled what I believe to be the all-time, all-Massachusetts hockey team.

Before we get started, I must emphasize that this lineup is largely based on the players’ NHL careers. While accomplishments and statistics from other levels of competition were also considered, the players’ professional contributions carried the most weight.

Center – Jeremy Roenick:

If there’s ever a lock to make this team, it’s Jeremy Roenick.

Born in Boston and an alumni of Thayer Academy in Braintree, Roenick’s 1,216 career points are the fifth-most ever by an American-born player.

Roenick was drafted eighth overall in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft and went on to play in more than 1,300 career games with the Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks.

Three times, Roenick had 100 points or more in a season, as well as two 50-goal seasons. He is one of just 25 players in NHL history to have accomplished such feats in the same year.

In 2002, he won a silver medal while playing for the United States at that year’s Olympic games in Salt Lake City.

Later this year, Roenick will become just the second player from Massachusetts to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Right Wing – Tony Amonte:

As a linemate of Roenick’s at both Thayer and with the Blackhawks, it’s only appropriate that Tony Amonte joins him here as well.

A native of Hingham, Amonte wasn’t so much a dynamic player as he was consistent.

During a seven-year span from 1995 to 2002, Amonte never played in less than 80 games during a regular season, putting up 60 points or more in each of them. Then, after one season in 2003 in which he was limited to 72 games, Amonte once again was a workhorse, appearing in at least 80 games during each of the final three seasons of his career.

Overall, Amonte appeared in 1,174 games for Chicago, the New York Rangers, Phoenix, Philadelphia, and the Calgary Flames, and his 900 career points rank 16th all-time among American-born players.

Left Wing – Keith Tkachuk:

There might be no player who better represents the gruff, blue-collar attitude of Massachusetts than Keith Tkachuk.

Born in Melrose, Tkachuk was selected by the original iteration of the Winnipeg Jets with the 19th pick in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. Three years later, he broke onto the scene, scoring 41 goals and 80 points in just his third year in the league, collecting his first of two All-Star appearances along the way.

Tkachuk then followed the Jets as they moved to Arizona in 1996 and scored a career-high 52 goals to lead the league that season.

He then joined the Blues at the turn of the century and spent time the majority of the rest of his career in St.Louis, with a brief pit stop in Atlanta along the way. Tkachuk retired in 2010 with 1,065 career points, 538 career goals, and 2,219 penalty minutes.

His cousin, Tom Fitzgerald of Billerica, also played over a thousand games in the NHL and is now the general manager of the New Jersey Devils. Tkachuk’s two sons both now play in the league, with the eldest, Matthew, a member of the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, and Brady, the captain of the Ottawa Senators.

Defense – Mike Milbury:

You hated to play against him but loved to have him on your side; Mike Milbury’s sandpaper temperament matched his style of play.

Milbury grew up in the shadow of Boston Garden and went on to play his entire 12-year career there as a member of the Boston Bruins, helping them reach back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals in 1976 and 1977 and bridging the gap between two of the franchise’s other legendary defensemen.

Although he was not the most skilled of players, Milbury prolonged his career as a strong leader, a quality that eventually helped him transition to working behind the bench.

He took over as the head coach of the Bruins in 1989, just two years after hanging up his skates, once again leading them to the brink of a championship.

Defense – Keith Yandle:

A smooth-skating offensive defenseman who played more than a decade and a half in the league, Yandle was the type of player that many teams coveted.

Yandle was raised in Milton and played his high school hockey at Cushing Academy. He played more than 1,100 games in his career, spending the majority of his 16-year career as a cornerstone piece for the Coyotes and also played seasons for the Rangers, Panthers, and Flyers.

Yandle retired from the NHL following the 2022 season with 619 career points and 103 career goals.

Goalie – Tom Barrasso:

Perhaps the best American-born goalie to ever play the game, Tom Barrasso is the obvious and only choice to start in goal.

Drafted fifth overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 1983, the Stow product won both the Vezina Trophy and the Calder Trophy his rookie season after putting up a .893 save percentage and a 2.85 goals-against average in 42 games, including two shutouts.

He then went on to start in goal for the Pittsburgh Penguins for over a decade, helping them hoist the Stanley Cup twice in 1991 and 1992. In total, Barrasso started 119 games in the postseason throughout his career, the 12th most all-time and most ever by an American netminder.

Following appearances with the Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, and St. Louis, Barrasso closed the book on his time in the NHL. Having appeared in 777 games over the span of two decades, he compiled a .892 save percentage and a 3.24 goals-against average.

In 2023, he became the first-ever player from Massachusetts to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.