gold star for USAHOF

46. John Cullen

46. John Cullen

John Cullen would play college hockey at Boston University, and while he was one of their best players, he went undrafted in the NHL.  Cullen left Boson University as the then all-time leading scorer, and he would try out for the Buffalo Sabres, who chose him in a Supplemental Draft.  He didn't make the Sabres, so Cullen would instead join Flint of the International Hockey League, wherein the 1987-88 season, he scored 157 Points.  As you can imagine, that turned many heads.

Cullen would join the Penguins in 1988-89 and enjoyed a 49 Point season as a rookie.  He nearly doubled that with a 92 Point season.  The next season would be his best, though it was not all with Pittsburgh.

Less than two months after he was named to his first All-Star Team (1991), the Penguins made a bold move trading him to the Hartford Whalers in a significant deal that would bring back Ron Francis and Ulf Samuelsson.  It worked for Pittsburgh, as they won the Stanley Cup, but Cullen was a big part of their buildup to that moment.  Prior to that trade, he had 94 Points in 65 Games for Pittsburgh, and he returned to the All-Star Game as a Whaler the following season.  He would come back as a Free Agent in the 1994-95 season, where he had 37 Points in 46 Games.

He would later win the Bill Masterton Trophy in his last season (with Tampa Bay), where he came back after two bouts of cancer to play in four games.  As a Penguin, Cullen averaged 1.04 Points per Game, with 272 Points overall.

What an excellent career for an undrafted player!

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Center
  • Acquired: Signed as a Free Agent 6/21/88.
  • Departed:

    Traded to the Hartford Whalers with Jeff Parker and Zarley Zalapski for Ron Francis, Grant Jennings and Ulf Samuelsson 3/4/91.

    Acquired (2): Signed as a Free Agent 8/3/94.

    Departed (2): Signed as a Free Agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning 9/11/95.
  • Games Played: 262
  • Notable Statistics: 88 Goals
    184 Assists
    272 Points
    399 PIM
    1.04 PPG
    -42 Plus/Minus
    18.6 Point Shares

    20 Playoff Games
    3 Goals
    8 Assists
    11 Points
    36 PIM
    0.55 PPG
    0 Plus/Minus
  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    All-Star (1991)*

    *Cullen was traded to the Hartford Whalers late in the season.

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