Joel Otto
Joel Otto | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Born |
Elk River, Minnesota, U.S. | October 29, 1961|||||
Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | |||||
Weight | 220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb) | |||||
Position | Center | |||||
Shot | Right | |||||
Played for |
Calgary Flames Philadelphia Flyers | |||||
National team |
NHL Draft | Undrafted | ||||
Playing career | 1984–1998 |
Joel Stuart Otto (born October 29, 1961) is an
Otto was a frequent member of the
Playing career
College
A native of Elk River, Minnesota, Otto played college hockey for Division II school Bemidji State. He scored 52 points in 31 games in his sophomore season of 1981–82, improving to 61 points the following season and finally 75 points in 31 games in 1983–84.[1] He was named to the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) first All-Conference Team and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) West All-American in 1982, 1983 and 1984. Otto captained Bemidji State in 1983–84, leading the team to an undefeated record at 31–0 and a Division II national championship. He was recognized as the NCHA player of the year in 1984.[2] He was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award in 1984, given to the top collegiate player in the United States.[3] Otto scored over 200 points for Bemidji State, was the first player to have his jersey retired by the school, and was inducted into Bemidji State's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010.[2]
Calgary Flames
"I respected him. Did I like him? I'm sure he's a wonderful man but... Well, there wasn't a lot of idle chit-chat between us. A few swear words, I guess. But I owe him my career in a way."
—Otto, speaking of his battles with Mark Messier[4]
Otto was never
Otto established himself as a top defensive forward for the Flames in
Johnson also used Otto in front of the opposition net to screen the goaltender. He struggled offensively early in the 1985–86 season, scoring only two goals in the first third of the year, but as he grew in confidence and saw increasing ice time, his offense improved.[7] Otto finished the season with 25 goals and 59 points. He added 5 goals and 15 points in the playoffs as the Flames reached the Stanley Cup Finals.[1] The Flames lost the series in five games to the Montreal Canadiens.[9]
Continuing to chip in on offense in the following seasons, Otto scored at least 50 points in each of his first four full seasons. He reached the 20-goal mark for the second time in
Considered one of the league's best faceoff men and a top two-way forward, Otto was frequently the subject of inquiries by other teams in trade talks, which the Flames refused.[12] He scored his 100th career goal on October 30, 1990, against the New Jersey Devils and his 300th point on October 4, 1991, against Edmonton.[6] He was the Flames' nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 1991–92, a league award given for dedication and perseverance.[6] His role with the Flames changed into the 1990s as the team placed greater emphasis on his defensive play into the 1990s,[13] though he surpassed 50-points for the fifth time in 1992–93.[1] Otto was also named a finalist for the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the league's top defensive forward that season.[14] He was again named a finalist for the Selke Trophy in 1994–95.[15]
Philadelphia Flyers
Otto hoped to remain in Calgary after his contract expired following the 1995 season, but with the Flames facing financial difficulties as the NHL's salary structure rapidly changed, the team was unable to agree to a new contract.[16] He was among the most sought after players in free agency,[17] and was pursued by the New York Rangers, who hoped that he could help their team shut down Eric Lindros of the Philadelphia Flyers. Otto considered the offer, and thought if the Rangers thought that highly of their opponent, he would be better off playing with Lindros than against him.[13] Otto signed a three-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers on July 21, 1995.[16]
He scored 41 points in 67 games in 1995–96, including the 500th of his career, when he notched a goal and an assist in a 5–4 win over the Edmonton Oilers on March 13, 1997.[18] Still regarded as one of the league's top defensive centers in 1996–97,[19] Otto helped the Flyers reach the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals, which they lost to the Detroit Red Wings.[20] He scored only 7 points in 68 games in 1997–98 after recording 32 the season before, and had lost some of his skating speed.[21] Following the season, Otto announced his retirement.[4]
International
Otto made his debut with the
The 1987 Canada Cup was Otto's first appearance in a best-on-best tournament. He appeared in five games for the fifth-place Americans, and returned as the captain of the American squad that entered the 1991 Canada Cup.[6] Otto scored two goals in a 7–3 victory over Finland in the semi-final to lead the United States into its first championship game in five Canada Cup appearances.[24] The Americans lost the best-of-three final to Canada 2–0.[25] Otto next appeared in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, the successor tournament to the Canada Cup, where the Americans again faced Canada in the final.[26] Otto and his teammates defeated Canada to claim the inaugural World Cup title.[21] His final international appearance came at the 1998 Winter Olympics. At 36, Otto was the oldest player on the American team and was counted on to contribute to the American team as a checking center.[21] He appeared in four games for the sixth-place Americans.[27]
Off the ice
Otto and his wife Kary have two children together.[28] The family settled in Calgary, but return to Minnesota for various events.[29] Following his retirement as a player, Otto worked for Calgary law firm MacLeod Dixon as a professional player consultant and later for a company that manufactured golf clubs.[30] Otto is active within the community. As a player with the Flames, he was a spokesman for the Calgary Children's Milk Fund Society,[6] and was named the recipient of the Ralph T. Scurfield Humanitarian Award in 1993 in recognition of his leadership and community involvement.[31] Otto remains active with the Calgary Flames Alumni Association and in 2004 joined the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League (WHL) as a spokesman for their "Hitmen Kidz" community program.[32]
While he had worked with the University of Calgary Dinos hockey program for a couple seasons following his retirement, Otto left to be closer to his family. He returned to the game in 2006 as an assistant coach for the Hitmen.[33] He helped coach the Hitmen to the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions in 2009–10, and returned for his fifth season behind the bench in 2011–12.[34]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
Regular season
|
Playoffs | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
1980–81 | Elk River High School | HS-MN
|
23 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1981–82 | Bemidji State Beavers | NCHA | 31 | 19 | 33 | 52 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1982–83 | Bemidji State Beavers | NCHA | 37 | 33 | 28 | 61 | 68 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1983–84 | Bemidji State Beavers | NCHA | 31 | 32 | 43 | 75 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1984–85 | Moncton Golden Flames | AHL | 56 | 27 | 36 | 63 | 89 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1984–85 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 17 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 30 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | ||
1985–86 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 79 | 25 | 34 | 59 | 188 | 22 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 80 | ||
1986–87 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 68 | 19 | 31 | 50 | 185 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||
1987–88 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 62 | 13 | 39 | 52 | 194 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 24 | ||
1988–89 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 72 | 23 | 30 | 53 | 213 | 22 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 46 | ||
1989–90 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 75 | 13 | 20 | 33 | 116 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | ||
1990–91 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 76 | 19 | 20 | 39 | 183 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | ||
1991–92 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 78 | 13 | 21 | 34 | 161 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1992–93 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 75 | 19 | 33 | 52 | 150 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 4 | ||
1993–94 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 81 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 92 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
1994–95 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 47 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 130 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ||
1995–96 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 67 | 12 | 29 | 41 | 115 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 11 | ||
1996–97 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 78 | 13 | 19 | 32 | 99 | 18 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 | ||
1997–98 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 68 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 78 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
NHL totals | 943 | 195 | 313 | 508 | 1,934 | 122 | 22 | 47 | 74 | 205 |
International
Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1985
|
United States | WC | 10 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | |
1987 | United States | CC | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
1990
|
United States | WC | 9 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 | |
1991 | United States | CC | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | |
1996 | United States | WCH | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |
1998 | United States | OG | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Senior totals | 43 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 22 |
Curiosities
Canadian punk band Belvedere wrote a song about Joel Otto's career called "Two minutes for looking so good".
References
- Career statistics: "Joel Otto player card". National Hockey League. Retrieved 2012-05-02.
- ^ a b c d e f "Joel Otto profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2012-03-21.
- ^ a b "Athletic Hall of Fame – Joel Otto". Bemidji State University. Retrieved 2012-03-21.
- ^ "Hobey to NHL: It takes talent and timing". ESPN. 2002-10-21. Archived from the original on 2012-07-14. Retrieved 2012-03-21.
- ^ ISBN 1-897229-01-1.
- ISBN 0-919591-15-9.
- ^ a b c d e f Halls, Pat, ed. (1994). 1994–95 Calgary Flames Media Guide. Calgary Flames Hockey Club. p. 52.
- ^ ISBN 0-919591-15-9.
- ^ Matheson, Jim (2007-02-25). "Messier left his mark on Calgary Flames". Edmonton Journal. Archived from the original on 2012-07-23. Retrieved 2012-03-25.
- ISBN 0-919591-48-5.
- ^ Wood, Larry (1989-04-16). "Walking an icy tightrope". Calgary Herald. p. F1.
- ^ Duhatschek, Eric (1989-04-16). "Vernon saves best for last". Calgary Herald. p. F1.
- ^ "1988–89 Calgary Flames road to the cup". Calgary Herald. 1989-04-04. p. D9.
- ^ a b Reusse, Patrick (1996-02-25). "Hustle, muscle propel Otto; Minnesotan's competitiveness helped build 12-year NHL career". Minneapolis Star-Tribune. via Highbeam Research. Archived from the original on 2016-04-09. Retrieved 2012-05-02.
- ^ Marrapese, Nancy L. (1993-06-18). "Bruins miss top awards; Poulin wins Clancy". Boston Globe. p. 31. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
- ^ "Player profile: Joel Otto". Toronto Star. 1995-11-30. p. B2. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
- ^ a b Mahon, Tom (1995-07-21). "Flyers get veteran Otto off free-agent lot". Philadelphia Daily News. p. 105.
- ^ Norwood, Robyn (1995-07-19). "Ferreira says Otto is high on his list". Los Angeles Times. p. C7. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
- ^ LeConey, Bill (1997-03-14). "Lindros lifts Flyers over Oilers in OT". The Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved 2012-03-25.
- ^ "Flyers happy to have Otto back". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 1997-05-18. p. D14. Retrieved 2012-03-25.
- ^ Farber, Michael (1997-06-16). "Crushed". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2012-03-25.
- ^ a b c Donnellon, Sam (1998-02-07). "Otto ready for Olympic challenge". Philadelphia Daily News. p. 39. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
- ^ "U.S. pulls 3rd hockey upset". Anchorage Daily News. 1985-04-22. p. B9. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
- ^ "Soviets, Americans brawl in bronze-medal match". Ottawa Citizen. 1985-05-04. p. E1. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
- ^ Lapointe, Joe (1991-09-12). "U.S. team wins spot in Canada Cup finals". New York Times. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
- ^ "Canada Cup stays home; U.S. swept". Orlando Sentinel. 1991-09-17. p. D8. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
- ^ "It's U.S. Canada in the finals". The Deseret News. 1996-09-09. p. D2. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
- ISBN 978-0-7710-9598-6.
- ^ Patrias, Marla (Winter 2003–2004). "Otto's number retired" (PDF). BSU Horizons. Bemidji State University. p. 6. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
- ^ Strand, Bruce (2011-08-06). "Early Elk football kickoff – the QB Club Golf Tournament – generates funds and fun". Elk River Star News. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
- ISBN 0-385-25999-9.
- ^ Halls, Pat, ed. (1993). 1993–94 Calgary Flames Media Guide. Calgary Flames Hockey Club. p. 61.
- ^ Maxwell, Cameron (2004-11-06). "Otto helping Hitmen help the kidz". Calgary Sun. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Maxwell, Cameron (2007-01-22). "Otto-focus keeps Hitmen humming". Calgary Sun. Archived from the original on July 18, 2012. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Fisher, Scott (2011-03-21). "Hitmen coaches coming back". Calgary Sun. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database