Mike Rupp

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Mike Rupp
Rupp with the New York Rangers in 2012
Born (1980-01-13) January 13, 1980 (age 44)
Cleveland, Ohio
, U.S.
Height 6 ft 5 in (196 cm)
Weight 243 lb (110 kg; 17 st 5 lb)
Position Center
Shot Left
Played for

Danbury thrashers
NHL Draft
9th overall,
Playing career 2000–2014

Michael Ryan Rupp (born January 13, 1980) is an American former professional

.

Rupp scored the

AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
. He serves as a co-host of "That's Hockey Talk" with Nick Maraldo and Kyle "Gumpy" Cathcart, which comes out of the Pat McAfee Incorporated Studios.

Playing career

Rupp played high school hockey at

.

Rupp played his first professional season in 2000–01 with the Albany River Rats of the American Hockey League (AHL), the top minor league affiliate of the Devils. He later made his NHL debut January 13, 2003 with the Devils,[1] where he helped the team win the Stanley Cup after scoring the Cup-clinching goal. Rupp is the only player in Stanley Cup history to have his first playoff goal be the Stanley Cup winning goal.[2]

The following season, in 2003–04, Rupp was traded by the Devils, along with a second-round draft pick, to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for Jan Hrdina on March 5, 2004.[3] After the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Rupp was traded with Jason Chimera and Cale Hulse to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Geoff Sanderson and Tim Jackman on October 8, 2005.[4] Columbus declined to submit Rupp, a restricted free agent, a qualifying offer in June 2006.

On July 9, 2006, Rupp signed a one-year, $450,000 contract to return to the New Jersey Devils.[5] After a successful season establishing himself as a gritty hardworking player, Rupp re-signed with the Devils on June 28, 2007, to a two-year contract.

Rupp wearing the Penguins third jersey in 2009

On July 1, 2009, Rupp signed a two-year, $1.65 million contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. While scoring his first career hat-trick on November 30, 2009, against the New York Rangers, Rupp scored his sixth, seventh, and eighth goals for a new career-high just 28 games into the 2009–10 season.[6]

On July 1, 2011, Rupp signed a three-year, $4.5 million contract with the New York Rangers.

2012 Winter Classic against the Philadelphia Flyers to help the Rangers prevail 3–2. After Rupp scored his first goal, he saluted the crowd in a similar, yet mocking, fashion to how then-Flyer Jaromír Jágr celebrates a goal; the mocking gesture immediately led to a retaliatory confrontation initiated by Philadelphia forward Scott Hartnell
.

Rupp with the Penguins in 2010 fighting Columbus forward Jared Boll.
Rupp with the Rangers in 2011 fighting Ducks forward George Parros.

During the lockout-shortened, 48-game 2012–13 season, on February 4, 2013, Rupp was traded to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for forwards Darroll Powe and Nick Palmieri.[8]

On April 11, 2014, Rupp was suspended by the NHL for four games without pay for a "late illegal check to the head" of St. Louis Blues forward T. J. Oshie.[9]

Broadcasting career

Since retiring in 2014, Rupp serves as both a studio analyst for the

NHL Network, and a post-game analyst on Pittsburgh Penguins games for SportsNet Pittsburgh
. [10]

In addition to NHL Network, Rupp is a co-host of That’s Hockey Talk, of Pat McAfee Inc. alongside Nick Maraldo and Kyle “Gumpy (Gump)” Cathcart.

Personal life

Rupp's childhood ice hockey teams included the Parma Heights Wings Municipal Hockey Club, where he started playing at age nine. He attended and played for

SouthPark Mall in Strongsville
, Ohio, to display the Cup and sign autographs for fans in his home state.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season
Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1996–97 St. Edward High School HS-OH 20 26 24 50
1996–97 Cleveland Jr. Barons NAHL 21 8 9 17 75
1997–98 Windsor Spitfires OHL 38 9 8 17 60
1997–98 Erie Otters OHL 26 7 3 10 57 7 3 1 4 6
1998–99 Erie Otters OHL 63 22 25 47 102 5 0 2 2 25
1999–00
Erie Otters OHL 58 32 21 53 134 13 5 5 10 22
2000–01 Albany River Rats AHL 71 10 10 20 63
2001–02 Albany River Rats AHL 78 13 17 30 90
2002–03 Albany River Rats AHL 47 8 11 19 74
2002–03 New Jersey Devils NHL 26 5 3 8 21 4 1 3 4 0
2003–04 New Jersey Devils NHL 51 6 5 11 41
2003–04
Phoenix Coyotes
NHL 6 0 1 1 6
2004–05
Danbury Trashers UHL 14 5 5 10 30 11 3 4 7 38
2005–06 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 1 0 0 0 0
2005–06 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 39 4 2 6 58
2005–06 Syracuse Crunch AHL 3 1 2 3 12
2006–07 New Jersey Devils NHL 76 6 3 9 92 9 0 1 1 7
2007–08 New Jersey Devils NHL 64 3 6 9 58 5 0 1 1 2
2008–09 New Jersey Devils NHL 72 3 6 9 136 7 0 0 0 14
2009–10 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 81 13 6 19 120 11 0 0 0 8
2010–11 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 81 9 8 17 124 7 1 1 2 4
2011–12 New York Rangers NHL 60 4 1 5 97 20 0 0 0 36
2012–13 New York Rangers NHL 8 0 0 0 12
2012–13 Minnesota Wild NHL 32 1 3 4 67 4 0 0 0 12
2013–14 Minnesota Wild NHL 13 0 1 1 23
2013–14 Iowa Wild AHL 5 0 0 0 0
NHL totals 610 54 45 99 855 67 2 6 8 83

Awards and honors

Award Year
NHL
Stanley Cup champion 2003

References

  1. ^ 2007-2008 New Jersey Devils Media Guide. p. 70.
  2. ^ "Devils drink from Cup after 3-0 win". ESPN.com. 2003-06-09. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
  3. ^ "Phoenix acquires unlikely Cup hero". ESPN.com. 2004-03-05. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
  4. ^ "Jackets trade Sanderson, Jackman to Coyotes for Chimera, Hulse and Rupp". ESPN.com. 2005-10-08. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
  5. ^ "Devils sign Rupp". devils.nhl.com. 2006-07-10. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
  6. ^ "Rupp's Hat Trick Powers Pens Over Rangers". WPXI. 2009-11-30. Archived from the original on 2009-12-02. Retrieved 2009-12-29.
  7. ^ "NHL Free Agent Tracker". The Sports Network. Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  8. ^ "Rangers send Rupp to Wild for Powe, Palmieri". The Sports Network. 2013-01-04. Retrieved 2013-01-04.
  9. NHL.com
    . 2014-04-11. Retrieved 2014-04-11.
  10. ^ "ROOT SPORTS Adds Armstrong, Rupp As Analysts". The Official Site of the Pittsburgh Penguins. 5 October 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2016.

External links

Awards and achievements
Preceded by
1998
Succeeded by