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| 1973 NHL DRAFT PICK |
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Rick Middleton
Selected in first round
No.
14 overall by New York Rangers
Born December 4,
1953
 | Position: Right Wing
Height: 5-11 Weight: 170
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| BEFORE THE DRAFT |
Last Team:
Oshawa (OMJHL)
Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
Hometown:
Toronto, Ontario |
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 |
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| PRE-DRAFT
STATISTICS | | Year |
Team | League |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1970-71 |
Toronto Nationals | Jr. B |
-- | -- |
-- | -- |
-- | | 1971-72 |
Oshawa | OMJHL |
53 | 36 |
34 | 70 |
24 | | 1972-73 |
Oshawa | OMJHL |
62 | 67 |
70 | 137 |
14 |
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PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
OMJHL Tilson Trophy (MVP): 1972-73 (Oshawa)
OMJHL All-Star Second Team: 1972-73 (Oshawa)
OMJHL Goals Leader: 1972-73 (Oshawa) (67 goals) |
| NHL CAREER |
Debut: October 9,
1974 (Washington at N.Y. Rangers)
Numbers: 9 (N.Y. Rangers); 17,
16 (Boston)
Stanley Cup:
Never won
Playing Status: Left NHL in 1988. Retired as active player in 1989 |
| CAREER NHL STATISTICS | | Years |
Teams | GP |
G | A |
TP | PIM | |
1974-1988 |
N.Y. Rangers, Boston | 1,005 |
448 | 540 |
988 | 157 |
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| CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS | | Years |
Teams | GP |
G | A |
TP | PIM | | 1975-1988 |
N.Y. Rangers, Boston | 114 |
45 | 55 |
100 | 19 |
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NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Lady Byng Trophy: 1981-82 (Boston)
NHL All-Star Second Team: 1981-82 (Boston)
Sporting News All-Star First Team: 1983-84 (Boston)
All-Star
Game: 1981, 1982, 1984
Stanley Cup Finals (Lost): 1977, 1978,
1988 (Boston)
100-Point Seasons: 1980-81 (103), 1983-84 (105)
50-Goal Seasons:
1981-82 (51)
Boston Dufresne Trophy (Home-Games MVP): 1978-79,
1980-81, 1981-82, 1983-84
Boston Gallery Gods Award (Fans' MVP): 1978-79
Boston Three-Stars Leader: 1978-79,
1979-80, 1980-81, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84
Boston Seventh Player Award (Unsung
Hero): 1978-79
Boston Co-captain: September 17,
1985, to July 1, 1988
NHL Records:
Most points in one playoff series (19 in 1983 vs. Buffalo), most assists in
one playoff series (14 in 1983 vs. Buffalo, tie)
Boston Records:
Most points by a right wing in one season (105 in 1983-84, tie), most points
in one playoff year (33 in 1983), most assists in one playoff year (22 in
1983), most points in one playoff series (19 in 1983 vs. Buffalo), most
assists in one playoff series (14 in 1983 vs. Buffalo)
NHL Shooting Percentage Leader: 1981-82 (25.2%)
Boston Points Leader: 1978-79 (86), 1979-80 (92), 1980-81 (103), 1981-82
(94)
Boston Goals Leader: 1978-79 (38), 1979-80 (40, tie), 1980-81 (44),
1981-82 (51), 1982-83 (49), 1983-84 (47)
Boston Assists Leader: 1979-80 (52), 1980-81 (59)
Boston Playoffs
Points Leader: 1983 (33)
Boston Playoffs Assists Leader: 1979
(8), 1983 (22)
Broadcasting Career: Named Boston studio analyst on Oct. 9, 2002, and remained in that position into 2002-03 season.
Miscellaneous: Scored two goals in first NHL game. ... Scored four
goals on four shots while playing for N.Y. Rangers against California on Nov.
17, 1974. ... Missed parts of 1974-75 season with broken left leg, suffered in
Jan. 15, 1975, game vs. Minnesota, and fractured cheek. ... Scored hat trick
vs. Minnesota in his first game with Boston on Oct. 7, 1976. ... Missed part of 1976-77 season with shoulder
injury. ... Suffered sprained right shoulder in March 11, 1982, game vs.
Winnipeg, a game in which he had a hat trick. Missed five games with the
injury, which required surgery to replace a torn tendon in July 1982. ...
Upset the NHL when he sent
his father to accept his 1982 Lady Byng Award because he was playing golf at
Pebble Beach and didn't want to leave to attend NHL awards ceremony. ...
Named NHL Player of Week in mid-February 1983. ... Shared NHL first-goals lead
with 11 in 1982-83. ... Scored first regular-season overtime goal for Boston
since NHL's reinstatement of overtime on March 1, 1984. No Bruins player had
scored in overtime of a regular-season game for 42 years before that goal. ...
Missed five games of 1985-86 season with neck and shoulder spasms first
experienced on Nov. 10, 1985. ... Missed end of 1985-86 season with concussion
suffered after being hit in head with puck during Feb. 7, 1986, practice.
Played one game after suffering the concussion and then was unable to overcome
dizzy spells for remainder of season. ... Boston bought out final year of Middleton's $350,000
contract in June 1988, making him an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 1988.
The Bruins chose to drop Middleton as part of a youth movement, and he went to
Switzerland for the 1988-89 season rather than attempt to join another NHL
team. |
| NON-NHL CAREER |
Post-Draft Teams: Providence (AHL); Bulach
(Switzerland)
Canada Cup: 1981
(second place), 1984 (first place)
Paralympics: 2002 (gold medal)
(as coach)
NON-NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
AHL Garrett Award (Rookie of Year): 1973-74
(Providence)
AHL All-Star First Team: 1973-74 (Providence)
Coaching Career:
Named coach of U.S. national sled hockey team in February 2001 and remained in
position through 2001-02 season.
Broadcasting Career: Named
Manchester (AHL) radio color commentator on Oct. 4, 2001, and remained in that
position until Oct. 9, 2002.
WHA Draft Pick: 1973 (by Minnesota, No. 21 overall in Round 2)
Miscellaneous:
Closed out playing career with one season in Switzerland. ...
Briefly came out of retirement in 1998 to play three games with Toronto
Tornados professional roller hockey team. ... Went into barbershop supply
business with his friend C.B. Sullivan and later founded Rick Middleton
Enterprises after retirement. The company, also known as Rick Middleton's
Discount Barber & Men's Styling Supplies, publishes wholesale catalogs for
barber and beauty shops. ... Returned to New England and lived in New
Hampshire after his retirement, playing regularly with Bruins' Oldtimers
team.
Personal: Nicknamed "Nifty" for his great stickhandling ability.
... Full name is Richard David Middleton. | | HOW HE GOT AWAY |
| TRADE: N.Y. Rangers traded Middleton to
Boston in exchange for Ken Hodge on May 26, 1976. |
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|
SNAPSHOT '73 | | Total Selected: |
168 | | Forwards: |
103 | | Defense: |
53 | | Goaltenders: |
12 | | Major Junior: |
131 | | College Players: |
28 |
| Canadian: |
151 |
| Euro-Canadian: |
3 | | USA Citizens: |
14 | | U.S.-Born: |
14 |
| European: |
0 |
| Reached NHL: |
70 |
| Won Stanley Cup: |
8 | | Hall of Fame: |
3 |
| All-Star Game: |
13 |
| Year-end All-Star: |
3 |
| Olympians: |
4 |
| Picks Traded: |
35 |
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