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1981
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1981 NHL DRAFT PICK
Joe Cirella
Selected in first round
No. 5 overall by Colorado Rockies

Born May 9, 1963
Position: Defense
Height: 6-3   Weight: 210
BEFORE THE DRAFT
Last Team: Oshawa (OMJHL)                            
Birthplace: Hamilton, Ontario (Canada)
Hometown: Stoney Creek, Ontario
PRE-DRAFT STATISTICS
Year TeamLeague GPG ATP PIM
1979-80 HamiltonOnt. AAA 215 2631 --
1980-81 OshawaOMJHL 565 3136 220

PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
Miscellaneous:
Rated in The Hockey News draft preview issue as
No. 2 overall prospect and No. 1 OMJHL prospect for 1981 NHL draft. ... Was Oshawa's first-round pick, No. 10 overall, in 1980 OMJHL priority selection.
NHL CAREER
Debut: October 6, 1981 (Colorado at Vancouver)
Numbers: 2 (Colorado/New Jersey); 2 (Quebec); 18, 6 (N.Y. Rangers); 2 (Florida); 27 (Ottawa)
Stanley Cup: Never won.  Playing Status: Retired 1997
CAREER NHL STATISTICS
YearsTeams GPG ATP PIM
1981-1995 Colorado/N.J., Quebec,
NYR, Florida, Ottawa
828 64211 2751,446
CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS
YearsTeams GPG ATP PIM
1988-1992 New Jersey, NYR38 013 1398

NHL AWARDS AND HONORS
All-Star Game:
1984 (New Jersey)
New Jersey Good Guy Award (Media Vote): 1988-89
New Jersey Penalty-Minutes Leader: 1985-86 (147)
1982-83: Played on first New Jersey Devils team.
1993-94: Played on first Florida Panthers team.
Coaching Career: Named Florida assistant coach on July 29, 1997, and remained in that position until June 21, 1998.
Miscellaneous: Was youngest player in K.C./Colorado/New Jersey franchise history when he made his NHL debut (record since broken). ... Was NHL's second-youngest regular player and youngest regular defenseman in 1981-82. ... Tied Colorado/New Jersey record (since broken) for assists in one game by a rookie with three vs. Quebec on Feb. 12, 1982. ... Was on Colorado team that relocated to New Jersey on June 30, 1982. ... Scored game's first goal at 8:51 of first period of NHL All-Star Game on Jan. 31, 1984, and also assisted on Don Maloney's game-winner for Wales Conference. ... Missed part of 1984-85 season with severe laceration on cheek, an injury suffered when he was hit by Paul Coffey's stick at 4:58 of the third period during New Jersey's Dec. 17, 1984, game vs. Edmonton. Coffey received a major penalty, and Cirella's cut required 12 stitches to close. ... Missed part of 1985-86 season with left knee injury, suffered during New Jersey's Nov. 26, 1985, game vs. Winnipeg. ... Missed part of 1986-87 season with broken right foot, an injury suffered during New Jersey's Dec. 23, 1986, game at N.Y. Rangers. ... Named New Jersey alternate captain prior to 1987-88 season and remained in that position through 1988-89 season. ... Paired with Bruce Driver on defense for New Jersey in 1987-88 regular season. ... Paired with Randy Velischek on defense for New Jersey in 1988 playoffs. ... Missed part of 1988 playoffs with strained back, suffered during Game 1 of New Jersey's first-round series at N.Y. Islanders on April 6, 1988. ... Left New Jersey with franchise records (since broken) for career games (438), points (209), goals (50), assists (159) and penalty minutes (938) by a defenseman. ... Missed parts of 1989-90 season with broken right foot, an injury suffered during Quebec's Jan. 18, 1990, game at Minnesota, and with strained lower back, suffered during Quebec's Feb. 28, 1990, game at Toronto. ... Missed part of 1990-91 season with knee injury, suffered during Quebec's Oct. 21, 1990, game vs. Vancouver. .... Scored goal in first game in N.Y. Rangers uniform on Jan. 25, 1991, at Edmonton. ... Missed part of 1990-91 season with eye injury, suffered during N.Y. Rangers' Feb. 13, 1991, game vs. New Jersey. ... Missed part of 1991-92 season with strained lower back, an injury suffered during N.Y. Rangers' Oct. 3, 1991, season-opener at Boston. ... Left unprotected by N.Y. Rangers for 1993 NHL Expansion Draft. He was claimed by Florida on June 24, 1993. ... Played in first game in Florida Panthers history on Oct. 6, 1993, at Chicago. ... Missed part of 1993-94 season with fractured right cheekbone, an injury suffered during Florida's Nov. 23, 1993, game vs. Hartford. Initially, he missed three games, but the injury required Dec. 18, 1993, surgery to repair a retinal detachment in his right eye, and he did not return to action until Florida's Jan. 19, 1994, game vs. Washington. ... Missed part of 1993-94 season with broken nose, an injury suffered during Florida's Feb. 4, 1994, game vs. Buffalo. ... Released by Florida on Aug. 8, 1995, after signing termination contract. He then signed with Ottawa as an unrestricted free agent on Oct. 13, 1995. ... Released by Ottawa on Dec. 1, 1995.
NON-NHL CAREER
Post-Draft Teams: Oshawa (OHL); Milwaukee (IHL); Cologne (Germany)
World Junior Championships: 1983 (bronze medal)
NON-NHL AWARDS AND HONORS
Memorial Cup All-Star First Team:
1983 (Oshawa)
OHL All-Star First Team: 1982-83 (Oshawa)
OHL All-Star Game: 1983 (Oshawa)
Oshawa Captain: 1982-83
Coaching Career: Named Oshawa (OHL) assistant coach prior to 1998-99 season and remained in that position into 2003-04 season.
Miscellaneous: Returned to Oshawa (OHL) by New Jersey on March 9, 1982, for balance of 1981-82 season and 1982 playoffs. ... Returned to Oshawa (OHL) by New Jersey on Oct. 14, 1982, for balance of 1982-83 season. ... Never played in minors until he joined Milwaukee (IHL) as free agent in December 1995. ... Named to defense position on all-time Oshawa (OMJHL/OHL) team by a CHL panel in 1999. The other defenseman named to the all-time Oshawa team was Bobby Orr.
Personal: Younger brother of former minor-leaguer Carmine Cirella.
HOW HE GOT AWAY
TRADE: New Jersey traded Cirella, Claude Loiselle and 1990 eighth-round pick (Alexander Karpovtsev) to Quebec for Walt Poddubny and 1990 fourth-round pick (Mike Bodnarchuk) on June 17, 1989.

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SNAPSHOT '81
Total Selected: 211
Forwards: 119
Defense: 67
Goaltenders: 25
Major Junior: 122
Tier II/Jr. B: 10/4
College Players: 21
High School: 18
Canadian: 139
Euro-Canadian: 3
USA Citizens: 37
U.S.-Born: 36
European: 32
Reached NHL: 114
Stanley Cup: 17
Hall of Fame: 2
All-Star Game: 14
Year-end All-Star: 7
Olympians: 30
Picks Traded: 38
 
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