Joe Cirella
JOE CIRELLA (Defence)
Born May 9 1963 - Hamilton, ONT
Height 6.03 - Weight 210 - Shoots Right
The Player:
Joe Cirella was a star defenceman in junior hockey for the Oshawa
Generals. He was rated in The Hockey News draft preview
issue as No. 2 overall prospect and No. 1 OHL prospect for 1981 NHL
draft. He was then selected by Colorado Rockies in round 1, #5 overall
in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft. His third and final year in junior was
his best season as the Generals, a team he captained, were the
OHL Champions after defeating the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for
their 9th J. Ross Robertson Cup.
The Generals were at that time bound for the Memorial Cup after a
17 year absence. The Memorial Cup that year was played in Portland,
Oregon. The Generals lost to the host team Portland
Winter Hawks in the final game by a score of 8-3. Cirella, would
then go on to play for 16 years as an NHL defenceman. Earlier that
same the season, on
October 6, 1981 when the Colorado Rockies visited Vancouver, he made
his NHL debut playing for them. At that time he was the NHL's
second-youngest regular player and youngest regular defenseman.
Cirella was on the Colorado team when it relocated to New Jersey
on June 30, 1982. A solid blueliner who was never afraid to
drop the gloves when called upon to do so, in 1984 he made the Wales
Conference All-star team and scored the game's first goal at 8:51
of the first period, (January 31, 1984). He also assisted
on Don Maloney's game-winner for the Wales Conference. Cirella
was named New Jersey alternate captain prior to the 1987-88 season
and remained in that position through 1988-89.
Following his New Jersey Devils years, Cirella played a couple of
seasons in Quebec City for the
Nordiques. Then he was dealt to the New York Rangers by Quebec late
in the 1990-91 season. Cirella scored a goal in his first game in
a N.Y. Rangers uniform, January 25, 1991, at Edmonton against
the Oilers. He was then left unprotected by the Rangers for 1993
NHL Expansion Draft. He was claimed by the Florida Panthers
on June 24, 1993 and played in the first game in Florida Panthers
history on October 6, 1993, at the Chicago Stadium. He was then released
by Florida on August 8, 1995, signed a termination contract with
them after playing 40 games in the IHL for the Milwaukee Admirals.
The Ottawa Senators then signed him as an unrestricted free agent
on October 13, 1995. The Senators released him shortly thereafter
on December 1, 1995.
Cirella went on to play one season of hockey in Germany for the Cologne
Sharks in 1996-97. After that one year stop in Germany, Cirella called
it a career and officially retired as a hockey player in 1997.
The Coach:
Following his playing career, Cirella was hired as an assistant
coach with the Florida Panthers on July 29, 1997, and remained
in that position until June 21, 1998. The club did not qualify for
the playoffs that season.
He also went on to work an assistant coach with the Oshawa Generals
of the OHL for five seasons, from 1998-2004.
Honours:
* 1983 - J. Ross Robertson Cup, Oshawa Generals, (OHL Champions)
* 1983 - OHL All-Star First Team, Oshawa Generals
* 1983 - OHL All-Star Game, Oshawa Generals
* 1982-83 - Oshawa Generals Captain
* 1984 - All-Star Game, New Jersey Devils
* 1989 - New Jersey Good Guy Award (Media Vote)
* 1999 - Named to defense position on all-time Oshawa (OHL) team
by a CHL panel. (other defenseman named was Bobby Orr).
Personal:
Joe is the younger brother of former minor-leaguer Carmine Cirella.
YouTube video clip: Joe Cirella VS Dale Hunter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQV-Ou9BOHE#
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