Position Defense Name Ulf Samuelsson Career start 1981 Shot Left Role Coach Career end 2000 | Height 1.85 m Spouse Jeanette Samuelsson Playing career Weight 92 kg Children Philip Samuelsson | |
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Played for Hartford Whalers (1984–1991)Pittsburgh Penguins (1991–1995)New York Rangers (1995–1999)Detroit Red Wings (1999)Philadelphia Flyers (1999–2000) NHL Draft 67th overall, 1982Hartford Whalers | ||
Don Cherry on Ulf Samuelsson
Ulf Samuelsson on Carolina
Ulf Bo Samuelsson (born March 26, 1964) is a retired Swedish-American professional ice hockey defenceman and currently an assistant coach for the Chicago Blackhawks. He played several seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Hartford Whalers, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, and Philadelphia Flyers. He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, as a member of the Penguins in 1991 and 1992.
Contents
- Don Cherry on Ulf Samuelsson
- Ulf Samuelsson on Carolina
- Playing career
- Transactions
- Personal life
- Coaching career
- International play
- Career achievements
- References
Playing career
Samuelsson has the reputation as one of the dirtiest players in the history of the NHL and one who excelled at antagonizing opponents. He was given the nickname "Robocop" for the extra padding he wore on the ice, and Tuffe Uffe ("Tough Ulf" in Swedish) in Sweden.
Samuelsson was selected 67th overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft. In February, 1987, Samuelsson played in the "Rendez-vous '87" series as a member of the NHL All-Stars. The two game series between the NHL All-Stars and the Soviet national team took place in Quebec City and replaced the NHL's mid-season all-star game for the 1986-87 season.
He was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins along with Ron Francis in 1991 and was a member of Pittsburgh's Stanley Cup winning team in 1991 and 1992. He scored the 1991 Stanley Cup-winning goal in game six of the finals against the Minnesota North Stars, at 2:00 of the first period in what became an 8–0 blowout victory for Pittsburgh.
In a game versus the Boston Bruins during the 1991 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Samuelsson hit Bruins' star forward Cam Neely with a body check that injured Neely and caused him to develop a condition called myositis ossificans, which ultimately ended his career. Many Bruins fans still consider this to be a deliberate play. It was partially responsible for shortening Neely's hall of fame career.
As a member of the New York Rangers in 1995, Samuelsson was famously knocked unconscious by a sucker punch to the face from Tie Domi of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Domi received an eight-game suspension and a fine for the incident, described by some as one of the cheapest shots in NHL history. Domi insisted that Samuelsson provoked the punch by repeatedly calling him "dummy". Samuelsson himself received criticism for his style of play during his playing career.
Samuelsson played 1,080 career NHL games, scoring 57 goals and 275 assists for 332 points. He accumulated 2,453 penalty minutes over the course of his career.
During the Nagano Olympics, he was ejected from the Swedish team when it was discovered that he had requested and received US citizenship. His Swedish citizenship was revoked and he was not allowed to play. In 2003, when Sweden permitted dual citizenships, Samuelsson got his Swedish citizenship back. The entire ordeal was listed as the seventy-second most important international story by the IIHF in their centennial celebrations in 2008.
Transactions
Personal life
Samuelsson is a resident of Scottsdale, Arizona. Samuelsson's sons, Philip, Henrik and Adam as well as his daughter Victoria are all aspiring hockey prospects. They have come up through the US National Team Development Program, choosing to represent the US internationally as opposed to their father's native Sweden. Philip was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft in the second round, 61st overall. The Phoenix Coyotes drafted Henrik in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft in the first round, 27th overall. Victoria signed to play her NCAA D-1 collegiate career at Penn State University, beginning in the 2015–16 season.
Coaching career
On May 2, 2011, Samuelsson accepted the head coaching position of Modo Hockey, a position he held for two seasons.
On May 31, 2016, it was announced that Samuelsson accepted a head coach position with the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League. After one season with the Checkers, Samuelsson was hired as an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League.