Craig Harlan Janney (born September 26, 1967) is an American former
professional
A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skil ...
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
who played twelve seasons in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
from
1987–88 until
1998–99, when blood clots ended his career prematurely.
Playing career
Known as an excellent puck-distributing center, Janney averaged nearly one point per game in his NHL career. Janney was drafted in the first round, 13th overall by the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
in the
1986 NHL Entry Draft
The 1986 NHL Entry Draft was the 24th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 21, 1986, at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League (NHL) teams selected 252 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the revers ...
, and also played in the
1987 World Ice Hockey Championships
The 1987 Ice Hockey World Championships was the 52nd such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. It was also the 63rd European Championships. Teams representing 28 countries participated in four levels of competition.
In the ...
,
1991 Canada Cup
The 1991 Labatt Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament played in August and September 1991. The finals took place in Montreal on September 14 and Hamilton on September 16, and were won by Canada. The Canadians defeated ...
and the
1994 World Ice Hockey Championships for Team USA.
Prior to his NHL career, Janney attended
Enfield High School
Enfield High School is a secondary school established in 1893 in Enfield, Connecticut. The Enfield High School campus is located in the Connecticut River Valley, on Enfield Street ( U.S. Route 5) in Enfield's Historical District. The school h ...
in
Enfield, Connecticut
Enfield is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, first settled by John and Robert Pease of Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony. The population was 42,141 at the 2020 census. It is bordered by Longmeadow, Massachusetts, and East Longm ...
before attending
Deerfield Academy
Deerfield Academy is an elite coeducational preparatory school in Deerfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1797, it is one of the oldest secondary schools in the United States. It is a member of the Eight Schools Association, the Ten Schools Admissi ...
. Janney played for the
Boston College Eagles
The Boston College Eagles are the athletic teams that represent Boston College, located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level (Football Bowl Subdivisi ...
during his collegiate years, and he also played on the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team that finished seventh at the
Calgary Olympic Games, where he had six points in five Olympic contests.
In 1992, the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
traded Janney with
Stephane Quintal Stephane may refer to:
* Stéphane
Stéphane is a male French given name an equivalent of Stephen/Steven. Notable people with this given name include:
* Stéphane Adam (born 1969), French footballer
*Stéphane Agbre Dasse (born 1989), Burkinabé f ...
to the St. Louis Blues for
Adam Oates
Adam Robert Oates (born August 27, 1962) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, former co-head coach for the New Jersey Devils and former head coach for the Washington Capitals. He played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League ...
. Two years later, the St. Louis Blues signed restricted free agent
Petr Nedvěd
Petr Nedvěd (born December 9, 1971) is a Czech-born Canadian former professional ice hockey player who spent 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1990 and 2007.
Early career
Nedvěd was born in Liberec, Czechoslovakia to Jaro ...
who was in a contract dispute with the
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play their home games at Rogers Arena. Bruce B ...
. An arbitrator awarded the Canucks a second round draft pick along with Craig Janney. Both teams were not satisfied with the decision and the Canucks traded Janney back for
Jeff Brown,
Bret Hedican
Bret Michael Hedican (born August 10, 1970) is an American former professional ice hockey player, a Stanley Cup champion, and a two-time US Olympian. A product of St. Cloud State University, Hedican played with the 1992 US Olympic Team before he ...
and
Nathan LaFayette
Nathan LaFayette (born February 17, 1973) is a former ice hockey player in the National Hockey League, NHL. He was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the 3rd round (65th overall) of the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. He played for the St. Louis Blues, Vanco ...
. In 1995, the St. Louis Blues traded Janney to the
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...
for
Jeff Norton
Jeffrey Thomas Norton (born November 25, 1965) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Playing career
Norton was selected in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Isla ...
and a conditional draft pick. One year later, Janney was traded to the
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, pl ...
for
Darren Turcotte and a second round draft pick. Janney joined the team when it relocated to become the
Phoenix Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mull ...
, before being traded to the
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...
on June 11, 1998, along for the rights to
Louie DeBrusk
Louis Dennis DeBrusk (born March 19, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is currently a colour analyst for Edmonton Oilers broadcasts on Sportsnet and the late game of ''Hockey Night in Canada''.
Playing career
DeBrus ...
and a 5th round pick in
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
.
In 2004, Craig Janney was honored as having "The Softest Hands in Hockey" by the
NHL Alumni Board. On February 13, 2007 Janney was named the interim head coach of the
Lubbock Cotton Kings
The Lubbock Cotton Kings were a professional ice hockey team formerly based in Lubbock, Texas as members of the Western Professional Hockey League and the Central Hockey League. The team played home games at City Bank Coliseum.
History
The Lubboc ...
of the CHL. He would finish the season, but the
Lubbock Cotton Kings
The Lubbock Cotton Kings were a professional ice hockey team formerly based in Lubbock, Texas as members of the Western Professional Hockey League and the Central Hockey League. The team played home games at City Bank Coliseum.
History
The Lubboc ...
would cease operations at the end of the 2007 season.
Recently, Janney has been appearing on NESN for Hockey East coverage. He currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona with his wife, former model Kim Janney and daughter Barrette Janney.
Janney is a 1996 inductee of the Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
Awards and honors
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Janney, Craig
1967 births
Living people
American men's ice hockey centers
Boston Bruins draft picks
Boston Bruins players
Boston College Eagles men's ice hockey players
Ice hockey players at the 1988 Winter Olympics
National Hockey League first-round draft picks
New York Islanders players
Olympic ice hockey players of the United States
Sportspeople from Hartford, Connecticut
Phoenix Coyotes players
St. Louis Blues players
San Jose Sharks players
Tampa Bay Lightning players
Winnipeg Jets (1979–1996) players
Ice hockey players from Connecticut
AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans