Daniel Michael Cleary (born December 18, 1978) is a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
former professional
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 ...
player who played 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 ...
(NHL) for the
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...
,
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
,
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 ...
and
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
. He currently serves as the Director of Player Development for Detroit.
He was a member of the
2008 Stanley Cup winning Red Wings team, and in doing so became the first player from
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
to win the
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
.
Playing career
Junior
Cleary was born in Carbonear, Newfoundland, the location of the area's only hospital, and was raised in
Harbour Grace
Harbour Grace is a town in Conception Bay on the Avalon Peninsula in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. With roots dating back to the 16th century, it is one of the oldest towns in North America.
It is located about northwest ...
, in a section of the town called Riverhead. After playing minor hockey in Harbour Grace, Cleary left home at age 15 to play for the
Kingston Voyageurs
The Kingston Voyageurs were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Kingston, Ontario, Canada. They were a part of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League.
History
The Voyageurs entered the Metro Junior B Hockey League in 1974. The Voyageurs filled the J ...
of the Metro Junior Hockey League (OHA). He scored 46 points in 41 games with the Voyageurs that season, and was subsequently selected 11th overall by the
Belleville Bulls
The Belleville Bulls were a junior ice hockey team, founded in 1981 and based in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. The team played in the Eastern Division of the Eastern Conference of the Ontario Hockey League. The team moved to Hamilton, Ontario at ...
of the
OHL OHL or Ohl may refer to:
Initialisms
*Latvian Hockey Higher League, known in Latvian as the ''Optibet hokeja līga''
*Oberste Heeresleitung, the Supreme Army Command of Germany in World War I
*Obrascón Huarte Lain, a Spanish construction company
* ...
in the 1994 OHL Priority Selection.
Cleary spent his junior career with Belleville. After his rookie season in 1994-95, Cleary was named to the CHL All-Rookie Team and to the OHL First All-Rookie team. During Cleary's second year with the Bulls, he was second in the league in points with 115 and was named to the OHL First All-Star Team and the CHL Second All-Star Team. During the 1996–97 season, Cleary served as captain of the Bulls. While his offensive production dropped off from the previous season, he was nevertheless named to the OHL First All-Star Team, and was drafted 13th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the
1997 NHL Entry Draft
The 1997 NHL Entry Draft was the 35th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on June 21, 1997.
As of 2022, the only remaining active player in the NHL from the 1997 draft class is Joe Thornton.
Selections ...
. Cleary played his final year of major junior hockey during 1997–98, leading the OHL playoffs in assists (17) and points (23).
Professional
Just one year removed from junior hockey, Cleary was dealt to the
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
as part of a package that landed
Boris Mironov
Boris Olegovich Mironov (russian: Борис Олегович Миронов; born 21 March 1972) is a Russian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He is the younger brother of Dmitri Mironov.
Playing career
Mironov began his hockey ...
in Chicago. Cleary played parts of four seasons in Edmonton. Cleary's $1 million contract was bought out by the Oilers in the summer of 2003. Shortly thereafter, he was signed to a much cheaper contract by 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 ...
. He played, together with his former Edmonton teammate and friend
Shawn Horcoff
Shawn Paul Horcoff (born September 17, 1978) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He was selected in the fourth round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, 99th overall, by the Edmonton Oilers, with whom he played 11 seasons and served as ...
, for
Mora IK
Mora IK (or Mora Ishockeyklubb) is a Swedish professional ice hockey club from Mora in northern Dalarna. After failing the 2019 SHL qualifiers, Mora has been relegated for play in the second-tier league, HockeyAllsvenskan. Mora has previously pla ...
of
Elitserien
Elitserien (literally, "the Elite League") is the name of several Swedish nationwide sport leagues. In many sports, Elitserien is the highest league, with the second highest named Allsvenskan.
Elitserien leagues at present:
* Elitserien (badmint ...
during the
2004–05 NHL lockout
The 2004–05 NHL lockout was a labor lockout that resulted in the cancellation of the National Hockey League (NHL) season, which would have been its 88th season of play.
The main dispute was the league's desire to implement a salary cap to ...
. Following the lockout, Phoenix did not offer Cleary a qualifying contract. Cleary was invited to the
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
training camp, making the team out of camp and signing to a one-year contract with the Red Wings on October 4, 2005. In the
2005–06 season, Cleary established himself as a dependable role player as a defensive forward.
In the
2006–07 season, given an expanded role with the Wings, Cleary scored a career high 20 goals in 71 games. During the 2006–07 NHL playoff quarterfinals against
Calgary
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
, Cleary successfully converted a
penalty shot
A penalty shot or penalty kick is a play used in several sports whereby a goal is attempted during untimed play. Depending on the sport, when a player commits certain types of penalties, the opposition is awarded a penalty shot or kick attempt. ...
while shorthanded; this was the first time it had been done in Detroit during the playoffs.
![Daniel_Cleary](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Daniel_Cleary.jpg)
In the
2007–08 season, Cleary repeated the accomplishment of scoring 20 goals in the regular season. On February 9, 2008, Cleary suffered a broken jaw which forced him to miss 19 games. On March 11, 2008, Cleary signed a five-year contract extension with the Detroit Red Wings, worth $14 million.
On June 4, 2008, Cleary won the
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
with the Detroit Red Wings as they beat the
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
four games to two in the Stanley Cup Final, becoming the first Newfoundlander to do so.
On June 30, 2008, Cleary brought the Stanley Cup home to Newfoundland. A packed lobby welcomed Cleary at the St. John's International Airport. Later that day, Cleary brought the Cup to the
Janeway Children's Hospital.
On July 1, 2008, Cleary brought the Stanley Cup back to his hometown of Harbour Grace, Newfoundland for a Canada Day celebration that included a parade and a concert. The event attracted an estimated 27,000 people. The event also attracted an estimated 103 individual media accreditations with media from across Canada and the United States landing in Harbour Grace to cover Dan Cleary's story.
The
Newfoundland bluegrass/folk band Greeley's Reel recorded a "hockey anthem" version of their song "Come In" about Cleary after the win. The refrain specifically highlights the celebration that would occur "when Danny Cleary brings the Stanley Cup to Newfoundland." In addition to receiving extensive local radio airplay, the song appeared on CBC Television and a Fox Sports Detroit special.
In the
2009 Stanley Cup playoffs on May 14, 2009, Cleary scored the tie breaking,
Western Conference semi-final series winning goal for the Detroit Red Wings against the
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division, and play their home games at Honda Center.
...
with three minutes left in
game seven
A game seven is the final game of a best of seven series. This game can occur in the postseasons for Major League Baseball (MLB) (League Championship Series and World Series), the National Basketball Association (NBA) (all rounds of the NBA pl ...
. With the win the Red Wings moved on to face the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference Final. Cleary scored five goals against his former team in a 4-1 series win clinching the Western Conference title before succumbing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games in a rematch of the previous Stanley Cup final.
In 2009, Cleary founded the Danny Cleary Hockey School in his native province of Newfoundland. The hockey school achieved notoriety after
Henrik Zetterberg
Henrik Zetterberg (; born 9 October 1980) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey forward. He played his entire National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL), for whom he would serve as captai ...
appeared wearing a hat donning the Danny Cleary Hockey School logo.
On September 12, 2013, the Detroit Red Wings re-signed Cleary to a one-year, $1.75 million contract. On July 10, 2014, the Detroit Red Wings re-signed Cleary to a one-year, $1.5 million contract, with up to $1 million in performance-based bonuses.
During the
2014–15 season, Cleary appeared in 17 games for the Red Wings, where he recorded one goal and one assist. On September 4, 2015, the Detroit Red Wings re-signed Cleary to a one-year, $950,000 contract.
On September 23, 2016, Cleary signed a one-year contract with the
Grand Rapids Griffins
The Grand Rapids Griffins are a professional ice hockey, hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and play home games at Van Andel Arena. They are the AHL affiliate to the Detroit Red Wings of the National H ...
of the
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...
(AHL). During the
2016–17 season, Cleary did not feature in a game for the Griffins instead serving as an unofficial player/coach role in mentoring the younger players within the Red Wings organization. Cleary announced his retirement from playing after the Griffins captured the
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League. It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars.
The cup is made of sterling silver mounted on a base of Brazilian mahogany. In its curr ...
on June 13, 2017.
International play
Cleary's first experience representing Canada internationally was when he played at the 1995 U18 Tournament, scoring four goals and four assists over five games. Cleary later played for
Canadian national team at the
2002 IIHF World Championship
The 2002 IIHF World Championship was held between 26 April and 11 May 2002 in Gothenburg, Karlstad and Jönköping, Sweden.
It was the 66th annual event, and was run by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
Qualification Tournament ...
, scoring two goals and three points in a disappointing sixth-place finish, which was Canada's fifth straight
World Championship
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
without a gold medal.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
Awards and honours
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cleary, Daniel
1978 births
Living people
Belleville Bulls players
Canadian ice hockey right wingers
Chicago Blackhawks draft picks
Chicago Blackhawks players
Detroit Red Wings personnel
Detroit Red Wings players
Edmonton Oilers players
Grand Rapids Griffins players
Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL) players
Ice hockey people from Newfoundland and Labrador
Indianapolis Ice players
Mora IK players
National Hockey League first-round draft picks
People from Carbonear
People from Harbour Grace
Phoenix Coyotes players
Portland Pirates players
Stanley Cup champions
Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in Sweden