James Stephen Cummins (born May 15, 1970) is an American 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 h ...

player. Cummins was drafted 67th overall by the

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...

in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. He played 12 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 ...

(NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings,

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Well ...

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 ...

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 ...

, Phoenix Coyotes,

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Mighty may refer to: * ''Mighty'' (The Planet Smashers album) * ''Mighty'' (Kristene DiMarco album) * ''The Mighty'' (1929 film), a 1929 American action film *'' The Mighty'', a 1998 comedy-drama film * ''The Mighty'' (comics), a DC Comics title * ...

, New York Islanders, and

Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The Avalanche play thei ...

Playing career

As a youth, Cummins played in the 1983

Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament (french: Tournoi international de hockey pee-wee de Québec) is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, ...

with the Michigan Dynamos

minor ice hockey Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from c ...

team. Cummins spent three years with the

Michigan State Spartans The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic teams that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 23 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and wh ...

before going pro. While in college, Cummins established himself as an

enforcer Enforcer or enforcers may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Comics * Enforcer (comics), a Marvel Comics character * Enforcers (comics), a Marvel Comics team * New Enforcers, another Marvel Comics team Film and television * ''The Enforcer ...

. Cummins brought the same intensity to the NHL, where he quickly established a reputation among fellow heavyweights. He made his NHL debut on March 8, 1991 with the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings traded Cummins to the

in June 1993. On March 18, 1994, Cummins was traded by the Flyers to the

in exchange for

Rob DiMaio Robert DiMaio (born February 19, 1968) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in 894 National Hockey League (NHL) games with the New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, New York Range ...

. While playing with the

in 1996, Cummins was suspended eight games and fined $1,000 for an altercation during a game against the Florida Panthers. Cummins' 2001–02 season began slowly after enduring an abdominal injury during training camp with the Ducks. He returned to the lineup only to be injured again and sent to their minor league affiliate, the

Cincinnati Mighty Ducks The Cincinnati Mighty Ducks were a professional ice hockey team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They were members of the American Hockey League, and played their home games at the Cincinnati Gardens. Throughout their existence they were the primar ...

. On January 14, 2002, Cummins was traded to the New York Islanders in exchange for Dave Roche. Then Islanders General Manager,

Mike Milbury Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and document ...

, had brought him in to give the team some toughness. Cummins originally retired after the 2001–2002 season, but returned to play for the Colorado Avalanche during the 2003–2004 season. After one season with the Avalanche, he retired for good in 2004. , Cummins is currently an amateur scout for the

Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...

Career statistics

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cummins, Jim 1970 births Living people Adirondack Red Wings players American men's ice hockey right wingers Atlanta Knights players Calgary Flames scouts Chicago Blackhawks players Colorado Avalanche players Detroit Red Wings players Hershey Bears players Ice hockey players from Michigan Michigan State Spartans men's ice hockey players Mighty Ducks of Anaheim players Montreal Canadiens players New York Islanders players New York Rangers draft picks Sportspeople from Dearborn, Michigan Philadelphia Flyers players Phoenix Coyotes players Tampa Bay Lightning players