Michael Jason Rucinski (born March 30, 1975) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

former professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

player who played in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

for the

Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Con ...

Early life

Rucinski was born in

Trenton, Michigan Trenton is a city in Wayne County, Michigan, Wayne County, Michigan, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the city population was 18,853. A Shawnee village was built in the area by war chief Blue Jacket after the 1795 Tre ...

. As a youth, he played in the 1989

Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament () is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, and give an opportunity for international competition to p ...

with the Detroit Little Caesars

minor ice hockey Minor ice hockey or 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 c ...

team.

Career

Rucinski was drafted 217th by the

Hartford Whalers The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its 25-year existence in Hartford, Connecticut. The club played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972 until 1979, and in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1 ...

(now Carolina Hurricanes) in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft and played 26 regular season games for the Hurricanes scoring two assists and collecting ten penalty minutes. In March 2002, Rucinski was traded to the

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The club w ...

for Ted Drury, but never played a game for the Devils, spending his time in the AHL for the

Albany River Rats The Albany River Rats were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Albany, New York at the Times Union Center. History Before the formation of the franchise Without a viable indoor arena with ...

and retired shortly afterwards. He spent several years as the director of hockey operations at Suburban Ice Arena in

East Lansing East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city lies within Ingham County, Michigan, Ingham County, although a small portion extends north into Clinton County, Michigan, Clinton County. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...

. He is currently a senior firefighter in Metro Detroit.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

References

External links

* 1975 births Albany River Rats players American men's ice hockey defensemen Beast of New Haven players Carolina Hurricanes players Cincinnati Cyclones (IHL) players Cleveland Lumberjacks players Detroit Junior Red Wings players Detroit Whalers players Hartford Whalers draft picks Ice hockey players from Michigan Living people Lowell Lock Monsters players Sportspeople from Trenton, Michigan Ice hockey people from Wayne County, Michigan Richmond Renegades players Springfield Falcons players 20th-century American sportsmen {{US-icehockey-defenceman-stub