Jim Neilson
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Jim Neilson | |||
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Big River, Saskatchewan, Canada | November 28, 1941||
Died |
November 6, 2020 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada | (aged 78)||
Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||
Weight | 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb) | ||
Position | Defence | ||
Shot | Left | ||
Played for |
New York Rangers California Golden Seals Cleveland Barons Edmonton Oilers | ||
Playing career | 1962–1979 |
James Anthony Neilson (November 28, 1941 – November 6, 2020) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers, California Golden Seals, and Cleveland Barons and completed his career with the Edmonton Oilers in the World Hockey Association (WHA).
Early life[edit]
Neilson was born in Big River, Saskatchewan in 1941.[1] As a child his mother abandoned the family, so Neilson and his two sisters grew up in St. Patrick’s Orphanage in Prince Albert.[2]
Career[edit]
Neilson played a total of 1,024 games in the NHL, with 69 goals and 299 assists. He played from 1962–63 season to 1977–78 season in the NHL and 1978–79 in the WHA. He was a four-time all-star.
In the 2009 book 100 Ranger Greats, the authors ranked Neilson at #42 all-time of the 901 New York Rangers who had played during the team's first 82 seasons.[2]
Neilson was inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.[3] Neilson died in Winnipeg on November 6, 2020.[4][5]
Career statistics[edit]
Regular season and playoffs[edit]
Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
1958–59 | Prince Albert Mintos | SJHL | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1959–60 | Prince Albert Mintos | SJHL | 57 | 21 | 28 | 49 | 61 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | ||
1960–61 | Prince Albert Mintos | SJHL | 59 | 20 | 26 | 46 | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1961–62 | Kitchener Beavers | EPHL | 70 | 9 | 33 | 42 | 78 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | ||
1962–63 | New York Rangers | NHL | 69 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1963–64 | New York Rangers | NHL | 69 | 5 | 24 | 29 | 93 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1964–65 | New York Rangers | NHL | 62 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1965–66 | New York Rangers | NHL | 65 | 4 | 19 | 23 | 84 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1966–67 | New York Rangers | NHL | 62 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 65 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
1967–68 | New York Rangers | NHL | 67 | 6 | 29 | 35 | 60 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
1968–69 | New York Rangers | NHL | 76 | 10 | 34 | 44 | 95 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | ||
1969–70 | New York Rangers | NHL | 62 | 3 | 20 | 23 | 75 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
1970–71 | New York Rangers | NHL | 77 | 8 | 24 | 32 | 69 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 30 | ||
1971–72 | New York Rangers | NHL | 78 | 7 | 30 | 37 | 56 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | ||
1972–73 | New York Rangers | NHL | 52 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 35 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | ||
1973–74 | New York Rangers | NHL | 72 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 38 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
1974–75 | California Golden Seals | NHL | 72 | 3 | 17 | 20 | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1975–76 | California Golden Seals | NHL | 26 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1976–77 | Cleveland Barons | NHL | 72 | 3 | 17 | 20 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1977–78 | Cleveland Barons | NHL | 68 | 2 | 21 | 23 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
1978–79 | Edmonton Oilers | WHA | 35 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
WHA totals | 35 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
NHL totals | 1,024 | 69 | 299 | 368 | 904 | 65 | 1 | 17 | 18 | 61 |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Saying goodbye: Jim Neilson, who went from orphanage to NHL, left a big legacy".
- ^ a b Cohen, Russ; Halligan, John; Raider, Adam (2009). 100 Ranger Greats: Superstars, Unsung Heroes and Colorful Characters. John Wiley & Sons. p. 128. ISBN 978-0470736197. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
- ^ "Indigenous athletes inducted into SK Sports Hall of Fame". www.eaglefeathernews.com. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- ^ Kreiser, John (November 6, 2020). "Neilson, longtime NHL defenseman, dies at 79". NHL.com. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- ^ Gustafson, Ian (November 7, 2020). "Remembering hockey legend Jim Neilson". paNOW. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
External links[edit]
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
- 1941 births
- 2020 deaths
- California Golden Seals players
- Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
- Canadian ice hockey defencemen
- Cleveland Barons (NHL) players
- Edmonton Oilers (WHA) players
- Edmonton Oilers scouts
- First Nations sportspeople
- Ice hockey people from Saskatchewan
- Kitchener Beavers (EPHL) players
- New York Rangers players
- Prince Albert Mintos players