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Matt Cullen
Matthew David Cullen (born November 2, 1976) is an American former professional ice hockey center who played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Cullen won the Stanley Cup three times during his career, with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017, and won a bronze medal at the 2004 World Championship with the United States.
As of 2025[update], Cullen is one of 22 players to play over 1,500 NHL games and the only one of the group to never be named an All-Star. He is also one of three American-born players to play in at least 1,500 NHL games.
Cullen was born on November 2, 1976, in Virginia, Minnesota, to parents Terry and Nancy Cullen. He grew up in Moorhead, Minnesota alongside his siblings Mark, Joe, and Annie.
Cullen and his family moved to Moorhead, Minnesota when he was 10 years old after his father accepted a position coaching ice hockey at Moorhead High School. Upon reaching high school age, Cullen played one more season of bantam hockey (U15) before joining the Moorhead High Spuds hockey team in 1992 under his father's tutelage. While he was reunited with his former Bantam teammates Ryan Kraft and Josh Arnold, the three never played on the same line together. In his first season with the Spuds, Cullen ranked fourth on the team in scoring with 15 goals and 26 assists for 41 points. The Minnesota State High School League recognised Cullen's efforts in March and he was named to their 12-member all-tournament team. During the three-day tournament, he scored four assists. Cullen centred the second line between Ryan Frisch and Ryan Kortan in his second year with the Spuds.
In his senior year, Cullen set Moorhead High School single-season records in both ice hockey and baseball. As a shortstop, he tied the school's home run record set in 1991 by hitting three in one game. During the 1994–95 hockey season, Cullen centred the Spuds top line between Frisch and Troy Bagne. He passed Kraft's single-season points record on March 9 by tallying a goal and an assist within 63 seconds of each other. He was subsequently named the Associated Press' Player of the Year and was selected for the All-State First Team. While Cullen's outstanding play earned him a nomination for the 1995 Minnesota Mr. Hockey Award, he lost to Erik Rasmussen.
Throughout the regular season, Cullen was recruited by numerous local schools including the University of Minnesota, St. Cloud State University (SCSU), University of Minnesota-Duluth, University of North Dakota, and University of Wisconsin. However, NCAA rules only allowed him to accept five school visits. After being put off by the Minnesota Golden Gophers recruiting tactics and the distance between home and Wisconsin, Cullen narrowed his choices to three teams. At the start of February, Cullen announced that he planned to sign a letter of intent with St. Cloud State in April 1995. He chose St. Cloud State partly because he believed he would have a better chance of earning playing time compared to other schools.
Cullen played for the St. Cloud State University Huskies from 1995 to 1997 before turning professional. Before beginning his freshman season, Cullen worked with strength and conditioning coach Jack Blatherwick to improve his skating. He started the season with three goals and eight assists in five games and ended the month of October with 11 points. Despite experiencing a lengthy scoring drought through November, he still ranked third on the team in scoring by the end of the month. He broke his 14-game scoring drought on December 10 to help lead the Huskies over Michigan Tech. In late December, Cullen and his teammate Mark Parrish represented Team USA's national junior team at the 1996 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He scored three goals and one assist over six games as Team USA placed fifth and failed to medal. Cullen finished his freshman season leading the team with 29 assists and 41 points. He was subsequently named to the WCHA's All-Rookie team and was selected as the Huskies Most Outstanding Freshman. Following his freshman season, Cullen was drafted in the second round, 35th overall, by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the 1996 NHL entry draft. However, he was expected to return to the Huskies for his sophomore season.
Despite playing in fewer games as a sophomore, Cullen beat his rookie season totals and finished with 15 goals and 30 assists. Before the 1996–97 season began, Cullen stated that he felt more confident managing the puck and was more patient with his passing attempts. By the start of November, Cullen had maintained a six-game point streak and recorded his first collegiate hat-trick on November 9. However, that night he began suffering from a respiratory illness in his kidney that caused him to lose 20 pounds and become jaundiced. While he returned to his home in Moorhead to properly recover he was also struck with strep throat. At the time of the illness, Cullen led the Huskies with 13 points. After being cleared to play, Cullen scored two points in his first game back on December 6 against Northern Michigan. He quickly accumulated five goals and 10 assists over his next 10 games before beginning a lengthy scoring slump. From December 20 to January 29, Cullen was held to two power-play goals and five assists. After rejecting the Ducks' original contract offer, Cullen signed a three-year two-way $1.435 contract with the team on March 28, 1997. The contract was also equipped with a $310,000 signing bonus and other incentive bonuses if he first made the Ducks' NHL roster.
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Matt Cullen
Matthew David Cullen (born November 2, 1976) is an American former professional ice hockey center who played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Cullen won the Stanley Cup three times during his career, with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017, and won a bronze medal at the 2004 World Championship with the United States.
As of 2025[update], Cullen is one of 22 players to play over 1,500 NHL games and the only one of the group to never be named an All-Star. He is also one of three American-born players to play in at least 1,500 NHL games.
Cullen was born on November 2, 1976, in Virginia, Minnesota, to parents Terry and Nancy Cullen. He grew up in Moorhead, Minnesota alongside his siblings Mark, Joe, and Annie.
Cullen and his family moved to Moorhead, Minnesota when he was 10 years old after his father accepted a position coaching ice hockey at Moorhead High School. Upon reaching high school age, Cullen played one more season of bantam hockey (U15) before joining the Moorhead High Spuds hockey team in 1992 under his father's tutelage. While he was reunited with his former Bantam teammates Ryan Kraft and Josh Arnold, the three never played on the same line together. In his first season with the Spuds, Cullen ranked fourth on the team in scoring with 15 goals and 26 assists for 41 points. The Minnesota State High School League recognised Cullen's efforts in March and he was named to their 12-member all-tournament team. During the three-day tournament, he scored four assists. Cullen centred the second line between Ryan Frisch and Ryan Kortan in his second year with the Spuds.
In his senior year, Cullen set Moorhead High School single-season records in both ice hockey and baseball. As a shortstop, he tied the school's home run record set in 1991 by hitting three in one game. During the 1994–95 hockey season, Cullen centred the Spuds top line between Frisch and Troy Bagne. He passed Kraft's single-season points record on March 9 by tallying a goal and an assist within 63 seconds of each other. He was subsequently named the Associated Press' Player of the Year and was selected for the All-State First Team. While Cullen's outstanding play earned him a nomination for the 1995 Minnesota Mr. Hockey Award, he lost to Erik Rasmussen.
Throughout the regular season, Cullen was recruited by numerous local schools including the University of Minnesota, St. Cloud State University (SCSU), University of Minnesota-Duluth, University of North Dakota, and University of Wisconsin. However, NCAA rules only allowed him to accept five school visits. After being put off by the Minnesota Golden Gophers recruiting tactics and the distance between home and Wisconsin, Cullen narrowed his choices to three teams. At the start of February, Cullen announced that he planned to sign a letter of intent with St. Cloud State in April 1995. He chose St. Cloud State partly because he believed he would have a better chance of earning playing time compared to other schools.
Cullen played for the St. Cloud State University Huskies from 1995 to 1997 before turning professional. Before beginning his freshman season, Cullen worked with strength and conditioning coach Jack Blatherwick to improve his skating. He started the season with three goals and eight assists in five games and ended the month of October with 11 points. Despite experiencing a lengthy scoring drought through November, he still ranked third on the team in scoring by the end of the month. He broke his 14-game scoring drought on December 10 to help lead the Huskies over Michigan Tech. In late December, Cullen and his teammate Mark Parrish represented Team USA's national junior team at the 1996 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He scored three goals and one assist over six games as Team USA placed fifth and failed to medal. Cullen finished his freshman season leading the team with 29 assists and 41 points. He was subsequently named to the WCHA's All-Rookie team and was selected as the Huskies Most Outstanding Freshman. Following his freshman season, Cullen was drafted in the second round, 35th overall, by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the 1996 NHL entry draft. However, he was expected to return to the Huskies for his sophomore season.
Despite playing in fewer games as a sophomore, Cullen beat his rookie season totals and finished with 15 goals and 30 assists. Before the 1996–97 season began, Cullen stated that he felt more confident managing the puck and was more patient with his passing attempts. By the start of November, Cullen had maintained a six-game point streak and recorded his first collegiate hat-trick on November 9. However, that night he began suffering from a respiratory illness in his kidney that caused him to lose 20 pounds and become jaundiced. While he returned to his home in Moorhead to properly recover he was also struck with strep throat. At the time of the illness, Cullen led the Huskies with 13 points. After being cleared to play, Cullen scored two points in his first game back on December 6 against Northern Michigan. He quickly accumulated five goals and 10 assists over his next 10 games before beginning a lengthy scoring slump. From December 20 to January 29, Cullen was held to two power-play goals and five assists. After rejecting the Ducks' original contract offer, Cullen signed a three-year two-way $1.435 contract with the team on March 28, 1997. The contract was also equipped with a $310,000 signing bonus and other incentive bonuses if he first made the Ducks' NHL roster.
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