Jeff Christian
| Jeff Christian | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
July 30, 1970 Burlington, ON, CAN | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||
| Weight | 225 lb (102 kg; 16 st 1 lb) | ||
| Position | Left Wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for |
NHL New Jersey Devils Pittsburgh Penguins Phoenix Coyotes IHL Cincinnati Cyclones Cleveland Lumberjacks Las Vegas Thunder Houston Aeros AHL Utica Devils Albany River Rats Cleveland Barons Rockford IceHogs CHL Youngstown Steelhounds Tulsa Oilers Missouri Mavericks Mississippi RiverKings Evansville IceMen DEL Krefeld Penguins DEG Metro Stars EIHL Sheffield Steelers | ||
| NHL Draft |
23rd overall, 1988 New Jersey Devils | ||
| Playing career | 1990–2011 | ||
Jeffrey Christian (born July 30, 1970) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player and current head coach the Wheeling Nailers in the ECHL. He played 18 games in the National Hockey League for the New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins and the Phoenix Coyotes.
Playing career
Born in Burlington, Ontario, Christian was drafted 23rd overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft and played two games for New Jersey during the 1991–92 season, scoring no points. He mostly spent his tenure in the American Hockey League with the Utica Devils and then the Albany River Rats. He then went on to play 15 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins over three seasons, scoring 2 goals and 2 assists during the 1996–97 season. He mostly played for the Cleveland Lumberjacks where he posted huge numbers, including 40 goals and 40 assists in 66 games during the 1996-97 IHL season. Christian played one more game in the NHL for the Phoenix Coyotes before spending two more years in the IHL for the Houston Aeros and again with the Lumberjacks. Christian then moved to Europe, spending four seasons in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga for the Krefeld Pinguine, DEG Metro Stars, and Hannover Scorpions. He then spent one season in the Elite Ice Hockey League in the United Kingdom for the Sheffield Steelers. Christian moved back to North America, joining the Central Hockey League's Youngstown Steelhounds before joining the Tulsa Oilers, also of the CHL. After two very successful seasons with the Tulsa Oilers, Jeff signed with and became the first player in team history for the CHL expansion team the Missouri Mavericks for the 2009-10 season.[1] He also served as an assistant coach for the Mavericks during his tenure with the team.[1]
On September 11, 2010, he signed a deal to play for the Mississippi RiverKings of the CHL, as they played in Southaven, Mississippi, which is located twenty minutes away from Memphis, Tennessee, where his daughter Ryan, who had been fighting cancer, was being treated at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.[2] On February 22, 2011, the RiverKings waived Christian, but he was picked up on waivers the next day by the Evansville IceMen, also of the CHL.[3][4]
Coaching career
Christian was hired as an assistant coach for the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL in January 2016.[5] On July 12, 2016, Christian was named as the Nailers new head coach.[6]
Personal life
Born in Burlington, Ontario, Jeff spent the first 7 years of his life in the tough east end of Hamilton, Ontario, where he later trained at the famous McGory's boxing gym as a teen. Son of Hamilton Tiger-Cats Tight End Gord Christian, Jeff moved to the small village of Mount Hope and played Hockey year round with his five brothers. Three of these brothers, Gord, Brandon, and Michael, played professional hockey. Jeff started the Jeff Christian Charitable Foundation that benefited children in the Tulsa area.
After being signed with the Missouri Mavericks, he lived in the Kansas City suburb of Blue Springs, Missouri with his wife, Dorie and daughter, Ryan. While playing with the Mavericks, Jeff's daughter Ryan was diagnosed with Pediatric Adrenal cortical Carcinoma, a rare cancer. Ryan was treated at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.[2]
Christian retired after the 2010-2011 Central Hockey League season.[7] After retiring, Christian and his family moved to the Columbus Ohio area. On January 24, 2012 Ryan lost her three-year battle with cancer. The Team Ryan Charitable Foundation for Pediatric Cancer Research has been established to honor Ryan, raise money and awareness for pediatric cancer research.
Career statistics
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1987–88 | London Knights | OHL | 64 | 15 | 29 | 44 | 154 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 27 | ||
| 1988–89 | London Knights | OHL | 60 | 27 | 31 | 58 | 216 | 20 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 56 | ||
| 1989–90 | London Knights | OHL | 18 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 64 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | Owen Sound Platers | OHL | 37 | 19 | 26 | 45 | 145 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 43 | ||
| 1990–91 | Utica Devils | AHL | 80 | 24 | 42 | 66 | 165 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Utica Devils | AHL | 76 | 27 | 24 | 51 | 198 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | ||
| 1991–92 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Cincinnati Cyclones | IHL | 36 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 113 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Utica Devils | AHL | 22 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Hamilton Canucks | AHL | 11 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | Albany River Rats | AHL | 76 | 34 | 43 | 77 | 227 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 19 | ||
| 1994–95 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Cleveland Lumberjacks | IHL | 56 | 13 | 24 | 37 | 126 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 1995–96 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Cleveland Lumberjacks | IHL | 66 | 23 | 32 | 55 | 131 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 1996–97 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 11 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Cleveland Lumberjacks | IHL | 69 | 40 | 40 | 80 | 262 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 44 | ||
| 1997–98 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Las Vegas Thunder | IHL | 30 | 12 | 15 | 27 | 90 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 20 | ||
| 1998–99 | Houston Aeros | IHL | 80 | 45 | 41 | 86 | 252 | 18 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 32 | ||
| 1999–00 | Cleveland Lumberjacks | IHL | 77 | 29 | 35 | 64 | 202 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 20 | ||
| 2000–01 | Krefeld Penguins | DEL | 51 | 17 | 22 | 39 | 205 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Krefeld Penguins | DEL | 53 | 31 | 18 | 49 | 116 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 12 | ||
| 2002–03 | DEG Metro Stars | DEL | 42 | 12 | 15 | 27 | 93 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 16 | ||
| 2003–04 | Hannover Scorpions | DEL | 50 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 94 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | Sheffield Steelers | EIHL | 52 | 19 | 30 | 49 | 139 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Youngstown Steelhounds | CHL | 64 | 55 | 52 | 107 | 126 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Youngstown Steelhounds | CHL | 61 | 38 | 78 | 116 | 125 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 17 | ||
| 2007–08 | Tulsa Oilers | CHL | 64 | 24 | 59 | 83 | 107 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Tulsa Oilers | CHL | 56 | 27 | 49 | 76 | 92 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Rockford IceHogs | AHL | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Missouri Mavericks | CHL | 55 | 29 | 49 | 78 | 110 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 6 | ||
| 2010–11 | Mississippi RiverKings | CHL | 52 | 14 | 25 | 39 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Evansville IceMen | CHL | 15 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 18 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
References
- 1 2 "Hillman Happy to Land Former MVP Christian". The Examiner. July 3, 2013. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
- 1 2 "Mississippi Bound: Former All-Star Christian Signs with RiverKings". The Examiner. 2010-09-11. Retrieved 2010-09-11.
- ↑ "RiverKings Waive Jeff Christian". OurSportsCentral.com. 2011-02-22. Retrieved 2011-03-17.
- ↑ "IceMen Obtain Star LW Jeff Christian". OurSportsCentral.com. 2011-02-23. Retrieved 2011-03-17.
- ↑ "Nailers Name Jeff Christian as Assistant Coach". Wheeling Nailers official website.
- ↑ "NAILERS NAME JEFF CHRISTIAN AS HEAD COACH". ECHL. July 12, 2016.
- ↑ "Ryan Christian Perseveres Through Cancer Fight". The Examiner. December 26, 2011. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
External links
- Jeff Christian's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
- Jeff Christian EliteProspects.com Profile