John Madden (ice hockey)

Madden grew up in a public housing project, Parma Court, in Toronto.[1][2] Madden is a graduate of the Victoria Village House League and has also played for a number of minor league teams, including the Don Mills Flyers, Scarborough Bruins, Hillcrest Summits, and the Junior "C" Alliston Hornets, before moving up to the Junior "B" Barrie Colts. During his second full season (1992–93) with the Colts, Madden set team records for assists (75) and points (124).

Madden was selected in the 11th round, 173rd overall, in the 1992 OHL Priority Selection by the Niagara Falls Thunder after a 104-point season with the Barrie Colts Jr. B. (OHA) team. Madden did not report to Niagara Falls, instead choosing to pursue an NCAA scholarship. After his second season in Barrie, when he scored 124 points in 43 games, he was still passed over in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft.

However, of the 286 players drafted that year, only 24 have played more career NHL games than the undrafted Madden (as of the end of the 2009–10 NHL season).

Madden played college hockey for the University of Michigan, playing in 160 games and scoring 80 goals and 100 assists for 180 points, with 123 penalty minutes. During his four-year career with the Wolverines, Madden set the NCAA record for most career shorthanded goals (23) and was a member of the 1995–96 championship team.[2] In his final season at Michigan, he was named to both the CCHA First All-Star and NCAA West First All-American Teams. Madden's teammates at Michigan included future NHL players Brendan Morrison, Mike Knuble, Blake Sloan, Marty Turco, Steve Shields, and Bill Muckalt.

The presence of Morrison, the Devils' second-round pick in 1993, proved fortuitous for Madden, whose strong work ethic was noticed by general manager Lou Lamoriello as he monitored Morrison's college development. Lamoriello eventually offered Madden a contract, and he signed with the Devils as an amateur free agent on June 26, 1997.[2]

Madden spent the bulk of his first two professional seasons with the Albany River Rats of the American Hockey League (AHL). He led the River Rats in scoring during the 1998–99 season, setting team records for assists (60) and points (98). He made his NHL debut on January 6, 1999, against cross-town rivals the New York Rangers (one of four games he played for the Devils that season) and collected his first career NHL point on January 18, 1999, against the San Jose Sharks. He won a permanent spot on the Devils' roster the following season (1999–2000) and remained with the team through to the 2008–09 season.

On October 29, 2000, in a 9–0 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Madden and Randy McKay became the first NHL teammates to each score four goals in one game since January 14, 1922.[3] Over his career, Madden had thirty-two 2-point games, three 3-point games, one 4-point game and one 5-point game.

For most of his time with the Devils, Madden was paired with left wing player Jay Pandolfo, prompting many Devils fans to refer to this ubiquitous duo as "Madolfo". The value of the Madden/Pandolfo partnership to the Devils was particularly notable after the 2004–05 NHL lockout. Despite the loss of defensive stalwarts Scott Stevens (retirement), Scott Niedermayer (free agency), and Ken Daneyko (retirement), as well as a series of rule changes designed to increase offence, the Devils have remained one of the NHL's least scored on and least penalized teams.

On April 25, 2006, Madden completed his first career playoff hat-trick in a 4–1 win over the New York Rangers; two of his goals were shorthanded, tying an NHL record.[4]

Madden was a member of the Devils' 1999–2000 and 2002–03 Stanley Cup champion clubs. After the retirement of long-time captain Scott Stevens before the 2005–06 season, the Devils abandoned the use of the captain's "C" and instead used four alternate captains, drawing from a pool of Madden, Brian Rafalski, Colin White, Scott Gomez, Alexander Mogilny and Patrik Eliáš. Madden continued to wear the alternate captain's "A", except for a short time in the 2007–08 season, in which the "A" was given to Brian Gionta, Dainius Zubrus and Patrik Eliáš (Eliáš, after having the captaincy taken away). Once Jamie Langenbrunner, on December 5, 2007, was named captain, Madden once again was assigned the "A", along with defenseman Colin White.

Madden (left) taking a faceoff in a February 2008 game

Madden scored his 100th career goal (regular season) on April 1, 2006, against the Philadelphia Flyers. Other career milestones included his 100th assist (October 18, 2006, against the Pittsburgh Penguins), 200th point (October 12, 2006, against the Toronto Maple Leafs), and 500th game (November 17, 2006, against the Ottawa Senators).

As an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2009, Madden signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks worth $2.75 million. He won his third Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks that year.[5]

On August 6, 2010, Madden signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Wild.[6] While Madden scored 12 goals and 25 points in 76 games, the Wild failed to qualify for the playoffs.

On January 4, 2012, Madden signed a one-year contract with the Florida Panthers, joining former Blackhawks teammates Kris Versteeg, Brian Campbell and Tomáš Kopecký and former Devils teammate Scott Clemmensen.[7] The Panthers clinched the playoffs for the first time in twelve years. Madden, however, recorded no points during the playoffs as they lost the first round to his former team, the New Jersey Devils, in seven games.

Madden officially retired from the NHL on September 4, 2012.