Cam Neely facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cam Neely
Hockey Hall of Fame, 2005
Neely in 2013
Born	(1965-06-06) June 6, 1965 (age 60) Comox, British Columbia, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	218 lb (99 kg; 15 st 8 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shot	Right
Played for	Vancouver Canucks Boston Bruins
NHL Draft	9th overall, 1983 Vancouver Canucks
Playing career	1983–1996

Cameron Michael Neely (born June 6, 1965) is a Canadian ice hockey executive and former player. He played as a right wing in the National Hockey League (NHL). Neely played for the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins from 1983 to 1996. He was added to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005. Since 2010, he has been the president of the Boston Bruins team.

Cam Neely's Playing Career

Neely played hockey for the Ridge Meadows Hockey Association when he was younger. He is now on the list of honorable people from Maple Ridge. He played for the Portland Winter Hawks in the Western Hockey League. He helped his team win the Memorial Cup Championship. This was the first time a team from the U.S. won this cup.

The Vancouver Canucks chose Neely as the ninth player overall in the 1983 NHL draft. He played three seasons with the Canucks.

Joining the Boston Bruins

In June 1986, on his 21st birthday, Neely was traded to the Boston Bruins. He was traded along with a draft pick for another player named Barry Pederson. The Canucks' coach, Tom Watt, thought Neely's defense needed work. Neely said he did not get much playing time with the Canucks. He especially did not play much during power plays.

The trade quickly showed that the Bruins got a great deal. Neely was surprised by the trade. He did not know what to expect in Boston. He had no idea his career would be so successful there. He just wanted a chance to play. Coaches gave him that chance, and his confidence grew. He never thought he would score 50 goals in a season. But he was given the chance to score and play physically.

In his first full season with the Bruins, Neely scored 36 goals. This was the most on the team. His 72 points were more than double his score from the year before. He also spent 143 minutes in the penalty box that season.

His coach, Mike Milbury, talked to him about being in the penalty box. He wanted Neely to think about why he was fighting. He told Neely to make sure fights were on his own terms. He wanted Neely to understand how his actions affected both teams. This made Neely think more about his role. He then started to follow his instincts more.

Neely was successful because of his strong, accurate shot. He could shoot the puck very quickly. He also loved to play physically. Neely was 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighed 215 pounds. He was great at body checks and fighting. He was also a fantastic goal scorer. He became known as a "power forward" and was nicknamed "Bam-Bam Cam."

Dealing with Injuries

On May 5, 1991, Neely was hurt during a playoff game. He was checked by Ulf Samuelsson. He was hit again on his knee in another game. He then developed a serious muscle injury in the injured area. This injury caused him to miss many games. He played only 22 games in the next two seasons. After this, he played only 162 more NHL games in his career. His knee problems continued to bother him.

In the 1993–94 season, Neely scored his 50th goal in just his 44th game. Only Wayne Gretzky has reached 50 goals in fewer games. This is an unofficial record. The official record means scoring 50 goals in the team's first 50 games of the season.

Neely often rested his knee by not playing in some games. But a hip problem eventually forced him to retire. He retired after the 1995 season when he was 31 years old.

In 1994, Neely had a memorable injury. The tip of his right pinky finger was cut off through his glove. It needed many stitches to fix. He got the stitches during the game. Then he returned to play later in the same period. He even got an assist in that game.

Neely worked very hard to come back from his injuries. For this, he won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in the 1993–94 season. This award is given to a player who shows great sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. The Bruins later retired his jersey number, #8. This means no other Bruins player will ever wear that number.

Even with a shorter career, Neely achieved amazing scoring feats. Only a few players in NHL history had a better goals-per-game average in a season than Neely. This was when he scored 50 goals in 49 games during the 1993–94 season. He scored 50 goals in a season three times. He played in five All-Star games. He was named to the league's Second Team All-Star four times.

As of April 2024, Neely is second on the Boston Bruins' list for most playoff goals. He has 55 playoff goals. He is also tenth in playoff points for the Bruins, with 87 points.

After His NHL Career

In November 1998, Neely tried to play hockey again. He had been out of the game for two years. He said his hip hurt too much after practices. He realized he could not continue playing. He felt good at first, but the pain lasted too long.

Neely was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005. He said he never thought much about the Hall of Fame. He just tried his best and worked hard.

On September 25, 2007, Neely became the vice president of the Boston Bruins. On June 16, 2010, he became the team's president. In June 2011, Neely saw the Bruins win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1972. This was special because he had never won the Cup as a player.

Neely also played in the Alumni Game for the 2016 Winter Classic. He played against former Montreal Canadiens players. He was on a Bruins team with other famous players.

Cam Neely's Personal Life

Neely was born in Comox, British Columbia. He grew up in Maple Ridge, British Columbia. Both of his parents passed away from cancer.

Neely is very active with the Cam Neely Foundation. This charity works with Tufts Medical Center. It helps cancer patients and their families. They can stay at the "Neely House" while getting cancer treatments. Neely started the charity in 1995. This was after his mother passed away in 1987 and his father in 1993.

One of Neely's childhood friends is Larry Walker. Walker is a famous baseball player. Walker actually dreamed of being a hockey goalie. Neely and Walker often played against each other to get better at their sports.

Neely has been married to Paulina Neely since 1996. They have two children. Their son, Jack, was born in 1998. Their daughter, Ava, was born in 2000.

Career Statistics

Awards, Honors, and Achievements

• CHL Memorial Cup champion — 1983.
• Won the Seventh Player Award — 1987, 1994
• NHL All-Star Game — 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1996
• Bruins Three Stars Awards — 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995
• Won the Elizabeth C. Dufresne Trophy — 1988, 1991, 1995
• Named to the NHL Second All-Star team — 1988, 1990, 1991, 1994
• Won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy — 1994
• His #8 Jersey was retired by the Boston Bruins on January 12, 2004.
• Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005.
• Won the Lester Patrick Trophy — 2010
• Stanley Cup champion — 2011 (As Boston Bruins President)
• Inducted into the Portland Winterhawks Hall of Fame (2023).
• His #21 Jersey was retired by the Portland Winterhawks on March 18, 2023.

Film and TV Appearances

Neely has appeared in some TV shows and movies. He played a hockey-playing firefighter on the show Rescue Me. He also had a small role in an episode of Cheers.

Neely and Lyndon Byers were in a music video for the band Extreme. They played guitar alongside the band in the video for "Hole Hearted". Neely is most famous for playing the character Sea Bass. He played this role in the Jim Carrey movies: Dumb and Dumber, Me, Myself & Irene, and Dumb and Dumber To. He also had a small role in the movie D2: The Mighty Ducks. He had a small part in the 1983 film The Outsiders.

See also

In Spanish: Cam Neely para niños

• 50 goals in 50 games
• Hockey Hall of Fame
• Power forward (ice hockey)