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 a former player. He played as a right wing for the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League (NHL). His career lasted from 1983 to 1996. Neely 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 Hockey Journey

Cam Neely started playing hockey with the Ridge Meadows Hockey Association. He is even on the list of honorable people from Maple Ridge. When he played for the Portland Winter Hawks in the Western Hockey League, he helped them win the Memorial Cup. This was a big deal because they were the first team from the United States to win it!

In 1983, the Vancouver Canucks picked Neely ninth overall in the NHL draft. He played with them for three seasons.

Joining the Boston Bruins

On his 21st birthday in June 1986, Neely was traded to the Boston Bruins. The Canucks traded him and a draft pick for another player, Barry Pederson. The Canucks' coach thought Neely wasn't strong enough at defense. Neely later said he didn't get much playing time with the Canucks.

It quickly became clear that the Bruins got a great deal. Neely was surprised by the trade. He didn't know how amazing his career would become in Boston. He just wanted a chance to play. The coaches gave him that chance, and he gained confidence. He never thought he'd score 50 goals in a season.

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 previous best. 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. Milbury wanted Neely to fight on his own terms. He also wanted Neely to understand how his actions affected both teams. This made Neely think more about his role. He started to follow his instincts more.

Neely was successful because he had a hard, accurate shot. He could also release the puck very quickly. He was also willing to play a very physical game. At 6 feet 1 inch tall and 215 pounds, Neely was powerful. He was known for his strong body checks and fights. He became known as a "power forward" and earned the nickname "Bam-Bam Cam."

Battling Injuries

On May 5, 1991, during a playoff game, Neely was hit by Ulf Samuelsson. He was injured on that play. He was hit again on his knee in another game. To make things worse, he developed a condition called myositis ossificans in the injured area. This injury kept him out of many games. He only played 22 games over the next two seasons. Because of his knee problems, he played only 162 more NHL games in his career after that hit.

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

Neely often sat out games to rest his injured knee. But it was a hip problem that forced him to retire. He stopped playing after the 1995-96 season when he was 31 years old.

In 1994, something unusual happened. The tip of Neely's right pinky finger was cut off through his glove. He needed 10 to 15 stitches to fix it. He got the stitches during the game and returned to play later! He even got an assist in that game.

Neely's amazing effort to come back from his injuries was recognized. 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 have also retired his jersey number, #8. This means no other Bruins player will wear that number.

Even with a shorter career, Neely achieved a lot. Only Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Brett Hull had a better goals-per-game average in an NHL season than Neely did. He scored 50 goals in 49 games during the 1993–94 season. Also, only ten players in NHL history had a better goals-per-game average over their entire career than Neely. He scored 50 goals in a season three times. He played in five All-Star games. He was named to the NHL Second All-Star team four times.

As of July 2025, Neely is second on the Boston Bruins' all-time playoff goal-scoring list with 55 goals. He ranks tenth in playoff points for Boston with 87.

Life After Playing Hockey

In November 1998, Neely tried to make a comeback. He had been out of hockey for two years. He said that his hip pain was too much. He realized he couldn't continue playing at that level.

Neely was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005. He said he never worried 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. Then, on June 16, 2010, he was named president of the team. On June 15, 2011, Neely saw the Bruins win the Stanley Cup! They beat the Canucks 4–0. This was the Bruins' first Stanley Cup win since 1972. Neely finally got to lift the Cup, something he couldn't do as a player.

Neely also played in the Alumni Game of the 2016 Winter Classic. This was a special outdoor game. He played for the Bruins Alumni team against the Montreal Canadiens Alumni.

Cam Neely's Life Outside Hockey

Neely was born in Comox, British Columbia and 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 foundation works with Tufts Medical Center. It helps cancer patients and their families. They can stay at the "Neely House" while getting treatments. Neely started the charity in 1995 after his mother and father died.

One of Neely's childhood friends is Larry Walker. Walker became a Hall of Fame baseball player. But as a kid, he dreamed of being an NHL goalie! Neely and Walker often played against each other to improve their skills.

Neely has been married to his wife, Paulina, since 1996. They have two children: a son named Jack (born 1998) and a daughter named Ava (born 2000).

Neely is also good friends with actor Michael J. Fox. They became friends when Neely played for the Canucks. Fox spoke at Neely's jersey retirement ceremony. He was also a guest when Neely was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In June 2025, Fox and Neely made a funny video together. It was a parody of Back to the Future. They made it to promote new uniforms for the Bruins.

Hockey Achievements and Awards

• CHL Memorial Cup champion in 1983.
• Won the Seventh Player Award in 1987 and 1994.
• Played in the NHL All-Star Game in 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1996.
• Won the Bruins Three Stars Awards multiple times.
• Won the Elizabeth C. Dufresne Trophy in 1988, 1991, and 1995.
• Named to the NHL Second All-Star team in 1988, 1990, 1991, and 1994.
• Won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 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 in 2010.
• Stanley Cup champion in 2011 (as President of the Boston Bruins).
• Inducted into the Portland Winterhawks Hall of Fame in 2023.
• His #21 Jersey was retired by the Portland Winterhawks on March 18, 2023.
• Named One of the Top 100 Best Bruins Players of all Time.
• Named to the Boston Bruins All-Centennial Team.

Cam Neely in Movies and TV

Neely has appeared in some TV shows and movies. He was on Denis Leary's show Rescue Me. He played a firefighter who played hockey. He also had a small role in the TV show Cheers.

Neely and Lyndon Byers were in a music video for the band Extreme. The song was called "Hole Hearted". They were seen playing guitar with the band.

Most famously, Neely played a character named Sea Bass. He was in the Farrelly brothers films Dumb and Dumber, Me, Myself & Irene, and Dumb and Dumber To. He also had a small role as himself in D2: The Mighty Ducks. He had a small role in the 1983 film The Outsiders.

Career Statistics

See also

In Spanish: Cam Neely para niños

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