Peter Worrell facts for kids

Peter J. Worrell (born August 18, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played seven seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Peter Worrell played for the Florida Panthers and the Colorado Avalanche. During his time, he was known as one of the toughest players in the game. He led the major junior leagues in penalty minutes in 1996–97. He also led the NHL in penalty minutes in 2001–02. In 2018, he became an assistant coach for the Fayetteville Marksmen. This team is part of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL).

Playing Hockey

Junior Hockey Days

When Peter Worrell was young, he played in the 1991 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. He was part of a team from the North Shore of Montreal.

Worrell played for the Hull Olympiques for three seasons. This was during his junior hockey career. He helped his team win two QMJHL championships. These wins were in 1995 and 1997. His team also won the 1997 Memorial Cup.

In the 1995-96 season, Worrell had 464 penalty minutes. This was one of the highest totals in league history. That same season, he scored 23 goals and 36 assists. This gave him a total of 59 points in 63 games. In his final junior season, he got 63 points in 62 games. By the end of his junior career, Worrell had almost 1,200 penalty minutes. He also collected 131 points.

Playing in the NHL

The Florida Panthers chose Peter Worrell in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 166th player picked overall. After his junior career, Worrell started playing professionally in 1997. He played for the Beast of New Haven in the American Hockey League.

In the 1997-98 season, Worrell played his first game in the NHL with the Panthers. He played in 19 games and had 153 penalty minutes. On February 8, 1999, he scored his first NHL goal against the St. Louis Blues.

During the 1999–2000 season, Worrell missed 34 games because of a knee injury. He still managed to get 9 points, matching his total from the year before. That season, he was involved in an incident with New Jersey Devils player Scott Niedermayer. After a collision, Niedermayer hit Worrell with his stick. Worrell then made a gesture towards the Devils' bench. Niedermayer was suspended for 10 games. Worrell missed six games due to a concussion.

On July 18, 2003, Worrell was traded from the Florida Panthers. He went to the Colorado Avalanche. He missed the first 27 games of the season with another knee injury. Worrell played his first game for the Avalanche on December 11, 2003. He played in 49 games for Colorado, scoring 3 goals and 1 assist. This was his lowest NHL point total. However, it was the first time he had a positive plus-minus rating.

After his first season with the Avalanche, the NHL had a lockout in 2004–05. The entire season was canceled. Worrell did not play professionally during this time. He even thought about retiring. But when the NHL started again, he decided to try to come back. He signed with the New York Rangers. The Rangers sent him to the Hartford Wolfpack in the AHL. He never played for them. Hartford then sent him to the Charlotte Checkers in the ECHL. He played 37 games for Charlotte. This was his last time playing professional hockey.

After Playing Hockey

On May 18, 2010, it was announced that Worrell would become a head coach. He coached the hockey club team at Florida Atlantic University. He also coached the varsity ice hockey team at North Broward Preparatory School. This school is in Coconut Creek, Florida.

Worrell currently works as an assistant coach for the Fayetteville Marksmen.

Facing Challenges

Peter Worrell was born in Canada. His parents were from Barbados. During his hockey career, Worrell sometimes faced unfair treatment. This started when he was in junior hockey. Spectators would throw things at him. Some fans also yelled mean comments at him.

In a 1997 game against the Washington Capitals, Craig Berube said a bad name to Worrell. Berube was suspended for one game by the league for his actions.

In a 1998 game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Darcy Tucker and Sandy McCarthy were accused of making rude gestures and comments to Worrell. This happened when they were all in the penalty boxes. The NHL looked into the incident. They reviewed videos and talked to players and staff. The NHL decided there was not enough proof to support the claims. Also in 1998, Flyers player Chris Gratton was accused of using a bad word against Worrell. A reporter said he read Gratton's lips. Gratton denied using the word. Worrell helped clear Gratton's name. He told the NHL that he never heard the bad word.

Career Numbers

Bold indicates led league

See also

• List of black NHL players