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 in the NHL, he was known as a tough player. He often led the league in penalty minutes. This means he spent a lot of time in the penalty box. In 2018, he became an assistant coach. He now coaches for the Fayetteville Marksmen.

Peter Worrell's Hockey Journey

Starting in Amateur Hockey

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

Later, Worrell joined the Hull Olympiques. This was for his three junior hockey seasons. During this time, his team won two QMJHL championships. They won in the 1994–95 and 1996–97 seasons. His team also won the 1997 Memorial Cup. This is a very important junior hockey trophy.

In the 1995–96 season, Worrell spent a lot of time in the penalty box. He had 464 penalty minutes. This was one of the highest totals in league history. But he also scored many points. He had 23 goals and 36 assists, for a total of 59 points. In his final junior season, he got even more points. He finished his junior career with almost 1,200 penalty minutes. He also had 131 points.

Playing as a Professional

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

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

During the 1999–2000 season, Worrell had a knee injury. He missed 34 games. He still managed to get 9 points that year. In one game, he had an incident with New Jersey Devils player Scott Niedermayer. After a collision, Worrell 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. He went from the Florida Panthers to the Colorado Avalanche. He missed the first 27 games with another knee injury. Worrell played his first game for the Avalanche on December 11, 2003. He played 49 games for Colorado. He scored 3 goals and had 1 assist. This was his lowest point total in the NHL. But it was the first time he had a positive plus-minus rating.

After his first season with the Avalanche, the NHL had a lockout. This meant the 2004–05 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 didn't play there. Then he went 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, Peter Worrell became a head coach. He coached the Florida Atlantic University hockey club team. He also coached the varsity ice hockey team at North Broward Preparatory School. This school is in Coconut Creek, Florida.

Today, Peter Worrell works as an assistant coach. He coaches for the Fayetteville Marksmen.

Dealing with Racism

Peter Worrell was born in Canada. His parents were from Barbados. During his hockey career, Worrell sometimes faced racism. When he was a junior player, some fans threw bananas at him. Others yelled mean things. Someone even brought a sign with hateful words.

In a 1997 NHL game, Craig Berube said something offensive to Worrell. Berube was suspended for one game by the league.

In a 1998 game, Darcy Tucker and Sandy McCarthy were accused of making ape-like gestures at Worrell. This happened when they were all in the penalty boxes. After the game, Tucker and Worrell argued. The NHL looked into the incident. They reviewed videos and talked to many people. But they said there wasn't enough proof. 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 it. Worrell told the NHL he didn't hear the word. This helped clear Gratton's name.

Career Statistics

See also

• List of black NHL players