Rick Middleton

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Richard (Rick) Middleton (born December 4, 1953, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) was a professional hockey player for the NHL New York Rangers and Boston Bruins. He attended Winston Churchill Collegiate in Scarborough.

A right wing of dazzling skill nicknamed "Nifty" or "Slick", Middleton was drafted in the 1st round, 14th overall, by the Rangers in the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft after a glittering junior career with the Oshawa Generals in which he led his league in scoring his final year and was named to the league's Second All-Star Team. He spent the 1973-74 season with the Rangers' farm team, the AHL Providence Reds, earning rookie of the year honors and being named to the AHL's First All-Star Team.

He made the big club during the 1974-75 season, and despite suffering injuries that restricted him to 47 games, scored 22 goals in that limited time. The following season was not as spectacular, as he scored 24 goals in 77 games while showing defensive deficiencies. Following the 1975-76 season, the Rangers traded Middleton to the Boston Bruins for veteran winger Ken Hodge.

It was one of the most one-sided deals in hockey history. Hodge played only a single season more before his career ended, while Middleton became a great star in Boston, scoring a hat trick in his first game as a Bruin and nearly nine hundred points in a Bruins uniform over the next twelve years. Generally paired with center Barry Pederson, "Nifty" had five straight seasons of at least forty goals and ninety points and led the Bruins to perennial glittering records. His leadership was apparent in being named co-captain (with Ray Bourque) to succeed Terry O'Reilly in 1985, a position he held until he retired.

His best season was the 1981-82 season, during which Middleton scored a career high 51 goals, won the Lady Byng Trophy for excellence and sportsmanship, and was named to the NHL's Second All-Star Team. The following season he led the Bruins to the league's best regular season record, and set still unbroken records that year for the most points scored in the playoffs by a player not advancing to the finals (33) and for a single playoff series (19, in the quarterfinals against Buffalo). His 105 points in the 1983-84 season tied Ken Hodge's team record for most points scored in a season by a right winger, and remains unbroken.

Middleton also starred in international play, being named to play for Team Canada in the Canada Cup in 1981 and 1984. Teamed on a line with Wayne Gretzky and Gilbert Perreault in the 1984 series, he scored four goals and four assists in seven games.

Middleton played in the NHL All-Star Game in 1981, 1982 and 1984. He retired with 448 goals and 540 assists for 988 points in 1005 games, and added 100 points in 114 playoff games. He is currently a studio analyst for Bruins telecasts on NESN.

[edit] Career Statistics

                                  Regular Season              
Season  Team                    Lge   GP   G   A   Pts  PIM   

1974-75 New York Rangers        NHL   47   22  18   40   19  
1975-76 New York Rangers        NHL   77   24  26   50   14
1976-77 Boston Bruins           NHL   72   20  22   42   2    
1977-78 Boston Bruins           NHL   79   25  35   60   8
1978-79 Boston Bruins           NHL   71   38  48   86   7   
1979-80 Boston Bruins           NHL   80   40  52   92   24   
1980-81 Boston Bruins           NHL   80   44  59   103  16  
1981-82 Boston Bruins           NHL   75   51  43   94   12 
1982-83 Boston Bruins           NHL   80   49  47   96   8
1983-84 Boston Bruins           NHL   80   47  58   105  14
1984-85 Boston Bruins           NHL   80   30  46   76   6
1985-86 Boston Bruins           NHL   49   14  30   44   10
1986-87 Boston Bruins           NHL   76   31  37   68   6
1987-88 Boston Bruins           NHL   59   13  19   32   11

                   NHL Totals         1005 448 540  988  157

[edit] See also

[edit] External link

Career statistics at hockeydb.com

Preceded by Terry O'Reilly	Boston Bruins captains 1985-88, with Ray Bourque	Succeeded by Ray Bourque
Preceded by Rick Kehoe	Winner of the Lady Byng Trophy 1982	Succeeded by Mike Bossy