Brian Gionta

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Position	Right Wing
Shoots	Right
Nickname	Gio, and The Rochester Rocket
Height Weight	5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) 175 lb (80 kg)
NHL Team	New Jersey Devils
Nationality	United States
Born	January 18, 1979, Rochester, New York
NHL Draft	82nd overall, 1998 New Jersey Devils
Pro Career	2001 – present

Brian Gionta (born January 18, 1979 in Rochester, New York, United States) is an American ice hockey rightwinger. He is 5' 7 (170 cm), and weighs 175 pounds. He goes by the nickname Gio from his teammates and The Rochester Rocket, dubbed by the media.

1 Playing career
2 Personal
3 Awards
4 Records
5 Career statistics
6 International play
7 See also
8 External links

[edit] Playing career

Gionta was drafted #82 overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. The diminutive but fiery forward skated for Boston College from 1997 to 2001, winning a National Championship as Eagles captain in the 2000-2001 season. He was mentored by current Edmonton Oilers forward Marty Reasoner at the Heights and enjoyed his best statistical season in his freshman year on a line with Reasoner, posting 30 goals and 62 points in 40 games as the Eagles fell to the University of Michigan in the National Championship game in Boston.

Gionta followed up with a 60 point season his sophomore year as BC was eliminated by Hockey East rival, the University of Maine in the Frozen Four semifinals, then a 33 goal, 56 point season in his junior year as the Eagles fell to North Dakota in that year's National Championship game.

In his senior season as captain, Gionta's point total dipped again to 54 points, however, a roster stocked with future NHL talent produced a National Championship as Boston College defeated North Dakota, 3-2 in overtime in Albany, New York.

His brother, Stephen, played for Boston College and helped distinguish the Eagles as one of the best college hockey teams in the nation; Stephen signed an amateur tryout contract with the Albany River Rats, the Devils' farm team, in April 2006.

Brian has played 166 games for New Jersey, plus 35 playoff games. He was a member of the 2002-03 Stanley Cup championship team. He played for their affiliate, the Albany River Rats of the American Hockey League during the 2004-2005 lockout. He was part of the 2006 U.S. Men's Olympic Hockey team that competed in Torino, Italy.

Listed at 5'7" Brian Gionta is the smallest player currently playing in the National Hockey League. He has enjoyed great success from the second half of the 2003-2004 season up until present day. He was one third of the Devil's "EGG" line, playing right wing for linemates Patrik Elias and Scott Gomez. The line was the best in the NHL during the second half of the 2003-04 season.

Today, Brian Gionta is one of the Devils' most effective offensive forces despite his small stature. Gionta "crashes the net", day in and day out, showing that he plays like a player twice his size. On March 28, 2006, Gionta became the first Devils player to reach 40 goals in a season since Patrik Elias and Alexander Mogilny each reached the mark in the 2000-2001 season. On the last game of the season, he broke Pat Verbeek's franchise record for goals in a season, finishing with 48. He also currently holds the franchise all-time power play goal scoring record in a season with 24.

[edit] Personal

He is the middle child of Sam and Penny Gionta. He and his wife, Harvest, have a son Adam.

[edit] Awards

1997-98: All-Rookie Team (Hockey East)
1997-98: Second All-Star Team (Hockey East)
1997-98: Rookie of the Year (Hockey East)
1997-98: East Second All-American Team (NCAA)
1998-99: First All-Star Team (Hockey East)
1998-99: East First All-American Team (NCAA)
1999-00: First All-Star Team (Hockey East)
1999-00: East First All-American Team (NCAA)
2000-01: First All-Star Team (Hockey East)
2000-01: Walter Brown Award New England's Outstanding American-born College player. Shared with Ty Conklin (NCAA)
2000-01: East First All-American Team (NCAA)
2000-01: Player of the Year (Hockey East)
2002-03: Stanley Cup New Jersey Devils (NHL)

[edit] Records

Franchise record for most goals in a season (48 in 2005-06 NHL season)

[edit] Career statistics

			Regular Season					Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1997-98	Boston College Eagles	Hockey East	40	30	32	62	44
1998-99	Boston College Eagles	Hockey East	39	27	33	60	46
1999-00	Boston College Eagles	Hockey East	42	33	23	56	66
2000-01	Boston College Eagles	Hockey East	43	33	21	54	47
2001-02	Albany River Rats	AHL	37	9	16	25	18	-	-	-	-	-
2001-02	New Jersey Devils	NHL	33	4	7	11	8	6	2	2	4	0
2002-03	New Jersey Devils	NHL	58	12	13	25	23	24	1	8	9	6
2003-04	New Jersey Devils	NHL	75	21	8	29	36	5	2	3	5	0
2004-05	Albany River Rats	AHL	15	5	7	12	10	-	-	-	-	-
2005-06	New Jersey Devils	NHL	82	48	41	89	46	9	3	4	7	2
NHL Totals			248	85	69	154	113	44	8	17	25	8