Craig MacDonald
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Position | Centre Left Wing |
| Shoots | Left |
| Height Weight |
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 195 lb (88 kg/13 st 13 lb) |
| NHL Team F. teams |
Tampa Bay Lightning Chicago Blackhawks Florida Panthers Calgary Flames Carolina Hurricanes Boston Bruins |
| Nationality |  Canada |
| Born | April 7, 1977 , Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| NHL Draft | 88th overall, 1996 Hartford Whalers |
| Pro career | 1998 – present |
Craig MacDonald (born April 7, 1977 in Antigonish, Nova Scotia) is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who currently plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the National Hockey League.
[edit] Playing career
MacDonald, who has played for the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames and the Chicago Blackhawks, was drafted in the 4th round (88th overall) in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft by the Hartford Whalers. His rights were transferred to Carolina when the franchise moved there in 1997. With Carolina, he played his first NHL game on January 7, 1999 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1998–99 NHL season. On January 20, 2004, he was claimed off waivers by the Boston Bruins. On August 11, 2005, he signed as a free agent for the Calgary Flames.
While playing for the Florida Panthers, MacDonald was on a line with Marcus Nilson and Byron Ritchie that was named the John Deere line. They got this name due to them working hard every shift. The John Deere line was reunited in Calgary in the 2005–06 NHL season. On July 2, 2007, MacDonald signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Craig is also one of the few NHL players who have attended Harvard.
On December 20, 2007 during a game versus the Toronto Maple Leafs, MacDonald was hit by a wrist shot from Toronto defenceman Hal Gill that fractured nine of MacDonald's teeth, only three of which were able to be salvaged. He also required 25–30 stitches to close a cut in his tongue and an additional 50 or so to sew together wounds to the inside of his lip and gums, according to team trainer Tom Mulligan. MacDonald also underwent three root canal surgeries the following morning. He wore a full cage on his helmet to protect him from any further injury. But now just wears a visor.
[edit] Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1995–96 | Harvard University | NCAA | 34 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 8 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1996–97 | Harvard University | NCAA | 32 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 20 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1997–98 | Canadian National Team | Intl | 62 | 18 | 29 | 47 | 38 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1998–99 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1998–99 | Beast of New Haven | AHL | 62 | 17 | 31 | 48 | 77 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1999–00 | Cincinnati Cyclones | IHL | 78 | 12 | 24 | 36 | 76 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 8 | ||
| 2000–01 | Cincinnati Cyclones | IHL | 82 | 20 | 28 | 48 | 104 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 2001–02 | Lowell Lock Monsters | AHL | 64 | 19 | 22 | 41 | 61 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2001–02 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2002–03 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 35 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 20 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2002–03 | Lowell Lock Monsters | AHL | 27 | 7 | 20 | 27 | 38 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2003–04 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 34 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 25 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2003–04 | San Antonio Rampage | AHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2003–04 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 18 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2004–05 | Lowell Lock Monsters | AHL | 71 | 10 | 18 | 28 | 104 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2005–06 | Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights | AHL | 13 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 29 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2005–06 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 25 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2006–07 | Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 7 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2006–07 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 25 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 14 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2007–08 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 65 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 16 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| NHL totals | 225 | 10 | 23 | 33 | 91 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||||
