# Jason Cirone

Jason Gerardo Cirone (February 21, 1971 – October 2, 2024) was a Canadian-Italian professional ice hockey centre. He played for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League and was the former head coach of the Metro Jets of the North American 3 Hockey League. He was head coach of the Midland University Men's hockey team in Fremont, Nebraska. Internationally, Cirone represented Italy at several World Championships and at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

## Playing career

As a youth, Cirone played in the 1984 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Don Mills.
Cirone was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in the third round (46th overall) in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. He played junior hockey for the Cornwall Royals and Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. Cirone appeared in three games with the Jets during the 1991–92 season.
In August 1993, the Jets traded Cirone to the Florida Panthers in exchange for forward Dave Tomlinson.
Cirone had a successful career in minor-league hockey. He played for the Moncton Hawks and Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League; and the Cincinnati Cyclones, Los Angeles Ice Dogs, Kansas City Blades, and Flint Generals of the International Hockey League. In 2006–07 he was a player-assistant coach with the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees of the Central Hockey League. Cirone had two stints overseas for Asiago HC on the Italian Ice Hockey League in 1992–93 and then again from 2001 to 2006, and the Frankfurt Lions of the German Ice Hockey League in 2000–01. Cirone also spent two seasons playing roller hockey for the Buffalo Stampede in 1994 and 1995.
Cirone held an Italian passport, and played in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy as a member of the Italian team.

## Coaching career

Cirone was the Midland University Men's Hockey team's head coach in Fremont, Nebraska from 2013 to 2021. Cirone was previously the head coach of the Metro Jets of the North American 3 Hockey League located in Waterford, Michigan. He also had previously served as an assistant coach for the Jets.

## Death

Cirone died from cancer on October 2, 2024, at the age of 53.

## Career statistics
### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1986–87 | Toronto Red Wings U18 AAA | GTHL | 36 | 53 | 64 | 117 | 125 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1987–88 | Cornwall Royals | OHL | 53 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 41 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 1988–89 | Cornwall Royals | OHL | 64 | 39 | 44 | 83 | 67 | 17 | 19 | 8 | 27 | 14 |
| 1989–90 | Cornwall Royals | OHL | 32 | 21 | 43 | 64 | 56 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 14 |
| 1990–91 | Cornwall Royals | OHL | 40 | 31 | 29 | 60 | 66 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1990–91 | Windsor Spitfires | OHL | 23 | 27 | 23 | 50 | 31 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 14 |
| 1991–92 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1991–92 | Moncton Hawks | AHL | 64 | 32 | 27 | 59 | 124 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| 1992–93 | HC Asiago | ITA | 16 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1993–94 | Cincinnati Cyclones | IHL | 26 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 61 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1993–94 | Birmingham Bulls | ECHL | 11 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 45 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 67 |
| 1994–95 | Cincinnati Cyclones | IHL | 74 | 22 | 15 | 37 | 170 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14 |
| 1995–96 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 24 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1995–96 | San Diego Gulls | WCHL | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1995–96 | Los Angeles Ice Dogs | IHL | 26 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 47 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1996–97 | Long Beach Ice Dogs | IHL | 11 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1996–97 | Kansas City Blades | IHL | 70 | 18 | 38 | 56 | 88 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 1997–98 | Kansas City Blades | IHL | 82 | 22 | 30 | 52 | 166 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 20 |
| 1998–99 | Kansas City Blades | IHL | 82 | 42 | 26 | 68 | 151 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| 1999–2000 | Kansas City Blades | IHL | 71 | 19 | 24 | 43 | 133 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2000–01 | Frankfurt Lions | DEL | 51 | 18 | 17 | 35 | 138 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2001–02 | HC Asiago | ITA | 37 | 20 | 13 | 33 | 77 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2002–03 | HC Asiago | ITA | 33 | 16 | 18 | 34 | 124 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 22 |
| 2003–04 | HC Asiago | ITA | 38 | 31 | 21 | 52 | 79 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 16 |
| 2004–05 | HC Asiago | ITA | 18 | 1 | 13 | 14 | 34 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2005–06 | HC Asiago | ITA | 46 | 18 | 31 | 49 | 78 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2006–07 | Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees | CHL | 59 | 28 | 35 | 63 | 84 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2007–08 | Flint Generals | IHL | 63 | 21 | 41 | 62 | 64 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| IHL totals | IHL totals | IHL totals | 505 | 160 | 189 | 349 | 894 | 31 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 46 |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| ITA totals | ITA totals | ITA totals | 188 | 92 | 101 | 193 | 410 | 30 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 44 |

### International

| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 2004 | Italy | WC D1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| 2006 | Italy | OG | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 2006 | Italy | WC | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 18 |
| 2007 | Italy | WC | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| 2008 | Italy | WC | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Senior totals | Senior totals | Senior totals | 27 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 38 |