Neal Broten

Neal LaMoy Broten (born November 29, 1959 in Roseau, Minnesota) is a former American professional ice hockey center who played 1,099 NHL regular season games in 1981–1997 for the Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League. His younger brothers Aaron Broten and Paul Broten are also former NHL players as well as his long-time next-door neighbor "Butsy" Bryan Erickson.
==College career==
Broten is considered by some to be the most accomplished Minnesota born hockey player. He is one of only two players, along with Ed Belfour, to have played on teams that won the NCAA hockey championship (University of Minnesota in 1979), the Olympic Gold Medal (Team USA, 1980), and the Stanley Cup (New Jersey Devils, 1995).He made a total of three appearances in the Minnesota high school boys hockey state tournament. His 1978 individual high school record of four assists in one period still stands today. 
As a college freshman, he played hockey for the Minnesota Golden Gophers under coach Herb Brooks winning both a national championship in 1979 and the inaugural Hobey Baker award in 1981. During his tenure at the University of Minnesota, he reunited with his Roseau linemates, Aaron Broten and next-door neighbor Bryan Erickson. Both would later spend significant time in the NHL and became NHL journeymen with Erickson being known as "the good looking Roseau hockey star."
==NHL/International career==
Broten was member of the United States Olympic team that won a gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics in an event known as the Miracle on Ice. He was also a member of Team USA at the 1981 Canada Cup and 1984 Canada Cup tournaments as well as the 1990 Ice Hockey World Championship.
He played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League. Highlights of his long NHL career include becoming the first American to score more than 100 points in a single season (1985–86) as well as two NHL All-Star Game appearances in 1983 and 1986.
He won a Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 1995, where he scored the game-winning goal in Game Four against the Detroit Red Wings which clinched the title. Of note, his 1980 Soviet counterpart Viacheslav Fetisov was on the ice (literally, he had fallen down on the play while guarding Bill Guerin) for the Red Wings when Broten scored.
Broten served as the captain of the Dallas Stars for 2 months during the lockout-shortened 1994–95 NHL season. He had previously served as an alternate captain on a number of occasions.
==Post career==
Broten briefly came out of retirement in 1999 to once again play for the US national team in the 1999 Ice Hockey World Championship qualifying tournament (the U.S. team featuring several NHL players had surprisingly finished among the bottom four in the previous 1998 world championship tournament) when no active NHL players were available. He scored six points in three games as the U.S. won the tournament, before retiring from hockey for good.
==Awards and Achievements==
On February 7, 1998, Broten's #7 jersey was retired by the Minnesota/Dallas organization. He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000.
* WCHA First All-Star Team (1981)
* NCAA West First All-American Team (1981)
* Hobey Baker Memorial Award (Top U.S. Collegiate Player) (1981). He was the first recipient of the award.
* Lester Patrick Trophy (1998) 
* Played in NHL All-Star Game (1983, 1986)
* Was voted by Minnesota Wild fans as the greatest hockey player ever from Minnesota in the Minnesota Hockey Greats contest. The award was announced at the April 10, 2009 Wild game against the Nashville Predators.
Transactions
* Drafted: Minnesota North Stars, 2nd Round (42 overall), 1979 NHL Entry Draft. Pick was obtained by the North Stars in a draft-day trade that sent Dave Semenko from the North Stars to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for 2nd and 3rd round draft picks.
* Traded to the New Jersey Devils for Corey Millen, 2/27/95
* Traded from New Jersey Devils to Los Angeles Kings for future considerations, 11/22/96 
* Claimed on waivers by Dallas from Los Angeles, 1/28/97
==Career statistics==
 	 	 		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
1978–79 	U. of Minnesota 	WCHA 		40 	21 	50 	71 	18 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1979–80 	United States 	Nat-Tm 		55 	25 	30 	55 	20 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1980–81 	U. of Minnesota 	WCHA 		36 	17 	54 	71 	56 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1980–81 	Minnesota North Stars	NHL 		3 	2 	0 	2 	12 	 	19 	1 	7 	8 	9
1981–82 	Minnesota North Stars	NHL 		73 	38 	60 	98 	42 	 	4 	0 	2 	2 	0
1982–83 	Minnesota North Stars	NHL 		79 	32 	45 	77 	43 	 	9 	1 	6 	7 	10
1983–84 	Minnesota North Stars	NHL 		76 	28 	61 	89 	43 	 	16 	5 	5 	10 	4
1984–85 	Minnesota North Stars	NHL 		80 	19 	37 	56 	39 	 	9 	2 	5 	7 	10
1985–86 	Minnesota North Stars	NHL 		80 	29 	76 	105 	47 	 	5 	3 	2 	5 	2
1986–87 	Minnesota North Stars	NHL 		46 	18 	35 	53 	33 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1987–88 	Minnesota North Stars	NHL 		54 	9 	30 	39 	32 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1988–89 	Minnesota North Stars	NHL 		68 	18 	38 	56 	57 	 	5 	2 	2 	4 	4
1989–90 	Minnesota North Stars	NHL 		80 	23 	62 	85 	45 	 	7 	2 	2 	4 	18
1990–91 	Minnesota North Stars	NHL 		79 	13 	56 	69 	26 	 	23 	9 	13 	22 	6
1991–92 	Minnesota North Stars	NHL 		76 	8 	26 	34 	16 	 	7 	1 	5 	6 	2
1992–93 	Minnesota North Stars	NHL 		82 	12 	21 	33 	22 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1993–94 	Dallas Stars 	NHL 		79 	17 	35 	52 	62 	 	9 	2 	1 	3 	6
1994–95 	Dallas Stars 	NHL 		17 	0 	4 	4 	4 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1994–95 	New Jersey Devils 	NHL 		30 	8 	20 	28 	20 	 	20 	7 	12 	19 	6
1995–96 	New Jersey Devils 	NHL 		55 	7 	16 	23 	14 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1996–97 	New Jersey Devils 	NHL 		3 	0 	1 	1 	0 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1996–97 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 		19 	0 	4 	4 	0 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
1996–97 	Dallas Stars 	NHL 		20 	8 	7 	15 	12 	 	2 	0 	1 	1 	0
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		1099 	289 	634 	923 	569 	 	135 	35 	63 	98 	77
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==External links==
* Neal Broten's profile at hockeydraftcentral.com
* 
* 
*Picture of Neal Broten's Name on the 1995 Stanley Cup Plaque
Note: Broten was named captain in January 1995, after Tinordi was traded to the Washington Capitals, (Broten was later traded to the New Jersey Devils in February).
Category:Born in 1959
Category:1980 Olympian
Category:American ice hockey players
Category:Dallas Stars players
Category:Lester Patrick Trophy recipients
Category:Los Angeles Kings players
Category:Minnesota North Stars players
Category:NHL All-Stars
Category:NHL players with 100 point seasons
Category:National Hockey League players with retired numbers
Category:New Jersey Devils players
Category:Olympic ice hockey players of the United States
Category:Stanley Cup champions
Category:Minnesota Golden Gophers players
Category:Retired in 1997
Category:Ice hockey players from Minnesota