Matt Cullen

Matthew "Matt" Cullen (born November 2, 1976 in Virginia, Minnesota) is a professional ice hockey center who currently plays for the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL. He is the older brother of Manitoba Moose player Mark Cullen.
==Playing Career==
Cullen graduated from Moorhead Senior High School in 1995. His father Terry Cullen was the high school hockey coach. He played for the St. Cloud State Huskies from 1995–1997 and was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team in 1995 and WCHA All-Star in 1996. He was drafted 35th overall by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft.
Cullen won his first Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006. After the 2006 season, he became an unrestricted free agent and signed a 4 year contract with the Rangers. After just one season with the Rangers, Cullen was traded back to Carolina during the 2006–2007 off season in exchange for defenceman Andrew Hutchinson, forward Joe Barnes and a third round pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, in an attempt to free up salary.
During the NHL lockout of 2004-05, Cullen led the Italian league in scoring while playing for Cortina, finishing with 27 goals and 33 assists in 36 games.
On February 22, 2009 Cullen scored the first hat trick of his career in a game against the Colorado Avalanche.
==Awards and achievements== 
*1995–96 WCHA All-Rookie Team
*1996–97 WCHA West Second All-Star Team
*2005–06 NHL Stanley Cup (Carolina Hurricanes)
==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
1995–96 	St. Cloud State 	WCHA 		39 	12 	29 	41 	28 		-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1996–97 	St. Cloud State 	WCHA 		36 	15 	30 	45 	70 		-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1996–97 	Baltimore Bandits 	AHL 		6 	3 	3 	6 	7 		3 	0 	2 	2 	0
1997–98 	Cincinnati Mighty Ducks	AHL 		18 	15 	12 	27 	2 		-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1997–98 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL 		61 	6 	21 	27 	23 		-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1998–99 	Cincinnati Mighty Ducks	AHL 		3 	1 	2 	3 	8 		-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1998–99 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL 		75 	11 	14 	25 	47 		4 	0 	0 	0 	0
1999–00 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL 		80 	13 	26 	39 	24 		-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
2000–01 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL 		82 	10 	30 	40 	38 		-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
2001–02 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL 		79 	18 	30 	48 	24 		-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
2002–03 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL 		50 	7 	14 	21 	12 		-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
2002–03 	Florida Panthers 	NHL 		30 	6 	6 	12 	22 		-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
2003–04 	Florida Panthers 	NHL 		56 	6 	13 	19 	24 		-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
2004–05 	SG Cortina 	ITL 		36 	27 	33 	60 	64 		-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
2005–06 	Carolina Hurricanes 	NHL 		78 	25 	24 	49 	40 		25 	4 	14 	18 	12
2006–07 	New York Rangers 	NHL 		80 	16 	25 	41 	50 		10 	1 	3 	4 	6
2007–08 	Carolina Hurricanes 	NHL 		59 	13 	36 	49 	32 		-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
2008–09 	Carolina Hurricanes 	NHL 		69 	22 	21 	43 	20 		 	 	 	 	
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		799 	153 	260 	413 	358 		39 	5 	17 	22 	18
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==International play==
Played for United States in:
*1996 World Junior Championships 
*1998 World Championships 
*1999 World Championships
*2003 World Championships
*2004 World Championships (Bronze medal)
===International statistics===
Year 	Team 	Comp 	GP	G	A 	Pts	PIM
1996 	United States 	WJC 	6 	3	1 	4 	0
1998 	United States 	WC 	6 	2	1 	3 	0
1999 	United States 	WC 	6 	1	6 	7 	4
2003 	United States 	WC 	6 	1	1 	2 	2
2004 	United States 	WC 	9 	2	4 	6 	4
Junior int'l totals	Junior int'l totals	Junior int'l totals	6 	3	1 	4 	0
Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	27	6	12	18 	10
==External links==
*
*Matt Cullen's Day With the Stanley Cup
Category:Born in 1976
Category:American ice hockey players
Category:Baltimore Bandits players
Category:Carolina Hurricanes players
Category:Cincinnati Mighty Ducks players
Category:Florida Panthers players
Category:Mighty Ducks of Anaheim players
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:St. Cloud State Huskies players
Category:SG Cortina players
Category:Stanley Cup champions