Jeff Beukeboom

Jeff Beukeboom (born March 28, 1965 in Ajax, Ontario) is a former NHL defenceman.
He played junior hockey for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (1982–1985). After being selected in the 1st round (19th overall) of the 1983 NHL Draft by the Edmonton Oilers, he played in juniors for two more years before joining the Oilers. He won three Stanley Cups there, and was known as a hard-hitting defenceman.
He was traded with Mark Messier to the New York Rangers for Bernie Nicholls, Steven Rice and Louie DeBrusk on October 4, 1991. At 6'5" 230lbs, he quickly established himself as a fan favorite and an anchor of the defense with his thundering bodychecks and willingness to protect his teammates, through fighting if necessary. He played on the top defensive pairing with Brian Leetch, and was an alternate captain. His steady stay-at-home play allowed Leetch to lead the rush and kept opposing players out of the goal crease. He led the team in penalty minutes three times (1992–93, 93–94, 95–96) and was on four Stanley Cup winning teams (1987, 1988, 1990, 1994). He was also known for his philanthropy, including Ice Hockey in Harlem. He won the team Crumb Bum Award, given for service to local youngsters (1996).
Due to his physical play, Beukeboom suffered multiple concussions. The most devastating came as a result of a sucker punch by Matt Johnson of the Los Angeles Kings in November 1998. Johnson received a 12-game suspension for intent to injure. While Beukeboom returned after a few games off, his style of play and history of concussions left him predisposed to another concussion, which he suffered on a minor collision in February 1999. Afterwards, Beukeboom was left with recurrent headaches, memory loss, nausea, and mental fogginess that lasted for months. He was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome, and ordered to never play hockey again. He officially retired in July 1999 with a total of 1890 NHL penalty minutes in 804 games played, and is currently 2nd all-time on the Rangers penalty minutes list. Even after retiring, he continued to suffer post-concussion symptoms for almost two years before finally recovering. He played his last game on April 18th, 1999. The game was a 2-1 overtime loss for the New York Rangers to the Pittsburgh Penguins. This was also the last game that Wayne Gretzky played in.
He returned to hockey as an assistant coach for the Toronto Roadrunners (AHL) for the 2003–2004 season. In 2005, he became President and part-owner of the Lindsay Muskies of the Ontario Provincial Junior "A" Hockey League. In 2008, Beukeboom became an assistant coach with the Barrie Colts in the Ontario Hockey League. In June 2009, Beukeboom was named the assistant coach of the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League.
==Awards==
* Won a Stanley Cup with the Edmonton Oilers in 1987, 1988 and 1990. Also won with the New York Rangers 1994.
* NY Rangers Crumb Bum Award - service to local youngsters (1996)
* OHL All-Star First Team (1984–85)
==External links==
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Category:Born in 1965
Category:Edmonton Oilers draft picks
Category:Edmonton Oilers players
Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds alumni
Category:Stanley Cup champions
Category:Cape Breton Oilers players
Category:Nova Scotia Oilers players
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Retired in 1999