The Hockey Unknowns : Patrick Flatley

Patrick Flatley (born October 3, 1963 in Toronto, Ontario)^[1][2][3] is a retired professional ice hockey forward who played in the NHL for 14 seasons between 1983 and 1997 for the New York Islanders and New York Rangers.

 

Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position	Right Wing
Shot	Right
Played for	NHL New York Islanders New York Rangers AHL Springfield Indians
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	21st overall, 1982 New York Islanders
Playing career	1983–1997

 

Playing career

Flatley attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he played for the Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey team for two seasons, helping the team capture the 1983 NCAA Men's ice hockey championship, and was himself named a tournament all-star, a WCHA first team all-star, and a 1983 All-American.^[4][5]

Flatley was drafted 21st overall by the New York Islanders in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft,^[5] and scored on his first NHL shot on goal, against Doug Soetaert of the Winnipeg Jets.^[4] Playing for the Canadian National Team in 1983–84, he scored 34 goals in 54 games. Rejoining the Islanders for the 1984-85 season, he was put on a line with Brent Sutter and Clark Gillies, and scored 9 goals through the first three rounds of the playoffs, becoming a big contributor in the Islanders' drive for their fifth consecutive Stanley Cup. However, the Islanders lost in the finals to the Wayne Gretzky-led Edmonton Oilers.

Although he never emerged as a top scorer, Flatley did become a highly effective role player, adding smart positional play, strong defense, and grit to the Islanders teams in the late 1980s and 1990s. Flatley was sometimes referred to as "the chairman of the boards" because he rarely failed to dig the puck out in battles in the corners. In 1991 he was named the Islanders' fifth captain. Prior to the 1996-97 season, Flatley signed a one year deal with the New York Rangers.^[2]
He played 780 career NHL games, scoring 170 goals and 340 assists for 510 points. His best offensive season, points-wise, was the 1992–93 season when he scored 47 assists and 60 points.^[6]

 

 

Collegiate career

Flatley was a member of the University of Wisconsin–Madison NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship team of 1983, and national finalist of 1982.

 

 

Awards and honours

Pat Flatley was named to the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.^[3]

Award	Year
All-WCHA First Team	1982–83
AHCA West All-American	1982–83

 

 

Career statistics