James Neal (ice hockey)
James Neal ( born September 3, 1987 in Whitby, Ontario ) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is since February 2011 the Pittsburgh Penguins in the National Hockey League contract.
- 2.1 International
- 3.1 International
Career
James Neal was selected as the 80th overall player in the third round of the OHL Priority Selection in 2003 by the Plymouth Whalers. For the team of the Ontario Hockey League played the Canadians four years until 2007. In the second round of the NHL Entry Draft 2005 Neal was selected as the 33rd overall player from the Dallas Stars. In his final year in the OHL Neal won the championship with the Whalers.
In summer 2007, the winger was first added to the roster of the Iowa Stars, the former farm team Dallas from the American Hockey League. In his first AHL season, he came on 62 missions and scored 37 scorer points, including 18 goals. The 2008/09 season began Neal at the Manitoba Moose, as the stars give up the cooperation with the Iowa Stars and thus in the season did not own their own farm team. At its premiere in the National Hockey League, he scored on 10 October 2008 in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets NHL like his first hit.
On February 21, 2011 Neal was delivered in a transfer business together with Matt Niskanen in exchange for Alex Goligoski to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Internationally
Neal won with Canada the U20 World Youth Championship in 2007. Choice For the seniors it was the first time in the 2009 World Cup on the ice with Team Canada won the silver medal at the Neal. Also at the World Cup 2011 he was in the squad of the Canadian selection that lost the quarter-final against Russia.
Awards and achievements
- 2005 CHL Top Prospects Game
- 2007 OHL First All - Star Team
- 2007 CHL Second All- Star Team
- 2007 J. Ross Robertson Cup win with the Plymouth Whalers
- 2009 NHL Young Stars Game
- 2012 NHL All -Star Game
- 2012 NHL First All -Star Team
Internationally
- 2005 Silver medal at the U18 World Youth Championship
- 2007 Gold medal at the U20 World Junior Championships
- 2009 Silver medal at the World Championships
Career Stats
Internationally
Represented Canada at:
- U18 World Junior Championships 2005
- U20 World Junior Championships 2007
- World Cup 2009
- World Cup 2011
( Key to Career statistics: Sp or GP = Games Played, T or G = goals scored, V or A = achieved assists; Pts or Pts = scored points scorer, SM or PIM = received penalty minutes, / - = Plus / Minus balance sheet; PP = scored majority gates; SH = scored shorthanded goals, GW = achieved victory gates; Play-downs/Relegation 1 )