Jim Cummins (ice hockey)
James "Jim" Stephen Cummins ( born May 17, 1970 in Dearborn, Michigan ) is a retired American professional ice hockey player who during his active career, among other things, for the Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, Montreal Canadiens, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, New York Islanders and Colorado Avalanche played in the National Hockey League.
Career
Jim Cummins first played in the 1987/88 season for the Detroit Compuware Ambassadors in the North American Hockey League. He then began a study at Michigan State University and went over the next three years for the ice hockey team, the Spartans, in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association on the ice. During this time, two times, won in 1989 and 1990, the Championship of the CCHA. In addition, Cummins was selected at the NHL Entry Draft in 1989 in the fourth round at a total of 67 position of the New York Rangers. Before completing his university career, he was however transferred in March 1991 as part of a barter transaction to the Detroit Red Wings. For this he gave in the 1991/92 season his debut in the National Hockey League, the bulk of the playing time spent, however, in the farm team for the Adirondack Red Wings of the American Hockey League, where Cummins filled his role as enforcer. His 338 penalty minutes in 65 games of the regular season were the second most on the team and the fourth- most in the league. In the same season he won the Calder Cup with Adirondack and came in five playoff games for the team to use. Also the following game year the American was set in the AHL farm team of the Detroit Red Wings, but also came to seven NHL appearances for the team from Hockeytown.
In June 1993, he was released to the Philadelphia Flyers for which the right wing completed 22 games. That same season he transferred them to the Tampa Bay Lightning, where Cummins was for this in 14 games on the ice. As a member of the IHL farm team Atlanta Knights, he won the 1994 Turner Cup. In February 1995, the Bolts gave him together with Tom Tilley and Jeff Buchanan from in exchange for Paul Ysebaert and Rich Sutter to the Chicago Blackhawks. In the Windy City Enforcer was first active as a regular in his NHL career and spent all his four seasons in the dress of the Blackhawks over 100 minutes on the penalty bench. Another exchange transaction took place in March 1998, when the Hawks along with Keith Carney transferred him in exchange for Chad Kilger and Jayson More to the Phoenix Coyotes. Another NHL milestone in his career were the Montreal Canadiens before Cummins signed in the season 1999/2000 in July 2000 as a free agent with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. For Californians, he played 81 games before he was released to the New York Islanders in the spring of 2002. After the winger was suspended for the following season from the game, he returned for the 2003/ 04 again in the National Hockey League back and let his career with the Colorado Avalanche jersey finish.