Rusty Fitzgerald
Rusty Fitzgerald ( born October 4, 1972 in Minneapolis, Minnesota ) is a retired American professional ice hockey player who spent two seasons in the National Hockey League and the German Ice Hockey League.
Career
Rusty Fitzgerald first played in the high school state championship Minnesota for the William M. Kelly High School and the Duluth East Greyhounds. In 1991 NHL Entry Draft, he was selected in the second round, the 38th of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Then Fitzgerald studied at the University of Minnesota Duluth and was also active for the local hockey team.
Since he first completed his studies, the striker was only in 1995, at the age of 23 years to his pro debut. He played just before the end of the regular season, both in the International Hockey League for the Cleveland Lumberjacks, as well as in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins and was also active in the playoffs. Next year, Fitzgerald went for these two teams on the ice. In preparation for the 1996/97 season, the left gunner injured his knee and fell for the entire season from. Also most of the next season, he had to stop and played again until 1998 34 games for the Lumberjacks in the IHL. The 1998/99 season spent Fitzgerald then at the Quad City Mallards in the United Hockey League. Here he was active until the end of 1999, and then moved in 2000 to the Manitoba Moose in the IHL.
For 2001/ 02, the striker signed with the Iserlohn Roosters of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. Here he presented with 27 goals scored on the valid until 2008 club record. Since the Roosters were not qualify for the playoffs, he graduated in the spring of 2002 a few games in the West Coast Hockey League. For the season 2002/ 03 Fitzgerald joined the Frankfurt Lions. Here again, however, he had to struggle with injury problems and only came to 17 games. Therefore, the Americans had to end his career at the port.
Awards and achievements
- 2001 John Cullen Award
Career Stats
( 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 )