Eric Tangradi
Eric Tangradi | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 10, 1989 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey player (retired) |
| Years active | 2009–2021 |
| Known for | NHL player for Pittsburgh Penguins, Winnipeg Jets, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils; KHL player for Barys Nur-Sultan |
Eric Tangradi (born February 10, 1989) is a retired American professional ice hockey left winger. Throughout his NHL career, he played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Winnipeg Jets, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, and New Jersey Devils. Additionally, he competed in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) with Barys Nur-Sultan. Tangradi was selected 42nd overall in the second round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by the Anaheim Ducks.
Amateur
Originating from the Philadelphia region, Tangradi competed in high school hockey at Archbishop Carroll, where he contributed to securing the Pennsylvania State AA Championship title in 2004. He also completed one season at Wyoming Seminary Prep School located in Kingston, Pennsylvania.
Tangradi spent three seasons playing junior hockey with the Belleville Bulls in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), serving as team captain during the 2008 campaign. His 2008–09 season marked a significant breakthrough as he tallied 38 goals and accumulated 88 points over 55 games. On December 9, 2008, he inked a three-year entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks.
On February 26, 2009, Tangradi was involved in a trade to the Pittsburgh Penguins along with Chris Kunitz, in exchange for defenseman Ryan Whitney. He was honored as Boston Pizza OHL & CHL Player of the Week for April 12 and received several accolades from Belleville Bulls at season’s conclusion, including Humanitarian of the Year, Most Outstanding Forward, and Top Scorer.
Professional
Tangradi registered his initial professional point during his AHL debut with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on October 3, 2009, assisting on a goal against the Syracuse Crunch. His first professional goal came on November 11, 2009, versus the Portland Pirates; shortly thereafter, he took part in his first professional fight.
He made his NHL debut on April 11, 2010, facing off against the New York Islanders. The following season saw Tangradi secure a place on the NHL roster directly out of training camp. On October 11, 2010, he notched his first NHL point by assisting a goal against the New Jersey Devils and scored his inaugural NHL goal four days later against Rick DiPietro of the Islanders. After being reassigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in December 2010, he achieved his first professional hat trick against the Toronto Marlies.
During a game on February 11, 2011 versus the Islanders, Tangradi sustained a concussion following an elbow delivered by Trevor Gillies, which sidelined him for two months. On January 13, 2012, he recorded his first NHL fighting major. His first NHL playoff point occurred on April 18, 2012, when he assisted Jordan Staal’s goal against the Philadelphia Flyers. Tangradi ranks ninth on Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s all-time goals leaderboard with 60 goals scored across 178 games.
In the abbreviated 2012–13 NHL season, Tangradi was traded to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick. He netted his first goal as a Jet on March 7, 2013. The subsequent season marked his first full NHL campaign with Winnipeg where he fulfilled a fourth-line left wing role.
On October 5, 2014, Tangradi was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in return for Peter Budaj and Patrick Holland. During the 2014–15 season, he tallied 14 goals and added 17 assists over 48 games with Montreal’s AHL affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs while appearing in seven NHL contests.
Tangradi agreed to a one-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings on July 8, 2015. Assigned initially to their AHL affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins, he was recalled multiple times throughout that season. By January 2016, he led the Griffins with 31 points and ranked fifth in AHL goals scored before securing a two-year contract extension with Detroit on March 21, 2016.
On July 25, 2018, Tangradi signed a one-year two-way contract with the New Jersey Devils. As a free agent in August 2019, he moved abroad to join Barys Nur-Sultan of the KHL. After accumulating nine points across 22 games there, Tangradi returned to North America in December 2019 by signing an AHL contract with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Following an eleven-season professional career, Tangradi announced his retirement from hockey on May 5, 2021, opting to pursue opportunities within real estate.
Personal life
Born and raised in Philadelphia as the child of a postal employee, Tangradi grew up as a devoted supporter of the Philadelphia Flyers, often showcasing jerseys of Eric Lindros and Keith Primeau, alongside a poster of the Legion of Doom line. During his younger years, he also participated in lacrosse.
Tangradi is a dog lover who owns a Boxer named Carson, inspired by the Pittsburgh street where he first met his wife, Caitlyn Hess. The couple tied the knot on June 21, 2014. Hess, an alumna of Penn State with a strong interest in fashion, is the founder of SCHEÉ, a footwear brand that contributes a portion of its proceeds to charitable causes.
In June 2022, Tangradi took on the role of head coach for the boys’ prep hockey team at Shady Side Academy.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||||||||||
| 2005–06 | Wyoming Seminary | USHS | 38 | 21 | 23 | 44 | 120 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2006–07 | Belleville Bulls | OHL | 65 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 32 | 15 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 14 | ||||||||||
| 2007–08 | Belleville Bulls | OHL | 56 | 24 | 36 | 60 | 41 | 21 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 20 | ||||||||||
| 2008–09 | Belleville Bulls | OHL | 55 | 38 | 50 | 88 | 61 | 16 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 12 | ||||||||||
| 2009–10 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 65 | 17 | 22 | 39 | 31 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 2009–10 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2010–11 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 15 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 2010–11 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 42 | 18 | 15 | 33 | 86 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2011–12 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 37 | 15 | 16 | 31 | 40 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 14 | ||||||||||
| 2011–12 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 24 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 2012–13 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 34 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 57 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2012–13 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2012–13 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 36 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| 2013–14 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 55 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 21 | |||||||||||||||
| 2014–15 AHL season | Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL |48 | 14 | 17 | 31 | — |— |— |— |— | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–15 NHL season | Montreal Canadiens | NHL |7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |— |— |— |— | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–16 AHL season | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL |72 | 28 | 28 | 56 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | ||||||||||||||
| 2015–16 NHL season | Detroit Red Wings | NHL |1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |— |— |— |— | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–17 AHL season | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL |54 | 17 | 27 | 44 | 19 | 2 | 17 | 19 | 12 | ||||||||||||||
| 2017–18 AHL season | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL |74 | 31 | 33 | 64 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | ||||||||||||||
| 2018–19 AHL season | Binghamton Devils | AHL |41 | 10 | 14 | 24 | - bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2018–19 NHL season | New Jersey Devils | NHL |6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | - | 2019–20 KHL season |Barys Nur-Sultan |Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) |22 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 24 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | "2019–20 AHL season"|Grand Rapids Griffins|"AHL"|21 | 9 | 4 | 13 | 12 |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" | NHL totals !150 !5 !11 !16 !86 !3 !0 !1 !1 !0 | ||
Awards and honors
- Tangradi represented the United States in the 2009 World Junior Hockey Championships.
- Honored as the Reebok/AHL Player of the Week for the week concluding on December 12, 2010.
- Chosen to participate in the 2011 AHL All-Star Game.
- Awarded Huntington Bank Grand Rapids Griffins Player of the Month for both March and December of 2017.
- Contributed to the Grand Rapids Griffins' victory as 2017 Calder Cup Champions.