Jamie Langenbrunner
Jamie Langenbrunner | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jamie Craig Langenbrunner July 24, 1975 Duluth, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey player |
| Years active | 1994–2014 |
| Known for | Stanley Cup champion (1999, 2003), captain of the 2010 U.S. Olympic silver medal ice hockey team |
Jamie Craig Langenbrunner (; born July 24, 1975) is a retired American professional ice hockey athlete. He contributed to the Stanley Cup triumphs of both the 1998–99 Dallas Stars and the 2002–03 New Jersey Devils. Additionally, he served as captain of the silver medal-winning U.S. national team during the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Junior
Langenbrunner’s early hockey years were spent with Minnesota’s Cloquet Lumberjacks, where over three seasons he tallied 148 points in 70 games and led the squad to back-to-back State Tournament qualifications. His outstanding performance earned him the AP Minnesota High School Hockey Player of the Year award. Subsequently, he was selected 35th overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft by the Dallas Stars.
Following this, he played two seasons with the Peterborough Petes in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), amassing 75 goals and 115 assists (190 points) across 124 games, along with 32 points in 18 playoff contests. During his second OHL campaign (1994–95), Langenbrunner made his NHL debut with Dallas.
Professional
In the 1995–96 campaign, Langenbrunner appeared in 59 matches for the Michigan K-Wings of the IHL, registering 25 goals and 40 assists (65 points), earning recognition as the team’s Most Valuable Player. That same season, he was called up and participated in 12 NHL games.
Dallas Stars
Langenbrunner’s first NHL game took place on April 9, 1995, when Dallas faced off against the St. Louis Blues. He secured a regular roster spot during the 1996–97 season, playing in 76 games and contributing 39 points as a left winger. His impressive rookie year placed him among candidates for the Calder Memorial Trophy awarded to the NHL’s top rookie, although Bryan Berard ultimately received the honor.
During the 1997–98 season, he recorded 23 goals and 29 assists totaling 52 points over 81 games and represented Team USA at the 1998 Winter Olympics. The next season saw him accumulate 45 points in 75 appearances. Langenbrunner’s pivotal moment arrived in the 1999 Stanley Cup playoffs, where he scored 10 goals and amassed 17 points, playing a key role in Dallas capturing its inaugural Stanley Cup by defeating the Buffalo Sabres. He finished third in scoring for his team behind Mike Modano and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Joe Nieuwendyk.
New Jersey Devils
On March 19, 2002, Langenbrunner was traded alongside Nieuwendyk to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Jason Arnott, Randy McKay, and a first-round draft pick. In the subsequent 2002–03 season, he achieved a then personal best with 22 goals and 33 assists, totaling 55 points over 78 games. He led all players in playoffs with 11 goals and 18 points as New Jersey secured their second Stanley Cup by winning a seven-game series against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
Following an injury-affected 2003–04 season and the NHL lockout that canceled play in 2004–05, Langenbrunner rebounded strongly in 2005–06, posting 53 points across 80 regular-season games and adding another 13 points during nine playoff contests before being eliminated by eventual champions, the Carolina Hurricanes.
On July 1, 2006, he inked a five-year contract extension worth $14 million, averaging $2.8 million annually. The 2006–07 season saw him reach career highs with a total of 60 points (23 goals, 37 assists) while playing all 82 games. He contributed eight points over 11 playoff games before New Jersey was ousted by Stanley Cup finalists, the Ottawa Senators.
Appointed captain on December 5, 2007, Langenbrunner missed nearly twenty games due to a groin injury but still managed to score 41 points in just 64 appearances. The Devils exited the postseason after falling to the New York Rangers in the conference quarterfinals.
Beginning with the 2007–08 season, Langenbrunner played alongside younger teammates Zach Parise and Travis Zajac, forming a line known as "ZZ Pops." In January of 2009, he scored two goals across three consecutive matches—including three game-winning goals—an accomplishment last matched by Wayne Gretzky during the 1981–82 season. He concluded that campaign with personal bests of 29 goals, 40 assists, and a total of 69 points, contributing to his line’s combined output of 225 points and an impressive +88 plus-minus rating.
On January 2, 2010, Langenbrunner notched his inaugural career hat-trick against the Minnesota Wild on home ice as New Jersey secured a 5–3 victory.[1][2]
Return to Dallas
On January 7, 2011, Langenbrunner was exchanged to the Dallas Stars in return for a conditional third-round selection in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. This pick had the potential to be elevated to a second-round choice if the Stars either advanced past a playoff round or re-signed him prior to the draft. He netted his first goal after returning to Dallas during his milestone 1,000th NHL game against the Los Angeles Kings on January 17, 2011, contributing to a 2–1 win for the Stars.
St. Louis Blues
Langenbrunner agreed to a one-year deal with the St. Louis Blues on July 6, 2011. Throughout the 2011–12 campaign, he played primarily as a checking line forward, tallying six goals and accumulating 24 points over 70 games. The Blues chose to extend his contract for an additional year on July 10, 2012.
During the lockout-affected 2012–13 season, Langenbrunner appeared in only four contests before sustaining a torn labrum in his left hip, which necessitated surgery on February 9, 2013, prematurely ending his season.
Retirement
After completing 16 seasons in the NHL, Langenbrunner declared his retirement on January 15, 2014. Subsequently, he moved into coaching and was appointed as a player development coach for the Boston Bruins on September 12, 2015.
Personal life
Born in Duluth, Minnesota in 1975, Langenbrunner’s family resided in Moose Lake at that time. They briefly relocated to Moorhead before settling in International Falls in 1979. By age five, he was already actively engaged in skating. The family later moved to Cloquet in 1985.
Langenbrunner and his wife are parents to three children. Their son Mason was selected 151st overall by the Boston Bruins during the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. While playing for the Devils, Langenbrunner lived in North Caldwell, New Jersey.
In December 2023, he was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, joining ranks with Dustin Brown, Brian Burke, Katie King Crowley, and Brian Murphy.
Regular season and playoffs
1995–96 Dallas Stars NHL 12||2||2||4||6 —||—||—||—||— 1996–97 Dallas Stars NHL 76||13||26||39||51 5||1||1||2||14 1997–98 Dallas Stars NHL 81||23||29||52||61 16||1||4||5||14 1998–99 Dallas Stars NHL 75||12||33||45||62 23||10||7||17||16 1999–00 Dallas Stars NHL 65||18||21||39||68 15||1||7||8||18 2000–01 Dallas Stars NHL 53||12||18||30||57 10||2||2||4||6 2001–02 Dallas Stars NHL 68||10||16||26||54 —||—||—||—||— 2001–02 New Jersey Devils NHL 14||3||3||6||23 5||0||1||1||8 2002–03 New Jersey Devils NHL 78||22||33||55||65 24||11||7||18||16 2003–04 New Jersey Devils NHL 53|||10|||16|||26|||43 5|||0|||2|||2|||2 2004–05ERC IngolstadtDEL 11|||2|||2|||4|||22 11|||1|||6|||7|||6 2005–06 New Jersey Devils NHL 80|||19|||34|||53|||74 9|||3|||10|||13|||16 2006–07 New Jersey Devils NHL 82|||23|||37|||60|||64 11|||2|||6|||8|||7 2007–08 New Jersey Devils NHL 64|||13|||28|||41|||30 5|||0|||4|||4|||4 2008–09 New Jersey Devils NHL 81|||29|||40|||69|||56 4|||2|||1|||3|||2 2009–10 New Jersey Devils NHL 81|||19|||42|||61|||44 5|||0|||1|||1|||4 2010–11 New Jersey Devils NHL 31|||4|||10|||14|||16 —|||—|||—|||—|||— 2010–11 Dallas Stars NHL 39|||5|||13|||18|||29 —|||—|||—|||—|||— 2011–12St. Louis Blues NHL 70|||6|||18|||24|||32 9|||1|||0|||1|||11 2012–13 St. Louis Blues NHL 4|||0|||1|||1|||0 —|||—;;;—;;;—;;;—;;;—;;;—| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1990–91 | Cloquet High School | HS-MN | 20 | 6 | 16 | 22 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Cloquet High School | HS-MN | 23 | 16 | 23 | 39 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Cloquet High School | HS-MN | 27 | 27 | 62 | 89 | 18 | — | 0 | 3 | 3 | — | ||
| 1993–94 | Peterborough Petes | OHL | 62 | 33 | 58 | 91 | 53 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 2 | ||
| 1994–95 | Peterborough Petes | OHL | 62 | 42 | 57 | 99 | 84 | 11 | 8 | 14 | 22 | 12 | ||
| 1994–95 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Kalamazoo Wings | IHL | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 1995–96 | Michigan K-Wings | IHL | 59 | 25 | 40 | 65 | 129 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 8 | ||
| NHL totals | 1109 | 243 | 420 | 663 | 837 | 146 | 34 | 53 | 87 | 138 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Competition | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | United States | WJC | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 13 | |
| 1995 | United States | WJC | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | |
| 1998 | United States | OG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2004 | United States | WCH | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2010 | United States | OG | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | |
| Junior career totals | 14 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 19 | |||
| Senior career totals | 12 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | |||
Awards and honors
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| Michigan K-Wings | |
| Most Valuable Player | 1995–96 |
| NHL | |
| Stanley Cup champion title | 1999, 2003 |
| IIHF | |
| Winter Olympics silver medalist | 2010 |