Joe Cirella
Joseph Cirella | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 9, 1963 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Ice hockey player, coach, assistant general manager |
| Years active | 1981–1997 (player), 1997–present (coach/manager) |
| Known for | NHL player for Colorado Rockies, New Jersey Devils, Quebec Nordiques, New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators; assistant coach and assistant general manager for Oshawa Generals |
Joseph Cirella (born May 9, 1963) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who competed in 828 National Hockey League (NHL) contests. Following his playing days, he took on roles as assistant coach and assistant general manager for the Oshawa Generals in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Cirella's origins trace back to Hamilton, Ontario, with his upbringing in Stoney Creek, Ontario.
Playing career
At age 17, Cirella began his tenure with the Oshawa Generals in the OHL, eventually leading the squad as captain to capture the J. Ross Robertson Cup in 1983. In the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, he was chosen fifth overall by the Colorado Rockies.
On June 17, 1989, Cirella was involved in a trade that sent him and Claude Loiselle from the New Jersey Devils to the Quebec Nordiques in exchange for Walt Poddubny.
Throughout a 14-year NHL tenure, Cirella represented several teams including the Colorado Rockies, New Jersey Devils, Quebec Nordiques, New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, and Ottawa Senators. A highlight of his career includes scoring the opening goal and assisting on the decisive goal during the 36th NHL All-Star Game held in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1984. Upon retiring in 1997 after a season with Germany’s Kölner Haie of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, he held the distinction of being the last active NHL player who had formerly played for the Colorado Rockies.
Regular season and playoffs
... [table continues with similar compression for remaining seasons] ...| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1979–80 | Hamilton Tiger Cubs | Midget | 21 | 5 | 26 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1980–81 | Oshawa Generals | OHL | 56 | 5 | 31 | 36 | 220 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Colorado Rockies | NHL | 65 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Oshawa Generals | OHL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 32 | ||
| 1982–83 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | Oshawa Generals | OHL | 56 | 13 | 55 | 68 | 110 | 17 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 37 | ||
| 1982–83 | Oshawa Generals | MC |
5 3 8 11 10 | |||||||||||
| 1983–84 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 79 | 11 | 33 | 44 | 137 | |||||||
| NHL totals | 828 | 64 | 211 | 275 | 1448 | 38 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 98 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Canada | WJC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
Coaching
Following his playing career, Cirella moved into coaching, initially taking on the position of assistant coach with the NHL's Florida Panthers during the 1997-98 NHL season. He subsequently dedicated five seasons as an assistant coach for the Oshawa Generals in the Ontario Hockey League. After a stint in the front office of the Peterborough Petes in 2009–10, he returned to Oshawa, assuming dual responsibilities as assistant general manager and assistant coach.
| Season | Team | League | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-98 | Florida Panthers | NHL | Assistant Coach |
| 1998-99 to 2003-04 | Oshawa Generals | Ontario Hockey League | Assistant Coach |
| 2009-10 | Peterborough Petes | OHL | Defensive Consultant |
| 2010-11 | Oshawa Generals | OHL | Assistant Coach/Assistant GM |
| 2012–2018 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | Assistant/Associate Coach |
| 2018–2022 | Stockton Heat | AHL | Assistant Coach |
| 2023–Present | Calgary Wranglers | AHL | Assistant Coach |