Joe Contini
Joseph Mario Contini | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 29, 1957 Galt, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Former professional ice hockey forward |
| Years active | 1974–1982 |
| Known for | Playing in the National Hockey League with Colorado Rockies and Minnesota North Stars |
Joseph Mario Contini (born January 29, 1957) is a former Canadian professional ice hockey forward who appeared in 68 National Hockey League games with the Colorado Rockies and Minnesota North Stars.
Junior career
Hailing from Galt, Ontario, Contini quickly established himself in his debut season with the Hamilton Fincups of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), contributing 90 points to a team that finished with a 37–24–9 record during the 1974–75 campaign. He maintained his high level of play in the 1975–76 season, tallying 80 points and playing a key role in the Fincups' triumph at the 1976 Memorial Cup. During the Memorial Cup final on May 12, 1976, Contini set records for scoring two goals within eight seconds and three goals within 72 seconds, while also matching the tournament record for most points in a single game with six (three goals and three assists).
Although injuries limited him to just 28 games in his final OHL season, he still amassed 46 points. Representing Canada at the 1977 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, Contini ranked third on the squad with 10 points over seven games and contributed to the team earning a silver medal.
Pro career
Selected 126th overall by the Colorado Rockies in the 1977 NHL amateur draft, Contini played 37 games as a rookie, recording 12 goals and 21 points. The following year, he added 17 points across 30 contests. In the 1979–80 season, he divided his time between the Fort Worth Texans and Oklahoma City Stars, totaling 66 points in as many games.
Before the start of the 1980–81 season, Contini signed with the Minnesota North Stars as a free agent but featured in only one NHL game that year. Most of his time was spent with Oklahoma City where he notched an impressive 95 points over 77 appearances. His concluding professional season included periods with both the Hershey Bears—where he scored 57 points in 56 games—and the Muskegon Mohawks, contributing 16 points in 17 outings.
Coaching
At age 26, Contini took on the role of head coach for the Guelph Platers in the OHL, guiding the team from 1982 through 1984.
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1973–74 | Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters | SOJHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | Hamilton Fincups | OMJHL | 68 | 27 | 63 | 90 | 152 | 17 | 4 | 19 | 23 | 27 | ||
| 1975–76 | Hamilton Fincups | OMJHL | 54 | 28 | 52 | 80 | 105 | 14 | 9 | 20 | 29 | 50 | ||
| 1975–76 | Hamilton Fincups | M-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 6 | ||
| 1976–77 | St. Catharines Fincups | OMJHL | 28 | 17 | 29 | 46 | 61 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1977–78 | Colorado Rockies | NHL | 37 | 12 | 9 | 21 | 28 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1977–78 | Flint Generals | IHL | 31 | 17 | 28 | 45 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | Phoenix Roadrunners | CHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978–79 | Colorado Rockies | NHL | 30 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978–79 | Philadelphia Firebirds | AHL | 36 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "1979–80 CHL season" | "Fort Worth Texans" | "CHL" | "1"|"2"|"3"|"13" | "—"|"—"|"—"|"—" | ||||||||||
| "1979–80" | "Oklahoma City Stars" | "CHL" | "19"|"43"|"62"|"56" | "—"|"—"|"—"|"—" | ||||||||||
| "1980–81 NHL season" | "Minnesota North Stars" | "NHL" | "0"|"0"|"0"|"0" | "—"|"—"|"—"|"—" | ||||||||||
| "1980–81 CHL season" | "Oklahoma City Stars" | "CHL" | "32"|"63"|"95"|"28" | "0"|"1"|"1"|"2" | ||||||||||
| "1981–82 AHL season" | "Hershey Bears" | "AHL" | "20"|"37"|"57"|"68" | "1" "|"5"| "6"| "6" | ||||||||||
| "1981–82 IHL season" | "Muskegon Mohawks" | "IHL" | "9"| "7"| "16"| "4" | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||
| NHL totals | 68 | 17 | 21 | 38 | 34 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Tournament | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Canada | WJC | 7 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 32 | |
| Junior career totals | 7 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 32 | |||