Jeff Christian
Encyclopedia
Jeff Christian is a retired Canadian
ice hockey
Left Winger
. He played 18 games in the National Hockey League
for the New Jersey Devils
, Pittsburgh Penguins
and the Phoenix Coyotes
.
and played two games for New Jersey during the 1991-92 season, scoring no points. He mostly spent his tenure in the American Hockey League
with the Utica Devils
and then the Albany River Rats
. He then went on to play 15 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins over three seasons, scoring 2 goals and 2 assists during the 1996-97 season. He mostly played for the Cleveland Lumberjacks
where he posted huge numbers, including 40 goals and 40 assists in 66 games during the 1996-97 IHL season. Christian played one more game in the NHL for the Phoenix Coyotes before spending two more years in the IHL for the Houston Aeros
and back with the Lumberjacks. Christian then moved to Europe, spending four seasons in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga for the Krefeld Pinguine
, DEG Metro Stars
and the Hannover Scorpions
. He then spent one season in the Elite Ice Hockey League
in the United Kingdom
for the Sheffield Steelers
. Christian moved back to North America, joining the CHL's Youngstown Steelhounds
before joining the Tulsa Oilers. After two very successful seasons with the Tulsa Oilers, Jeff joined his latest CHL team and became the first player in team history for expansion team the Missouri Mavericks
, for the 2009-10 season. Jeff has served as player/assistant coach during his tenure in the CHL.
On September 11, 2010, he signed a deal to play for the Mississippi RiverKings, as they play in Southaven, Mississippi
, which is located twenty minutes away from Memphis, Tennessee
, where his daughter Ryan, who has been fighting cancer, is being treated at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
. On February 22, 2011, the RiverKings waived Christian, but he was picked up on waivers the next day by the Evansville IceMen
, also of the Central Hockey League
.
Tight End Gord Christian, Jeff moved to the small village of Mount Hope and played hockey year round with his five brothers. Three of these brothers, Gord, Brandon and Michael played professional hockey. Jeff started the Jeff Christian Charitable Foundation that currently benefits children in the Tulsa area.
After being signed with the Missouri Mavericks, he lived in the Kansas City
suburb of Blue Springs, Missouri
with his wife, Dorie and daughter, Ryan. Jeff's daughter Ryan was diagnosed with Pediatric Adrenalcortical Carcinoma, a rare cancer, and on March 13, 2010, the Missouri Mavericks hosted a Ryan Christian Lund Fund Auction to help with expenses for treatment.
Christian retired after the 2010-2011 Central Hockey League season
.. After retiring, Christian and his family then moved back to the Kansas City suburb of Blue Springs, Missouri.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
Left Winger
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
. He played 18 games in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
for the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
and the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
.
Playing career
Christian was drafted 23rd overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft1988 NHL Entry Draft
The 1988 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Forum in Montreal, Quebec.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft...
and played two games for New Jersey during the 1991-92 season, scoring no points. He mostly spent his tenure in the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
with the Utica Devils
Utica Devils
The Utica Devils were an ice hockey team of the American Hockey League. The team played in Utica, New York at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.-History:...
and then the Albany River Rats
Albany River Rats
The Albany River Rats were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Albany, New York at the Times Union Center.- Founding to 2010 :...
. He then went on to play 15 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins over three seasons, scoring 2 goals and 2 assists during the 1996-97 season. He mostly played for the Cleveland Lumberjacks
Cleveland Lumberjacks
The Cleveland Lumberjacks were an International Hockey League team based in Cleveland, Ohio.-Facts:The Cleveland Lumberjacks were an International Hockey League team based in Cleveland, Ohio.-Facts:...
where he posted huge numbers, including 40 goals and 40 assists in 66 games during the 1996-97 IHL season. Christian played one more game in the NHL for the Phoenix Coyotes before spending two more years in the IHL for the Houston Aeros
Houston Aeros
The Houston Aeros are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The team plays in Houston, Texas, at the Toyota Center. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild.- History :...
and back with the Lumberjacks. Christian then moved to Europe, spending four seasons in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga for the Krefeld Pinguine
Krefeld Pinguine
The Krefeld Pinguine are an ice hockey team in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. They play in Krefeld, North-Rhine-Westphalia, Germany at the KönigPALAST. Founded first in 1936, the pro team became a limited liability company in 1994 and joined the top tier Deutsche Eishockey Liga...
, DEG Metro Stars
DEG Metro Stars
The DEG Metro Stars is a German professional ice hockey team in Düsseldorf. It was Germany's most successful hockey club for a long time and had many international players...
and the Hannover Scorpions
Hannover Scorpions
The Hannover Scorpions are a professional ice hockey team founded in 1975 as ESC Wedemark. The team was renamed Wedemark Scorpions in 1996 after the rock band Scorpions, who also call Hanover, Lower Saxony their home. Their games are played at TUI Arena of the Expo Plaza...
. He then spent one season in the Elite Ice Hockey League
Elite Ice Hockey League
Several competitions fall under the jurisdiction of the Elite League. In 2006–07, the EIHL ran a total of four competitions: the league, playoffs, Challenge Cup and Knockout Cup. The league consists of a single division, each team playing three home games and three away games against the other...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
for the Sheffield Steelers
Sheffield Steelers
The Sheffield Steelers are a British ice hockey club, from Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Sheffield Arena. They are currently members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...
. Christian moved back to North America, joining the CHL's Youngstown Steelhounds
Youngstown Steelhounds
The Youngstown SteelHounds were a professional ice hockey team that participated in the CHL from the 2005-2006 season through the 2007-2008 season. The team was affiliated with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL and the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. The team played its home games at the Covelli...
before joining the Tulsa Oilers. After two very successful seasons with the Tulsa Oilers, Jeff joined his latest CHL team and became the first player in team history for expansion team the Missouri Mavericks
Missouri Mavericks
The Missouri Mavericks are an ice hockey team in the Central Hockey League. They play in Independence, Missouri, USA, located near Kansas City, Missouri, at the Independence Events Center.-History:...
, for the 2009-10 season. Jeff has served as player/assistant coach during his tenure in the CHL.
On September 11, 2010, he signed a deal to play for the Mississippi RiverKings, as they play in Southaven, Mississippi
Southaven, Mississippi
-Households And Families:As of the census of 2000, there were 28,977 people, 11,007 households, and 8,134 families residing in the city. The population density was 857.9 people per square mile...
, which is located twenty minutes away from Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, where his daughter Ryan, who has been fighting cancer, is being treated at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, founded in 1962, is a leading pediatric treatment and research facility focused on children's catastrophic diseases. It is located in Memphis, Tennessee. It is a nonprofit medical corporation chartered as a 501 tax-exempt organization under IRS regulations.In...
. On February 22, 2011, the RiverKings waived Christian, but he was picked up on waivers the next day by the Evansville IceMen
Evansville IceMen
The Evansville IceMen were a professional hockey team based in Evansville, Indiana. The team folded in 2010, as IceMen owner Ron Geary purchased the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League and moved the team to Evansville, taking on the name "Evansville IceMen".The AAHL IceMen...
, also of the Central Hockey League
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
.
Personal life
Born in Burlington, Ontario, Jeff spent the first 7 years of his life in the tough east end of Hamilton, Ontario where he later trained at the famous McGory's boxing gym as a teen. Son of Hamilton Tiger-CatsHamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
Tight End Gord Christian, Jeff moved to the small village of Mount Hope and played hockey year round with his five brothers. Three of these brothers, Gord, Brandon and Michael played professional hockey. Jeff started the Jeff Christian Charitable Foundation that currently benefits children in the Tulsa area.
After being signed with the Missouri Mavericks, he lived in the Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
suburb of Blue Springs, Missouri
Blue Springs, Missouri
Blue Springs is a city in Jackson County, Missouri and is a satellite city of Kansas City, Missouri. As of the 2010 census the population at 52,575.- Geography :...
with his wife, Dorie and daughter, Ryan. Jeff's daughter Ryan was diagnosed with Pediatric Adrenalcortical Carcinoma, a rare cancer, and on March 13, 2010, the Missouri Mavericks hosted a Ryan Christian Lund Fund Auction to help with expenses for treatment.
Christian retired after the 2010-2011 Central Hockey League season
2010–11 CHL season
The 2010–11 CHL season was the 19th season of the Central Hockey League .-Team changes:The Amarillo Gorillas and the Corpus Christi IceRays folded and both were replaced by a North American Hockey League team.-Expansion:...
.. After retiring, Christian and his family then moved back to the Kansas City suburb of Blue Springs, Missouri.