Patrick Flatley
Encyclopedia
Patrick Flatley is a retired professional
ice hockey
forward who played in the NHL
for 14 seasons between 1983 and 1997 for the New York Islanders
and New York Rangers
.
in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft
. Picking up where he left off on The Canadian National Team in 1983–84, where he scored 31 goals in 57 games, Flatley had a sensational rookie playoff campaign. Put on a line with Brent Sutter
and Clark Gillies
, Flatley scored 9 goals through the first three rounds of the playoffs and was a big contributor in the Islanders drive for their fifth consecutive Stanley Cup
. However, the Islanders lost in the finals to the Wayne Gretzky
-led Edmonton Oilers
. Flatley never got another chance to play for the Cup.
Although he never emerged as a top scorer, Flatley did become a highly effective role player, adding smart positional play, strong defense, and grit to the Islanders teams in the late 1980s and 1990s. Flatley was sometimes referred to as "the chairman of the boards" because he rarely failed to dig the puck out in battles in the corners. In 1991 he was named the Islanders' fifth captain. Prior to the 1996-97 season, Flatley signed a one year deal with the New York Rangers.
He played 780 career NHL games, scoring 170 goals and 340 assists for 510 points. His best offensive season, pointswise, was the 1992–93 season when he scored 47 assists and 60 points.
NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship
team of 1983, and national finalist of 1982.
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
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...
forward who played in the NHL
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 14 seasons between 1983 and 1997 for the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
.
Playing career
Flatley was drafted 21st overall by the New York IslandersNew York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft
1982 NHL Entry Draft
The 1982 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League teams selected 252 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1981–82 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the list of those players...
. Picking up where he left off on The Canadian National Team in 1983–84, where he scored 31 goals in 57 games, Flatley had a sensational rookie playoff campaign. Put on a line with Brent Sutter
Brent Sutter
Brent Colin Sutter is a retired National Hockey League player and current head coach of the Calgary Flames. Selected by the New York Islanders 17th overall at the 1980 NHL Entry Draft, Sutter played over 1,000 games for the Islanders and Chicago Blackhawks during his 18-year career. He won the...
and Clark Gillies
Clark Gillies
Clark "Jethro" Gillies is a retired professional ice hockey player. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. He provided both physical presence and offensive punch for the NHL's New York Islanders during their four-year run as Stanley Cup champions. In a career that spanned 958 games, Gillies...
, Flatley scored 9 goals through the first three rounds of the playoffs and was a big contributor in the Islanders drive for their fifth consecutive Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
. However, the Islanders lost in the finals to the Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
-led Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
. Flatley never got another chance to play for the Cup.
Although he never emerged as a top scorer, Flatley did become a highly effective role player, adding smart positional play, strong defense, and grit to the Islanders teams in the late 1980s and 1990s. Flatley was sometimes referred to as "the chairman of the boards" because he rarely failed to dig the puck out in battles in the corners. In 1991 he was named the Islanders' fifth captain. Prior to the 1996-97 season, Flatley signed a one year deal with the New York Rangers.
He played 780 career NHL games, scoring 170 goals and 340 assists for 510 points. His best offensive season, pointswise, was the 1992–93 season when he scored 47 assists and 60 points.
Collegiate career
Flatley was a member of the University of Wisconsin–MadisonUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship
NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship
The annual NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship tournament determines the top men's ice hockey team in NCAA Division I and Division III. The semi-finals and finals of the Division I Championship are branded as the Frozen Four, a passing nod to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship - known...
team of 1983, and national finalist of 1982.
Career statistics
--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1981-82 U. of Wisconsin NCAA 33 17 20 37 65
1982-83 U. of Wisconsin NCAA 43 25 44 69 76
1983-84 New York Islanders NHL 16 2 7 9 6 21 9 6 15 14
1983-84 Canadian National Team Intl 64 34 20 54 206
1984-85 New York Islanders NHL 78 20 31 51 106 4 1 0 1 6
1985-86 New York Islanders NHL 73 18 34 52 66 3 0 0 0 21
1986-87 New York Islanders NHL 63 16 35 51 81 11 3 2 5 6
1987-88 New York Islanders NHL 40 9 15 24 28 -- -- -- -- --
1988-89 Springfield Indians AHL 2 1 1 2 2 -- -- -- -- --
1988-89 New York Islanders NHL 41 10 15 25 31 -- -- -- -- --
1989-90 New York Islanders NHL 62 17 32 49 101 5 3 0 3 2
1990-91 New York Islanders NHL 56 20 25 45 74 -- -- -- -- --
1991-92 New York Islanders NHL 38 8 28 36 31 -- -- -- -- --
1992-93 New York Islanders NHL 80 13 47 60 63 15 2 7 9 12
1993-94 New York Islanders NHL 64 12 30 42 40 -- -- -- -- --
1994-95 New York Islanders NHL 45 7 20 27 12 -- -- -- -- --
1995-96 New York Islanders NHL 56 8 9 17 21 -- -- -- -- --
1996-97 New York Rangers NHL 68 10 12 22 26 11 0 0 0 14
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NHL Totals 780 170 340 510 686 70 18 15 33 75