Rick DiPietro
Encyclopedia
Rick DiPietro, Jr. is an American
professional ice hockey
goaltender
currently playing for the New York Islanders
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). He was the first overall selection by the Islanders in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
.
. He played one season (1999–2000) with Boston University
in the NCAA's Hockey East
. In that one year, DiPietro was named to the All-Rookie Team, named Second Team All-Hockey East, awarded the team's Co-MVP and was named Hockey East's Rookie of the Year. In addition, DiPietro nearly set the NCAA record for most saves in a game when he stopped 77 out of 80 shots in a 3-2 quadruple overtime loss to St. Lawrence University
during the NCAA regional final (the record of 78 saves is held by Dick Greenlaw). In his one and only Beanpot
Tournament, DiPietro was named MVP and won the Eberly Trophy awarded to the tournament's top goaltender.
in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
, out of Boston University
, prompting them to trade Roberto Luongo
. Islander GM Mike Milbury
traded Luongo, so that he could draft the highly-touted goalie known for his mobility and puck handling skills. DiPietro was the fourth American to occupy the top draft position in the NHL Entry Draft
.
Though his NHL debut was widely anticipated, he played 20 games in the 2000-2001 season and managed to post just 3 wins against 15 losses for a struggling New York team. DiPietro was subsequently sent to the minors for additional seasoning. He played for the Chicago Wolves
of the IHL and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers
of the AHL
. He played 10 games the next season (as well as one playoff game) before being called up for good in the 2003-2004 season. His goals-against average decreased from 3.49 in the 00-01 season to 2.36 in the 03-04 season.
DiPietro chooses to play the puck aggressively. In contrast to many goaltenders who prefer to either let the puck go around the boards or stop it so that a teammate can pick it up, DiPietro often chooses to make a pass into the neutral zone. In certain situations, particularly on the powerplay
, the pass can reach open forwards and create odd-man rushes or breakaways.
Along with former Islanders teammates Jason Blake and Mark Parrish
, DiPietro was named to the United States national hockey team at the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics, held in February 2006. DiPietro was Team USA's No. 1 goalie for the tournament, starting 4 of the team's 6 games. DiPietro played well, sporting a 2.28 goals against average, but went 1-3 during the Olympics.
On September 12, 2006, DiPietro signed a 15-year, $67.5 million contract with the Islanders, topping former teammate Alexei Yashin
's contract signed before the start of the 2001-2002 season of 10 years. Newsday
reported that the team offered him a 15-year contract in September 2005, but the league discouraged this; instead, he signed a one-year offer. During the 2010 off-season the New Jersey Devils
attempted to sign Ilya Kovalchuk
to a 17-year contract, but it was rejected by the NHL on the grounds of salary cap circumvention, leaving DiPietro's as the longest contract likely to be signed under the 2005 CBA
.
On March 5, 2007, DiPietro broke an Islanders franchise record by making 56 saves in a 2-1 shootout loss to the New York Rangers
. The previous record was 55 saves, held by both Félix Potvin
and Billy Smith
. (The record was broken by Dwayne Roloson
in 2009)
On March 13, 2007, DiPietro suffered a concussion after a collision with Montreal Canadiens
forward Steve Bégin
when DiPietro raced out to poke check a puck at the blueline at 15:41 of the first period. DiPietro returned for four games but then missed the rest of the regular season after he sustained another concussion in game against the New York Rangers
. DiPietro returned to play games two through five of the Islanders' first round playoff series against the Buffalo Sabres
.
The concussion was the start of a string of injuries. DiPietro underwent surgery in the 2007 off season to fix a torn labrum in his hip.
In 2007, DiPietro expressed a desire to become more of a team leader. He said, "I'm a competitive person, and I have a tendency to have a short fuse with guys sometimes. That's something, as a leader, that you just can't do."
On November 19, 2007, DiPietro got his 100th NHL career win when the Islanders beat the New York Rangers
2-1.
DiPietro was selected to appear in his first NHL all star game in 2008 as a reserve, but he was named the starter because Martin Brodeur
dropped out. During the skills competition the night before DiPietro injured his hip during the shootout competition. DiPietro continued to play until the Islanders no longer had a chance to make the playoffs. On March 19, 2008, it was announced that DiPietro would miss the remainder of the 07-08 season because of surgery on his hip.
show being hosted by "Bubba the Love Sponge," where he told Bubba he would be undergoing knee surgery later that day. The surgery was done on the meniscus in his left knee. DiPietro sat out the first four games of the 2008–09 season (or, controversially, was on the bench as the backup) before starting the team's fifth game in Florida
. He played two games after that, but left after the first period his third game back. After that, he was placed on injured reserve for an "undisclosed lower body injury." On November 1, it was announced DiPietro had undergone another knee surgery after injuring his meniscus. It is unknown whether it is the same knee that was operated on earlier that year. DiPietro returned to the team on December 26, 2008. He won his first game back and earned an assist, which broke Billy Smith
's team record for points by a goaltender. On January 20, 2009, Islanders General Manager Garth Snow
announced that DiPietro would miss the rest of the 2008–09 NHL season
due to post-arthroscopic surgical swelling in his right knee.
On January 8, 2010, DiPietro returned from injury and in a 4-3 loss to the Dallas Stars
. His last start of 2010 came against the Carolina Hurricanes on February 6. DiPietro earned his fifth loss in seven starts, as the Islanders fell 3-1. On February 13, he was listed as day-to-day with the flu, and less than a month later, swelling in his left-knee caused him to be listed on the Injured Reserve (IR) effective March 2, 2010 and did not return for the rest of the season.
He started the 2010-2011 year apparently healthy and worked in a "platoon" tandem with Dwayne Roloson
. On December 21, 2010, he was placed on Injured Reserve due to knee swelling. He returned in December, though due to the strong play of Roloson, he was primarily used as a backup. He made his first start since returning on December 29 in a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins
. DiPietro and the Islanders defeated Pittsburgh in a 2-1 Shootout decision behind the sharp play of DiPietro. On December 31, the Islanders traded Roloson to the Tampa Bay Lightning
, handing the starting job back to DiPietro. On February 2, 2011, In his first game against the Penguins since his shootout win, DiPietro engaged in a rare "goalie fight" against Pittsburgh's Brent Johnson
in the final seconds of the game. DiPietro went down after Johnson landed a single blow to the face. Two days after the fight it was announced that DiPietro will be out 4-6 weeks with facial fractures and knee swelling. It is not known if the knee swelling was from the fight or another reason. DiPietro returned shortly to finish the season, wearing the old helmet and cage combo, worn by former Islanders goaltender Chris Osgood
.
The start of the 2011-2012 season featured DiPietro in a tandem with 2010-2011 pickup Al Montoya
. Due to a strong pre-season and his performances in DiPietro's absence the previous year, Montoya started the first two games. During practice for the Islanders' third game, DiPietro took a hard shot to his mask from Brian Rolston
, giving him a concussion and sidelining him indefinitely. DiPietro returned to action in late October, returning to the conventional one piece goalie mask he sported for the majority of his career. On November 5, 2011 DiPietro made 25 saves to earn his first win of the 2011-12 season.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional 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...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
currently playing 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...
of 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...
(NHL). He was the first overall selection by the Islanders in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
2000 NHL Entry Draft
The 2000 NHL Entry Draft was held from June 24 to 25 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, following the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft on June 23 for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild...
.
Collegiate career
DiPietro attended Saint Sebastian's SchoolSaint Sebastian's School
Saint Sebastian's School, also known colloquially as St. Seb's or Seb's, is an independent, all-boys Catholic secondary school located in Needham, Massachusetts on , in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. The school instructs young men in grades seven through twelve...
. He played one season (1999–2000) with Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
in the NCAA's Hockey East
Hockey East
Hockey East Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference....
. In that one year, DiPietro was named to the All-Rookie Team, named Second Team All-Hockey East, awarded the team's Co-MVP and was named Hockey East's Rookie of the Year. In addition, DiPietro nearly set the NCAA record for most saves in a game when he stopped 77 out of 80 shots in a 3-2 quadruple overtime loss to St. Lawrence University
St. Lawrence University
St. Lawrence University is a four-year liberal arts college located in the village of Canton in Saint Lawrence County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2300 undergraduate and 100 graduate students, about equally split between male and female....
during the NCAA regional final (the record of 78 saves is held by Dick Greenlaw). In his one and only Beanpot
Beanpot
The Beanpot refers primarily to a men's ice hockey tournament among the four major college hockey schools of the Boston, Massachusetts area, held annually since the 1952-53 season. The tournament gives the winner bragging rights over its cross-town rivals, and the quest for this highly sought-after...
Tournament, DiPietro was named MVP and won the Eberly Trophy awarded to the tournament's top goaltender.
Professional career
He was drafted first 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 2000 NHL Entry Draft
2000 NHL Entry Draft
The 2000 NHL Entry Draft was held from June 24 to 25 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, following the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft on June 23 for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild...
, out of Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, prompting them to trade Roberto Luongo
Roberto Luongo
Roberto Luongo is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . Born in Montreal, Quebec, he is of Italian and Irish ancestry. He employs the butterfly style of goaltending...
. Islander GM Mike Milbury
Mike Milbury
Michael Milbury is an American sportscaster currently working as an ice hockey analyst for the New England Sports Network , Hockey Night in Canada and the NHL on NBC. He played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League , all of them as a defenseman for the Boston Bruins...
traded Luongo, so that he could draft the highly-touted goalie known for his mobility and puck handling skills. DiPietro was the fourth American to occupy the top draft position in the NHL Entry Draft
NHL Entry Draft
The NHL Entry Draft is an annual meeting in which every franchise of the National Hockey League systematically select the rights to available amateur ice hockey players who meet draft eligibility requirements...
.
Though his NHL debut was widely anticipated, he played 20 games in the 2000-2001 season and managed to post just 3 wins against 15 losses for a struggling New York team. DiPietro was subsequently sent to the minors for additional seasoning. He played for the Chicago Wolves
Chicago Wolves
The Chicago Wolves are a professional hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. They are the top affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL. The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois...
of the IHL and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers are an ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. It has been the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, who also own the franchise, since its inception, and use the same team colors as the parent Islanders do. The team is based in...
of the AHL
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...
. He played 10 games the next season (as well as one playoff game) before being called up for good in the 2003-2004 season. His goals-against average decreased from 3.49 in the 00-01 season to 2.36 in the 03-04 season.
DiPietro chooses to play the puck aggressively. In contrast to many goaltenders who prefer to either let the puck go around the boards or stop it so that a teammate can pick it up, DiPietro often chooses to make a pass into the neutral zone. In certain situations, particularly on the powerplay
Powerplay
"Power play" is a sporting term used in various games.*In ice hockey, a team is said to be on a power play when at least one opposing player is serving a penalty, and the team has a numerical advantage on the ice...
, the pass can reach open forwards and create odd-man rushes or breakaways.
Along with former Islanders teammates Jason Blake and Mark Parrish
Mark Parrish
Mark Daniel Parrish is an American professional ice hockey right winger in the Ottawa Senators organization. He has played 10 seasons in the NHL for the Florida Panthers, New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres-Playing...
, DiPietro was named to the United States national hockey team at the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics, held in February 2006. DiPietro was Team USA's No. 1 goalie for the tournament, starting 4 of the team's 6 games. DiPietro played well, sporting a 2.28 goals against average, but went 1-3 during the Olympics.
On September 12, 2006, DiPietro signed a 15-year, $67.5 million contract with the Islanders, topping former teammate Alexei Yashin
Alexei Yashin
Alexei Valeryevich Yashin is a Russian professional ice hockey player. He is currently a member of CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League...
's contract signed before the start of the 2001-2002 season of 10 years. Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
reported that the team offered him a 15-year contract in September 2005, but the league discouraged this; instead, he signed a one-year offer. During the 2010 off-season 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...
attempted to sign Ilya Kovalchuk
Ilya Kovalchuk
Ilya Valerevich Kovalchuk is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger who is an alternate captain of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. Drafted first overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers, he began his NHL career in 2001–02 with Atlanta and was...
to a 17-year contract, but it was rejected by the NHL on the grounds of salary cap circumvention, leaving DiPietro's as the longest contract likely to be signed under the 2005 CBA
NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement
The NHL collective bargaining agreement is the basic contract between the National Hockey League team owners and the NHL Players Association , designed to be arrived at through the typical labor-management negotiations of collective bargaining...
.
On March 5, 2007, DiPietro broke an Islanders franchise record by making 56 saves in a 2-1 shootout loss to the 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...
. The previous record was 55 saves, held by both Félix Potvin
Felix Potvin
Félix "The Cat" Potvin is a former National Hockey League goaltender.-QMJHL career:From 1988 through to 1991 Potvin played with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team...
and Billy Smith
Billy Smith (ice hockey)
William John Smith, better known as Billy Smith, is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender and is best known for winning four Stanley Cups with the New York Islanders and being the first goalie to be credited with a goal....
. (The record was broken by Dwayne Roloson
Dwayne Roloson
Albert Dwayne Roloson is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the National Hockey League . He has previously played for the Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, Edmonton Oilers, and New York Islanders during his professional career...
in 2009)
On March 13, 2007, DiPietro suffered a concussion after a collision with Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
forward Steve Bégin
Steve Bégin
Stéphan Bégin ; born June 14, 1978) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who most recently played for the Nashville Predators.-Playing career:...
when DiPietro raced out to poke check a puck at the blueline at 15:41 of the first period. DiPietro returned for four games but then missed the rest of the regular season after he sustained another concussion in game against the 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...
. DiPietro returned to play games two through five of the Islanders' first round playoff series against the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
.
The concussion was the start of a string of injuries. DiPietro underwent surgery in the 2007 off season to fix a torn labrum in his hip.
In 2007, DiPietro expressed a desire to become more of a team leader. He said, "I'm a competitive person, and I have a tendency to have a short fuse with guys sometimes. That's something, as a leader, that you just can't do."
On November 19, 2007, DiPietro got his 100th NHL career win when the Islanders beat the 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...
2-1.
DiPietro was selected to appear in his first NHL all star game in 2008 as a reserve, but he was named the starter because Martin Brodeur
Martin Brodeur
Martin Pierre Brodeur is a French-Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 19-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two...
dropped out. During the skills competition the night before DiPietro injured his hip during the shootout competition. DiPietro continued to play until the Islanders no longer had a chance to make the playoffs. On March 19, 2008, it was announced that DiPietro would miss the remainder of the 07-08 season because of surgery on his hip.
Recent years
On June 3, 2008, DiPietro went on a Sirius satellite radioSirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
show being hosted by "Bubba the Love Sponge," where he told Bubba he would be undergoing knee surgery later that day. The surgery was done on the meniscus in his left knee. DiPietro sat out the first four games of the 2008–09 season (or, controversially, was on the bench as the backup) before starting the team's fifth game in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. He played two games after that, but left after the first period his third game back. After that, he was placed on injured reserve for an "undisclosed lower body injury." On November 1, it was announced DiPietro had undergone another knee surgery after injuring his meniscus. It is unknown whether it is the same knee that was operated on earlier that year. DiPietro returned to the team on December 26, 2008. He won his first game back and earned an assist, which broke Billy Smith
Billy Smith (ice hockey)
William John Smith, better known as Billy Smith, is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender and is best known for winning four Stanley Cups with the New York Islanders and being the first goalie to be credited with a goal....
's team record for points by a goaltender. On January 20, 2009, Islanders General Manager Garth Snow
Garth Snow
Garth E. Snow is an American retired professional ice hockey goaltender and is currently the general manager for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
announced that DiPietro would miss the rest of the 2008–09 NHL season
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
due to post-arthroscopic surgical swelling in his right knee.
On January 8, 2010, DiPietro returned from injury and in a 4-3 loss to the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
. His last start of 2010 came against the Carolina Hurricanes on February 6. DiPietro earned his fifth loss in seven starts, as the Islanders fell 3-1. On February 13, he was listed as day-to-day with the flu, and less than a month later, swelling in his left-knee caused him to be listed on the Injured Reserve (IR) effective March 2, 2010 and did not return for the rest of the season.
He started the 2010-2011 year apparently healthy and worked in a "platoon" tandem with Dwayne Roloson
Dwayne Roloson
Albert Dwayne Roloson is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the National Hockey League . He has previously played for the Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, Edmonton Oilers, and New York Islanders during his professional career...
. On December 21, 2010, he was placed on Injured Reserve due to knee swelling. He returned in December, though due to the strong play of Roloson, he was primarily used as a backup. He made his first start since returning on December 29 in a game against the 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...
. DiPietro and the Islanders defeated Pittsburgh in a 2-1 Shootout decision behind the sharp play of DiPietro. On December 31, the Islanders traded Roloson to the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
, handing the starting job back to DiPietro. On February 2, 2011, In his first game against the Penguins since his shootout win, DiPietro engaged in a rare "goalie fight" against Pittsburgh's Brent Johnson
Brent Johnson
Brent Johnson is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :...
in the final seconds of the game. DiPietro went down after Johnson landed a single blow to the face. Two days after the fight it was announced that DiPietro will be out 4-6 weeks with facial fractures and knee swelling. It is not known if the knee swelling was from the fight or another reason. DiPietro returned shortly to finish the season, wearing the old helmet and cage combo, worn by former Islanders goaltender Chris Osgood
Chris Osgood
Christopher John Osgood is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He's currently ranked tenth in wins in NHL regular season history with 401 career wins. He spent the first part of his 17-year NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings, then the New York Islanders and the St. Louis...
.
The start of the 2011-2012 season featured DiPietro in a tandem with 2010-2011 pickup Al Montoya
Al Montoya
Álvaro "Al" Montoya is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League . He was drafted by the New York Rangers in the first round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft after a three-year career with the University of Michigan...
. Due to a strong pre-season and his performances in DiPietro's absence the previous year, Montoya started the first two games. During practice for the Islanders' third game, DiPietro took a hard shot to his mask from Brian Rolston
Brian Rolston
Brian Lee Rolston is a professional ice hockey player and an alternate captain for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League. He has won a Stanley Cup Championship with the New Jersey Devils in 1995, and the World Cup of Hockey in 1996 playing for Team USA...
, giving him a concussion and sidelining him indefinitely. DiPietro returned to action in late October, returning to the conventional one piece goalie mask he sported for the majority of his career. On November 5, 2011 DiPietro made 25 saves to earn his first win of the 2011-12 season.
International play
Played for United States in:- World Junior Hockey Championship - 2000, 2001
- World Cup of HockeyWorld Cup of HockeyThe World Cup of Hockey is an international ice hockey tournament. Inaugurated in 1996, it is the successor to the previous Canada Cup, which ran from 1976 to 1991...
- 20042004 World Cup of HockeyThe 2004 World Cup of Hockey was an international ice hockey tournament. It was the second installment of the National Hockey League -sanctioned competition eight years after the inaugural 1996 World Cup of Hockey. It was held from August 30 to September 14, 2004, and took place in various venues... - IIHF World Championships - 20052005 Men's World Ice Hockey ChampionshipsThe 2005 Men's Ice Hockey Championships were held March 7 - May 15, 2005, in 7 cities in 6 countries: Vienna and Innsbruck, Austria ; Debrecen, Hungary ; Eindhoven, the Netherlands ; Zagreb, Croatia ; Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro ; Mexico City, Mexico...
- XX Olympic Winter Games - 2006United States at the 2006 Winter OlympicsThe United States Olympic Committee sent 211 athletes to the 2006 Winter Olympics. Chris Witty, a four-time Olympian, who competed in both Summer and Winter games, and won a gold medal in speed skating at the 2002 Games, served as the flag bearer at the Opening Ceremonies...
Career statistics
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | W | L | T | OTL | MIN | GA | SO | GAA Goals against average Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender.... |
SV% Save percentage Save percentage is an ice hockey and lacrosse statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal a goaltender stops... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 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... |
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... |
20 | 3 | 15 | 1 | — | 1083 | 63 | 0 | 3.49 | .878 |
| 2000–01 | Chicago Wolves Chicago Wolves The Chicago Wolves are a professional hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. They are the top affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL. The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois... |
IHL | 14 | 4 | 5 | 2 | — | 778 | 44 | 0 | 3.39 | .880 |
| 2001–02 2001–02 AHL season The 2001–02 AHL season was the 66th season of the American Hockey League. It was the season of the biggest growth in the AHL's history, as it accepted eight new teams. The demise of the International Hockey League brought six teams transferring from the defunct league, in addition to two expansion... |
Bridgeport Sound Tigers Bridgeport Sound Tigers The Bridgeport Sound Tigers are an ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. It has been the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, who also own the franchise, since its inception, and use the same team colors as the parent Islanders do. The team is based in... |
AHL 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... |
59 | 30 | 22 | 7 | — | 3472 | 134 | 4 | 2.32 | .913 |
| 2002–03 2002–03 AHL season The 2002–03 AHL season was the 67th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs finished first overall in the regular season... |
Bridgeport Sound Tigers | AHL | 34 | 16 | 10 | 8 | — | 2044 | 73 | 3 | 2.14 | .924 |
| 2002–03 | New York Islanders | NHL | 10 | 2 | 5 | 2 | — | 585 | 29 | 0 | 2.97 | .894 |
| 2003–04 | New York Islanders | NHL | 50 | 23 | 18 | 5 | — | 2844 | 112 | 5 | 2.36 | .911 |
| 2003–04 2003–04 AHL season The 2003–04 AHL season was the 68th season of the American Hockey League. The league introduces the Willie Marshall Award in honour the career points leader in the AHL, and awards it to the annual top goal scorer.... |
Bridgeport Sound Tigers | AHL | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 119 | 3 | 0 | 1.51 | .945 |
| 2005–06 | New York Islanders | NHL | 63 | 30 | 24 | — | 5 | 3572 | 180 | 1 | 3.02 | .900 |
| 2006–07 | New York Islanders | NHL | 62 | 32 | 19 | — | 9 | 3627 | 156 | 5 | 2.58 | .919 |
| 2007–08 | New York Islanders | NHL | 63 | 26 | 28 | — | 7 | 3707 | 174 | 3 | 2.82 | .902 |
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
New York Islanders | NHL | 5 | 1 | 3 | — | 0 | 256 | 15 | 0 | 3.52 | .892 |
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
New York Islanders | NHL | 8 | 2 | 5 | — | 0 | 462 | 20 | 1 | 2.60 | .901 |
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
New York Islanders | NHL | 26 | 8 | 14 | — | 4 | 1533 | 88 | 1 | 3.44 | .886 |
| NHL totals | 307 | 127 | 131 | 8 | 25 | 17669 | 837 | 16 | 2.84 | .903 | ||
Awards
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (2008)
- World Junior Ice Hockey ChampionshipsWorld Junior Ice Hockey ChampionshipsThe International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world...
(WJC-A) All-Star Team (20002000 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships-Group B:All times local .-Relegation round:-10-minute tie break game: was relegated to Division I for the 2001 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.-Final round:‡ Shootout victory.All times local ....
) - Named Best Goaltender at WJC-A (2000)
- Hockey EastHockey EastHockey East Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference....
Second All-Star Team (2000) - Hockey East Rookie of the Year (2000)
External links
- Rick DiPietro's U.S. Olympic Team bio with photos, features, wallpapers