Thomas Steen
Encyclopedia
Thomas Steen is a Swedish former 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...

 player and coach. Steen is the current city councillor for the Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...

 ward of Elmwood-East Kildonan. Steen played professional ice hockey in the Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...

, 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...

 and Deutsche Eishockey Liga.

Hockey career

Steen was born in Grums, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

, and began his career with Grums IK
Grums IK
Grums IK is a Swedish ice hockey team based in the town of Grums, founded in 1920. They currently compete in the Swedish Division 2 league....

 (1975–76). He later played for the elite Leksands IF
Leksands IF
Leksands Idrottsförening is a Swedish ice hockey team from the town of Leksand in the region of Dalarna. The team is currently playing in the second highest league in Sweden, HockeyAllsvenskan. Leksand has played 53 seasons in the top Swedish league – between 1951 to 2001, 2002 to 2004, and 2005–06...

 (1976–80) and Färjestads BK
Färjestads BK
Färjestads Bollklubb is a Swedish professional ice hockey team based in Karlstad. Färjestad has had 18 Swedish Championship final appearances, winning nine times since Elitserien was started in 1975. The team plays in the highest Swedish league, and have done so since 1965...

 (1980–81). Swedish coach Tommy Sandlin
Tommy Sandlin
Tommy Sandlin was a Swedish professional ice hockey coach. He led Sweden to victory at the 1987 World Ice Hockey Championship, and was nicknamed "The Hockey Professor" for his tactical skills.-References:...

 described him as "a particularly intelligent and competent player". He was drafted by the Sudbury Wolves
Sudbury Wolves
The Sudbury Wolves are the name of the ice hockey team from Sudbury, Ontario. Sudbury has had a hockey team known as the "Wolves" nearly every year since World War I. The Sudbury Wolves, the senior men's AAA team, have twice been chosen to be Canada's representatives at the Ice Hockey World...

 of the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....

 in 1978, but never played for the team.

Steen was drafted by 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...

's Winnipeg Jets in 1979, as their fifth-round choice. He was signed two years later by John Ferguson
John Ferguson, Sr.
John Bowie "Fergy" Ferguson Sr. was a professional ice hockey player. Ferguson played as a left-winger for the Montreal Canadiens from 1963 to 1971.-Early years:...

, and went on to become one of the most prolific players in the team's history. Steen played a total of 950 regular season NHL games, scoring 264 goals
Goal (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...

 and receiving 553 assists. In a 1987 interview, he said that his focus was on creating plays for others rather than scoring goals himself. A 1990 poll of NHL players named him as the league's most underrated player. Steen continued to play for the Swedish national team in World Championship games throughout his NHL career, and won silver medals at the 1981 World Championship in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...

 and the 1986 World Championship in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

.

There were discussions about Steen being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 in early 1994, but these ultimately came to nothing. His record of playing fourteen seasons with only one team is unusual in modern North American professional sports. Steen retired in 1995, and his jersey number 25 was retired by the Jets. The number is still considered retired by the Jets' successor team, 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....

. A 2005 article in the National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...

newspaper listed him as the second greatest player in the history of the Winnipeg Jets franchise, after Dale Hawerchuk
Dale Hawerchuk
Dale Hawerchuk is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League for 16 seasons. He won the NHL's Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's Rookie of the Year in 1982 and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in his second year of eligibility in 2001...

. Unlike many professional hockey players, Steen was known throughout his career for his thoughtful responses to interview questions.

Steen worked with Manitoba Entertainment Complex
Manitoba Entertainment Complex
The Manitoba Entertainment Complex was an organization of business interests in the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The group was created in August 1994, and sought to ensure the construction of a 16,000-seat multipurpose entertainment and sports complex in the city's downtown area. The...

 Inc. in 1994, when the group was attempting to find a new downtown arena for the Jets. Some players questioned his judgement in this matter: failed labour negotiations had led to NHL players being locked out
Lockout (industry)
A lockout is a work stoppage in which an employer prevents employees from working. This is different from a strike, in which employees refuse to work.- Causes :...

, and some believed it was a conflict of interest
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....

 for Steen to promote a project supported by management. Others supported Steen's decision, arguing that he was acting in the best interests of the team.

He came out of retirement in 1996, playing seven regular season and playoff games for the Frankfurt Lions
Frankfurt Lions
The Frankfurt Lions were a professional men's ice hockey club from Frankfurt, Germany that played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The club ceased operations in 2010 due to financial difficulty.-History:...

 of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga at the end of their season. He then played three seasons for the Berlin Polar Bears team before retiring again in 1999. Coincidentally, he announced his retirement on the same day as 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,...

. In January 2001, he was named European pro scout for the Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....

. He moved back to Winnipeg in the mid-2000s at the behest of his employer, and scouted talent 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...

.

Shortly after losing a 2008 election in Manitoba (see below), Steen returned to Sweden as an assistant coach for Modo Hockey
MODO Hockey
Modo Hockey is a professional ice hockey club in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. The club plays in Sweden's premier ice hockey league, the Elitserien. They were founded in 1921 and have won two Elitserien championships; in 1979 and 2007. The team's home arena is the Fjällräven Center since 2006...

 of the Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...

. Steen, however, later did return to Winnipeg and won a seat on the city council.

One of Steen's sons, Alexander Steen
Alexander Steen
Alexander Steen is a Canadian-born Swedish professional ice hockey player and alternate captain for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:Steen played for Frölunda HC from 1999 to 2004...

, is also a professional hockey player currently playing for the St. Louis Blues, playing center
Centre (ice hockey)
The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...

 and serving as a home game alternate captain.

Charity and investments

Steen oversaw charity golf tournaments during and after his hockey career, with some proceeds going to children's charities. In 1993, he helped set up an organization of five Junior Jets teams in Winnipeg for younger players. In 2006, Steen and his son Alexander established an annual golf tournament to raise money for the Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba.

Steen and two partners purchased 50% ownership in the International Hockey League's Minnesota Moose
Minnesota Moose
The Minnesota Moose was an ice hockey team in the International Hockey League. They played in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA, at the Saint Paul Civic Center. The team also played some home games at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The Moose were a representative of professional hockey in Minnesota at...

 team in 1996 and brought the franchise to Winnipeg the following year as the Manitoba Moose
Manitoba Moose
The Manitoba Moose were a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba that played in the International Hockey League from 1996 to 2001 and American Hockey League from 2001 to 2011. The team moved to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in 2011 to become the St...

. He ultimately decided not to oversee the team in an ownership capacity and was appointed as director of player development. In 1997, he partnered with the team to create the Thomas Steen/Manitoba Moose Hockey School.

In 2006, Steen took part in a shareholder and creditor action against the directors of Maple Leaf Distillers and Protos International, seeking to have them repay $1.75 million invested over the last six years. The action alleged that the directors had unfairly disregarded the interests of shareholders and used company money for personal expenses. They denied the charges. Steen indicated that he felt betrayed by the directors, whom he previously considered to be personal friends. In March 2007, the presiding justice found in favour of the shareholders and creditors and ordered the directors to pay $875,000. The decision was upheld on appeal, and the Supreme Court of Canada
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...

 later declined to review the case.

Many of the same investors later sued the Astra Credit Union, alleging that it was part of a "cheque-kiting" scheme that allowed the aforementioned directors to access millions of dollars in unauthorized loans. Astra initially rejected the charges as without merit. Later, Astra launched a third-party claim against its former chief credit officer and the former directors of Maple Leaf Distillers.

Steen donated an abstract painting/collage entitled Blood, Sweat, Tears, and A Lot of Love to a charity auction in Winnipeg in 2007.

Political career

Steen indicated that he was considering a political career in January 2007, when he appeared at a news conference as a guest of federal Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...

 cabinet minister Vic Toews
Vic Toews
Victor "Vic" Toews, PC QC MP is a Canadian politician. He has represented Provencher in the Canadian House of Commons since 2000, and currently serves in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper as Minister of Public Safety. He previously served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from...

. He later stood beside provincial Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is the only right wing political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is also the official opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.-Origins and early years:...

 leader Hugh McFadyen
Hugh McFadyen
Hugh Daniel McFadyen is a lawyer and politician in Manitoba, Canada. Since 2006, he has been leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba and Leader of the Opposition in the Manitoba legislature. Following his party's loss in the 2011 election he announced that he would resign as...

 during the 2007 election
Manitoba general election, 2007
The Manitoba general election held on May 22, 2007 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the New Democratic Party, which won 36 seats out of 57. The Progressive Conservative Party finished second with nineteen seats. The Liberal...

, for an announcement that the PCs would bring NHL hockey back to Winnipeg if elected. The governing New Democrats
New Democratic Party of Manitoba
The New Democratic Party of Manitoba is a social-democratic political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is the provincial wing of the federal New Democratic Party, and is a successor to the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...

 described this promise as unrealistic, as did many in the local media. The New Democrats were returned with a majority government on election day.

Steen was a candidate for the Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...

 in the 2008 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2008
The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...

, losing to New Democrat
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...

 Jim Maloway
Jim Maloway
Peter James "Jim" Maloway is a Canadian politician. He was elected to the Canadian House of Commons for the Winnipeg division of Elmwood—Transcona in the 2008 federal election as a member of the New Democratic Party. He previously served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1986 to 2008,...

 in the northeast Winnipeg riding of Elmwood—Transcona
Elmwood—Transcona
Elmwood—Transcona is a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988. Its population in 2006 was 78,700....

. His opponents argued that Steen, who lives in south Winnipeg, was unfamiliar with issues pertaining to the riding. He was also criticized for missing several debates, and for only reading from written briefings during a debate at Kildonan East Collegiate. One journalist, writing that Steen was "by all accounts and appearances a lovely and honourable gentleman", also noted that he was "radically out of his depth, muzzled by his party and unfamiliar with the issues".

Two years after that election (with a coaching stint in Sweden in the interim), on October 27, 2010, Steen won election to Winnipeg City Council
Winnipeg City Council
The Winnipeg City Council is the governing body of the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors.-2006-2010:Council elected in the 2006 election:-2010-2014:...

, representing the Elmwood/East Kildonan ward, in the 2010 municipal election
Manitoba municipal elections, 2010
The Canadian province of Manitoba held municipal elections on October 27, 2010. Election day was on July 23, 2010 for several beach resorts including Winnipeg Beach, Dunnottar and Victoria Beach. Mayors, councillors, and school board trustees were elected....

.

Thomas Steen is not related to former Winnipeg Mayor Robert Steen
Robert Steen
Robert Ashley Steen was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1966 to 1969, and later served as the 38th Mayor of Winnipeg from 1977 to 1979.Steen was educated at the University of Manitoba and the Manitoba Law...

 or former Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...

 Warren Steen
Warren Steen
Warren Steen is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1975 to 1986, as a Progressive Conservative.- Biography :...

, both native Canadians unlike Thomas.

Awards and achievements

  • European Junior Ice Hockey Championships|European Junior Championship Gold Medalists (1977)
  • World Junior
    World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
    The 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...

     Silver Medalists (1978)
  • World Junior
    World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
    The 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...

     Bronze Medalists (1979)
  • World Junior
    World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
    The 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...

     First All-Star Team (1979)
  • World Junior
    World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
    The 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...

     Bronze Medalists (1980)
  • Sweden Elitserien Player of Year (1981)
  • Swedish World All-Star Team (1981, 1985, & 1986)
  • Swedish Championship (1981)
  • World Championship
    Ice Hockey World Championships
    The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...

     Silver Medalist (1981 & 1986)
  • Played in the Canada Cup
    Canada Cup (ice hockey)
    The Canada Cup was an invitational international ice hockey tournament held on five occasions between 1976 and 1991. The tournament was created to meet demand for a true world championship that allowed the best players from participating nations to compete regardless of their status as professional...

     (1981, 1984, & 1991)
  • Selected to 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...

     All-Star Game (1990)
  • The Winnipeg Jets retired his number 25 in 1995
  • “Honoured Member” of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
    Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
    The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum was established in 1985 when the first honoured members were named and plaques were erected in their honour. The first group of inductees was large in order to recognize the accomplishments of Manitoba players, coaches, builders and teams at the...


Career statistics

    Regular season   Playoffs
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 G
Goal (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...

A
Assist (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...

Pts
Point (ice hockey)
Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...

PIM
Penalty (ice hockey)
A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...

GP G A Pts PIM
1976–77 Leksands IF
Leksands IF
Leksands Idrottsförening is a Swedish ice hockey team from the town of Leksand in the region of Dalarna. The team is currently playing in the second highest league in Sweden, HockeyAllsvenskan. Leksand has played 53 seasons in the top Swedish league – between 1951 to 2001, 2002 to 2004, and 2005–06...

SEL
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...

3 1 1 2 2
1977–78 Leksands IF SEL 35 5 5 10 30
1978–79 Leksands IF SEL 25 13 4 17 35
1979–80 Leksands IF SEL 18 7 8 15 16
1980–81 Farjestads BK Karlstad SEL 32 16 22 38 28
1981–82 Winnipeg Jets NHL 73 15 29 44 42 4 0 4 4 2
1982–83 Winnipeg Jets NHL 75 26 33 59 60 3 0 2 2 0
1983–84 Winnipeg Jets NHL 79 20 45 65 69 3 0 1 1 9
1984–85 Winnipeg Jets NHL 70 30 54 84 80 8 2 3 5 17
1985–86 Winnipeg Jets NHL 78 17 47 64 76 3 1 1 2 4
1986–87 Winnipeg Jets NHL 75 17 33 50 59 10 3 4 7 8
1987–88 Winnipeg Jets NHL 76 16 38 54 53 5 1 5 6 2
1988–89 Winnipeg Jets NHL 80 27 61 88 80
1989–90 Winnipeg Jets NHL 53 18 48 66 35 7 2 5 7 16
1990–91 Winnipeg Jets NHL 58 19 48 67 49
1991–92 Winnipeg Jets NHL 38 13 25 38 29 7 2 4 6 2
1992–93 Winnipeg Jets NHL 80 22 50 72 75 6 1 3 4 2
1993–94 Winnipeg Jets NHL 76 19 32 51 32
1994–95 Winnipeg Jets NHL 31 5 10 15 14
1995–96 Frankfurt Lions
Frankfurt Lions
The Frankfurt Lions were a professional men's ice hockey club from Frankfurt, Germany that played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The club ceased operations in 2010 due to financial difficulty.-History:...

DEL 4 1 0 1 2
1996–97 Berlin Polar Bears DEL 49 15 18 33 48
1997–98 Berlin Polar Bears DEL 43 4 7 11 20
1998–99 Berlin Polar Bears DEL 40 7 15 22 28
NHL totals 950 264 553 817 753 56 12 32 44 62

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK