Tony Amonte

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Amonte made his NHL debut in the 1991 playoffs with the New York Rangers and impressed immediately, scoring over 30 goals as a rookie. He played three seasons with the Rangers, scoring 84 goals, before being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks with seven games to go in the 1993–94 season — the same year the Rangers went on to win the Stanley Cup. In Chicago, he was reunited with former Thayer Academy teammate Jeremy Roenick and enjoyed a five-season-long streak in which he did not miss a single game. Internationally, Amonte won the gold medal in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey for Team USA, scoring the game-winning goal with just two and a half minutes left in the final against Team Canada. He also won a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics. After his playing career, Amonte became head coach of the Thayer Academy men's varsity hockey team on June 11, 2010, and stepped down on September 27, 2022, to join the Florida Panthers as a scout.

In Their Own Story

With just two and a half minutes left in the final of the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, the score was tied. Team USA needed a hero. Tony Amonte, playing for his country, took control. He fired the puck past the Canadian goaltender, scoring the game-winning goal that secured the gold medal for the United States. It was a defining moment in a career full of clutch performances. Years later, on December 10, 2005, while playing for the Calgary Flames, Amonte scored his 400th NHL goal against the Ottawa Senators. He announced his retirement via his personal website in 2008. On January 21, 2009, the Chicago Blackhawks celebrated 'Tony Amonte Heritage Night' at the United Center, awarding the first 10,000 fans with special commemorative Tony Amonte pins.

Reader's Guide

Tony Amonte was drafted 68th overall in the 1988 NHL entry draft by the New York Rangers. He made his NHL debut in the 1991 playoffs and quickly established himself as a scoring threat, finishing third in the Calder Memorial Trophy voting as a rookie. After three seasons with the Rangers, he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks on March 21, 1994, along with Matt Oates, in exchange for Stéphane Matteau and Brian Noonan. In Chicago, Amonte became a star, scoring at least 30 goals six times and at least 40 three times, while playing in five NHL All-Star Games (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001). He signed as a free agent with the Phoenix Coyotes on July 12, 2002, but was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers on March 10, 2003, in exchange for Guillaume Lefebvre, Atlanta's 2003 3rd round draft choice, and Phoenix's 2004 2nd round draft choice. On August 2, 2005, he signed as a free agent with the Calgary Flames. As of March 2020, he is ranked 13th all-time in points among American-born players, with 900. After retiring, he became head coach at Thayer Academy on June 11, 2010, and stepped down on September 27, 2022, to join the Florida Panthers as a scout.

Did You Know?

• Tony Amonte was drafted 68th overall in the 1988 NHL entry draft by the New York Rangers.
• He scored the game-winning goal for Team USA in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey final against Canada with just two and a half minutes left.
• Amonte scored his 400th NHL goal on December 10, 2005, while playing for the Calgary Flames against the Ottawa Senators.
• He played in five consecutive NHL All-Star Games from 1997 to 2001.
• Amonte's sister, Kelly Amonte Hiller, is the head coach of the Northwestern University Wildcats women's lacrosse team and has guided them to nine National Titles.