'Daniel Cleary' (born
18 December,
1978 in
Carbonear, Newfoundland and Labrador) is a professional
ice hockey winger playing for the
Detroit Red Wings . He was selected in the first round of the
1997 NHL Entry Draft, 13th overall, by the
Chicago Blackhawks. A common mistake made by announcers during NHL games is saying Cleary is from Carbonear, Newfoundland. Cleary was born in Carbonear, but he was raised in a nearby town called Riverhead, which is now a part of
Harbour Grace, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Cleary had a phenomenal junior career with the
Belleville Bulls of the
OHL, although his performance tailed off in his draft year. Nevertheless, Chicago still selected him midway through the first round. Just one year removed from junior, Cleary was dealt to the
Edmonton Oilers as part of a package that landed
Boris Mironov in Chicago.
Cleary played parts of four seasons in Edmonton. Cleary's $1 million contract was bought out by the Oilers in the summer of
2003. Shortly thereafter, he was signed to a much cheaper contract by the
Phoenix Coyotes. He played in
Sweden during the
2004-05 NHL lockout. Following the lockout, Phoenix did not offer Cleary a qualifying contract. Cleary was invited to the
Detroit Red Wings training camp, and he made the team.
During the 2006-07 NHL playoff quarterfinals against
Calgary, Cleary successfully converted a penalty shot while shothanded; this was the first time it had been done in Detroit during the playoffs. Cleary also stamped his name on the 2007 Western Conference Final against
Anaheim by scoring a pair of goals and an assist in Game 4.
Career statistics
| | | Regular Season | | Playoffs |
|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-95 | Belleville Bulls | OHL | 62 | 26 | 55 | 81 | 62 | 16 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 23 |
| 1995-96 | Belleville Bulls | OHL | 64 | 53 | 62 | 115 | 74 | 14 | 10 | 17 | 27 | 40 |
| 1996-97 | Belleville Bulls | OHL | 64 | 32 | 48 | 80 | 88 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 |
| 1997-98 | Belleville Bulls | OHL | 30 | 16 | 31 | 47 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 17 | 23 | 10 |
| 1997-98 | Indianapolis Ice | IHL | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1997-98 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1998-99 | Portland Pirates | AHL | 30 | 9 | 17 | 26 | 74 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1998-99 | Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998-99 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 35 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 24 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1999-00 | Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 58 | 22 | 52 | 74 | 108 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 18 |
| 1999-00 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 17 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2000-01 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 81 | 14 | 21 | 35 | 37 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| 2001-02 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 65 | 10 | 19 | 29 | 51 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2002-03 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 57 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 31 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2003-04 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 68 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 42 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2004-05 | Mora IK | SEL | 47 | 11 | 26 | 37 | 138 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2005-06 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 77 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 40 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 2006-07 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 71 | 20 | 20 | 40 | 24 | 18 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 30 |
| NHL Totals | 477 | 64 | 103 | 167 | 257 | 34 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 46 |
|---|
''Stats as of the end of the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs''
External links
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A Video Showing Cleary's Skill at Penalty Shots