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Position	Centre
Shoots	Left
Height Weight	ft  in ( m) 200 lb (91 kg)
Pro Clubs	NHL  Philadelphia Flyers  Quebec Nordiques  Colorado Avalanche  San Jose Sharks  Phoenix Coyotes
Nationality	Canada
Born	October 27 1971 (1971--) (age 36), Scarborough, ON
NHL Draft	4th overall, 1990 Philadelphia Flyers
Pro Career	1990 – 2007

Michael "Mike" Ricci (born 27 October, 1971 in Scarborough, Ontario) is a retired Canadian ice hockey centre.

Playing career

Mike Ricci was selected 4th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. He had come off of three stellar seasons with the Peterborough Petes of the OHL, and was dubbed a can't-miss prospect. Ricci lasted only two years in Philadelphia, as in the summer of 1992 he was traded to the Quebec Nordiques in the Eric Lindros blockbuster trade.

Ricci would have a career year in his first season with Quebec, scoring 78 points. The next season, 1993-94, he would score a career-high 30 goals, with 5 of those coming in one game against the San Jose Sharks. Ricci would win a Stanley Cup in 1996 with the Colorado Avalanche, the Nordiques had moved to Colorado that season. On 21 November, 1997 Ricci would begin a new endeavour with the Sharks, the same team he had scored 5 goals against.

Ricci quickly became an elite defensive centreman with San Jose, but he never was able to regain the offensive prowess of his earlier years. Ricci was an essential cog to San Jose's success, and was there when the team made its first trip to the Western Conference Final in 2004. San Jose fans admired Ricci for his gritty style of play and were saddened when he was let go.

In 2005, Ricci switched his uniform number to 40 in honor of former NFL player Pat Tillman, who was killed in action while serving for the U.S. Army. The two had met in San Jose. Ricci played the 2005-06 season with the Phoenix Coyotes.

On 13 August, 2007, Ricci announced his retirement after telling The Peterborough Examiner that he had not recovered from neck surgery as well as he had hoped.^[1]

Ricci rejoined the San Jose Sharks organization in the 2007-08 season as an advisor ^[2] and was introduced at the Sharks' rescheduled Opening Night festivities on October 18, 2007.

Mike Ricci is known for donning a witch's hat in a commercial for ESPN. He is also known for his long hair and uncanny resemblance to Rush frontman Geddy Lee.

Acting

Ricci had a bit-part as Elmer Lach in the 2005 Quebec film The Rocket, about the life of Maurice Richard. Out of several NHL players who appear in the film, Ricci is the only one with any dialogue.

Awards

• Named to the OHL Second All-Star Team (1989)
• Named to the OHL First All-Star Team (1990)
• Named the OHL MVP (1990)
• Named the Canadian Major Junior Player of the Year (1990)

Records

• San Jose Sharks' franchise record for consecutive games played (228)

Career statistics

References

See also

• Captain (ice hockey)
• List of NHL players
• List of NHL seasons
• List of NHL players with 1000 games played

External links

Mike Ricci's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database

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