Ulf Samuelsson

Ulf Samuelsson
Samuelsson with the New York Rangers in 1997
Born (1964-03-26) March 26, 1964 (age 60)
Fagersta, Sweden
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 203 lb (92 kg; 14 st 7 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Left
Played for Hartford Whalers
Pittsburgh Penguins
New York Rangers
Detroit Red Wings
Philadelphia Flyers
National team  Sweden
NHL draft 67th overall, 1982
Hartford Whalers
Playing career 1981–2000

Ulf Bo Samuelsson (born March 26, 1964) is a Swedish-American former professional ice hockey defenceman who formerly served as assistant coach of the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League.[1] He played several seasons in the NHL with the Hartford Whalers, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, and Philadelphia Flyers. He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, winning with the Penguins in 1991 and 1992, and the first European-born player to have 2,000 career penalty minutes.

During his playing career, Samuelsson was viewed by NHL stars as "the most hated man in hockey"; he was described to the New York Times as "the lowest form of human being" and someone whose play is all about "trying to hurt you and knock you out of the game".[2] He is also infamous for his knee-to-knee hit on Boston Bruins Cam Neely during the 1991 playoffs that was a contributing factor of Neely's early retirement five years later. Throughout his NHL career, Samuelsson was heavily criticized by hockey commentator Don Cherry for his style of play.[3]

  1. ^ "Florida Panthers Name Ulf Samuelsson Assistant Coach". NHL.com/panthers. November 9, 2020. Retrieved 2020-11-09.
  2. ^ "How to Slash, Maul and Jab Your Way to Stardom". New York Times. January 21, 1996. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
  3. ^ Kurtzberg, Brad. "The 15 Dirtiest Players in NHL History and the Hits that Prove It". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 11 December 2023.