Refer to all the things about Neal Broten Biography: Career Statistics, Awards, and Achievements in the section below.
Introduction to Neal Broten
Neal LaMoy Broten, a former American professional ice hockey center, was born on November 29, 1959, in Roseau, Minnesota. He participated in 1,099 NHL regular season games between 1981 and 1997 for the Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils, and Los Angeles Kings. Both of his younger brothers, Aaron and Paul Broten, as well as his longtime next-door neighbor “Butsy” Bryan Erickson, were former NHL players.
Neal Broten Career Stats
Neal Broten joined the 1980 Olympic team as a sophomore at the University of Minnesota. Herb Brooks, the head coach of Minnesota and the Olympic team, referred to Broten as “the best freshman to play for the Gophers ever”—quite an honor given their hockey heritage.
Broten only continued playing college hockey for one more season after the Olympics, but during that season, he was named to the first team All-America, all-NCAA Tournament, and became the inaugural recipient of the Hobey Baker Award, which is ice hockey’s version of the Heisman Trophy. Broten signed with the Minnesota North Stars after that season and excelled in his debut campaign. In addition, he set an NHL record for the most goals scored by an American-born player with 38, making his 98 points this season the third-highest total ever for an NHL rookie.
Later, during the 1986–1997 season, Broten scored 105 points. He played in the NHL for a very long time, up to 1997, first with the North Stars, then with the Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils, and Los Angeles Kings. He participated in two NHL All-Star Games (1983 and 1986) and had 289 goals and 923 points by the end of his playing career. He came out of retirement in 1999 and participated for Team USA in the World Championships, assisting them in maintaining their Pool A standing. Paul and Aaron, his brothers, were NHL players as well.
Neal Broten’s Awards and Achievements
Broten’s #7 jersey was retired by the Minnesota/Dallas organization on February 7, 1998. In 2000, he was admitted into the American Hockey Hall of Fame.
- First team of WCHA all-stars (1981)
- Hobey Baker Memorial Award (1981) (Best American College Athlete) NCAA West First All-American Team (1981). He was the initial winner of the prize.
- The Lester Patrick Award (1998)
- Took part in the NHL All-Star Game (1983, 1986)
- Was chosen as the Minnesota Hockey Greats contest’s top hockey player ever by Minnesota Wild supporters.
- The winner was revealed at the Wild vs. Nashville Predators game on April 10, 2009.
