Jeff O'Neill

[GlitchMarner]

He seems to be a pretty big hockey personality these days.

I never followed his career too closely until the end (when he played for TOR), but looking at his stats, they seem kind of underwhelming for how much attention he received in his prime (my recollection is he was talked about as if he was a budding star circa 2001 or so, but I could be wrong).

He was sub-40 point player in his first four NHL seasons and a 34-42 point player in his last three. However, in the middle of his career he had a nice run of four consecutive seasons of more than 60 points and at least 25 goals. His goal scoring peaked at 41 goals in 2001. His plus/minus looks really bad even if you account for the fact that he played primarily (if not exclusively) for average to poor teams. He was -115 in 821 NHL games and was a minus player in every season except two (ironically, he was a plus player in his final NHL season, which ended with him being a healthy scratch on a regular basis).

Did he have a somewhat disappointing playing career (in the NHL) or did he do fine for himself with those 60+ point seasons?

 

[wetcoast]

He seems to be a pretty big hockey personality these days.

I never followed his career too closely until the end (when he played for TOR), but looking at his stats, they seem kind of underwhelming for how much attention he received in his prime (my recollection is he was talked about as if he was a budding star circa 2001 or so, but I could be wrong).

He was sub-40 point player in his first four NHL seasons and a 34-42 point player in his last three. However, in the middle of his career he had a nice run of four consecutive seasons of more than 60 points and at least 25 goals. His goal scoring peaked at 41 goals in 2001. His plus/minus looks really bad even if you account for the fact that he played primarily (if not exclusively) for average to poor teams. He was -115 in 821 NHL games and was a minus player in every season except two (ironically, he was a plus player in his final NHL season, which ended with him being a healthy scratch on a regular basis).

Did he have a somewhat disappointing playing career (in the NHL) or did he do fine for himself with those 60+ point seasons?

When you look at the context of the other players Hartford might have been looking at Jeff had a fine career.

1994 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com

 

[Stephen]

He didn't pan out as the kind of franchise level player you might be hoping for with a top five pick (he was also once a contender for the 1994 draft), but I'd say he had a respectable career all in all. Took a while for him to get going like a lot of other top prospects entering their pro careers in the Dead Puck Era, had a few 30 goal plus seasons, 4x straight 60 point seasons and a run to the finals. Not too different from a guy like Jeff Friesen. Could have been a lot worse like a Chad Kilger or a Todd Warriner, but also could have hung on longer and had a more longevity too if he had the conditioning and drive as I think he mentioned on the radio more than once.

 

[Langdon Alger]

Not sure he took fitness too seriously.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

he was like 2010s dany heatley, but over an entire career

as unlikeable on the ice as he now is when he opens his mouth

 

[Langdon Alger]

He didn't pan out as the kind of franchise level player you might be hoping for with a top five pick (he was also once a contender for the 1994 draft), but I'd say he had a respectable career all in all. Took a while for him to get going like a lot of other top prospects entering their pro careers in the Dead Puck Era, had a few 30 goal plus seasons, 4x straight 60 point seasons and a run to the finals. Not too different from a guy like Jeff Friesen. Could have been a lot worse like a Chad Kilger or a Todd Warriner, but also could have hung on longer and had a more longevity too if he had the conditioning and drive as I think he mentioned on the radio more than once.

He was better than the guy picked right before him.

 

[Buffalowing1988]

I thought that he had a fear of flying which limited him? I think he turned out alright, otherwise. Wasn't a stud but he was a contributor and, at times, a very good one.

 

[JackSlater]

I remember that he was considered a fringe candidate for the 2002 Olympic team, which seemed like a potential disaster with the larger ice surface and level of commitment that would be required.

 

[Voight]

he was like 2010s dany heatley, but over an entire career

as unlikeable on the ice as he now is when he opens his mouth

Yea, his takes are God awful. I didn't mind him 5 or so years ago when I'd see the odd tweet from him, usually a quick joke or jab but once he got major air time...

 

[tony d]

Guy had a decent playing career IMO. His broadcasting career though to me is him being out spoken more often than not.

 

[MS]

He seems to be a pretty big hockey personality these days.

I never followed his career too closely until the end (when he played for TOR), but looking at his stats, they seem kind of underwhelming for how much attention he received in his prime (my recollection is he was talked about as if he was a budding star circa 2001 or so, but I could be wrong).

He was sub-40 point player in his first four NHL seasons and a 34-42 point player in his last three. However, in the middle of his career he had a nice run of four consecutive seasons of more than 60 points and at least 25 goals. His goal scoring peaked at 41 goals in 2001. His plus/minus looks really bad even if you account for the fact that he played primarily (if not exclusively) for average to poor teams. He was -115 in 821 NHL games and was a minus player in every season except two (ironically, he was a plus player in his final NHL season, which ended with him being a healthy scratch on a regular basis).

Did he have a somewhat disappointing playing career (in the NHL) or did he do fine for himself with those 60+ point seasons?

One of the laziest underachievers of all time. Should have been a perennial 35-40 goal scorer but was lazy and unfit. Embarrassing that he finished his career with only 237 goals given the talent he had. Short of Brett Hull might have had the most lethal release in the NHL in the early 2000s.

People love to only single out Russians (Kovalev!) as underachievers or lazy, but O'Neill was the top of the heap in that regard. Didn't even really bother backchecking and by the end of his career was too fat to anyway.

 

[Vector]

He had a fear of flying that probably lead to some of the issues he had (lack of proper training and commitment). His brother died in 2005 and had completely given up on hockey for his last two seasons.

On the ice was a pretty big disappointment given his talent. Was a great example of player not getting scrutinized because of being in an ignored market and being a good ol’ Canadian boy.

 

[Langdon Alger]

He had a fear of flying that probably lead to some of the issues he had (lack of proper training and commitment). His brother died in 2005 and had completely given up on hockey for his last two seasons.

On the ice was a pretty big disappointment given his talent. Was a great example of player not getting scrutinized because of being in an ignored market and being a good ol’ Canadian boy.

Maybe overall, he didn’t live up to his potential, I don’t know. He did score 41 goals in 2000-2001, so that’s pretty good. It’s hard for me to say because I didn’t watch him day in and day out. Was he the kind of guy who didn’t show up at times? Some guys have talent, but lack motivation sometimes.

 

[tarheelhockey]

O'Neill is one of those paradoxical players who actually had a fairly strong peak, but both his early years and his later years were such trash that it's easy to forget how good he was, and his personality is such that you don't really want to like him. So you have this guy who is pretty underrated, except for the part where he's kind of overrated, and it's just hard to know what to feel.

Bottom line, there was about a 4-year window where you would even want him near your team at all, and maybe 3 of them where he'd have been more than just modestly useful on a good team.

 

[Stephen]

He was better than the guy picked right before him.

Ah yes, Jason Bonsignore, the American Mario Lemieux...

 

[Stephen]

One of the laziest underachievers of all time. Should have been a perennial 35-40 goal scorer but was lazy and unfit. Embarrassing that he finished his career with only 237 goals given the talent he had. Short of Brett Hull might have had the most lethal release in the NHL in the early 2000s.

People love to only single out Russians (Kovalev!) as underachievers or lazy, but O'Neill was the top of the heap in that regard. Didn't even really bother backchecking and by the end of his career was too fat to anyway.

I wouldn't go that far with the goal scoring prowess... maybe at a Wendel Clark level in terms of scoring touch, wrist shot, etc. but I wouldn't say we missed out on a generational scorer.

 

[Langdon Alger]

Funny story I heard O’Neill tell on Jay and Dan’s podcast. It was during the 04-05 lockout, and when things were looking like the season was cancelled, but there was still some hope to save it and maybe do like a 35 game season or something, he said he was only doing light jogs on the beach and not working out at all.

Now maybe he just figured there wouldn’t be a season, or maybe that’s how seriously he took off season training. I never got the sense he was a gym rat.

 

[MS]

I wouldn't go that far with the goal scoring prowess... maybe at a Wendel Clark level in terms of scoring touch, wrist shot, etc. but I wouldn't say we missed out on a generational scorer.

I'm not saying he was a 'generational' goal scorer.

That was a terrible time for scoring and snipers in the NHL, and O'Neill should have consistently been a 40+ goal type guy which would have put him in the top 3-5 guys in the NHL. But he was unfit and had zero drive and compete level. But even as a lazy bum he hit 7th in the NHL in goals one year.

 

[Stephen]

I'm not saying he was a 'generational' goal scorer.

That was a terrible time for scoring and snipers in the NHL, and O'Neill should have consistently been a 40+ goal type guy which would have put him in the top 3-5 guys in the NHL. But he was unfit and had zero drive and compete level. But even as a lazy bum he hit 7th in the NHL in goals one year.

I think he could have been a consistent 40 goal guy in a 1992-93 environment, but not really in the Dead Puck Era.

 

[MS]

I think he could have been a consistent 40 goal guy in a 1992-93 environment, but not really in the Dead Puck Era.

He averaged 35 goals/season for a multi-year stretch at his peak. I don't think it's a stretch to think that if he was fit and motivated he would have reached that level.

 

[scott clam]

He averaged 35 goals/season for a multi-year stretch at his peak. I don't think it's a stretch to think that if he was fit and motivated he would have reached that level.

"And if my aunt had nuts she'd be my...." wait, can't tell that one anymore.

 

[HisIceness]

This has always been one of my favorite moments in Hockey. O'Neill got hit in the eye during this game and came back to score the OT winner. As someone who was just getting into Hockey at that time I thought this was f***ing cool.

As for O'Neill himself, he kind of strikes me as Hockeys version of Charles Barkley I guess. Had a knack for rebounds and like Barkley, wasn't exactly about fitness. Also has a post-playing broadcasting career in which like Barkley, tends to say some, controversial things, shall we say. Except Barkley is a lot funnier than O'Neill.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

As for O'Neill himself, he kind of strikes me as Hockeys version of Charles Barkley I guess. Had a knack for rebounds and like Barkley, wasn't exactly about fitness. Also has a post-playing broadcasting career in which like Barkley, tends to say some, controversial things, shall we say. Except Barkley is a lot funnier than O'Neill.

wow that might be the most flattering comparison anybody has ever made on behalf of the, er, o-dog. even more than when he was drafted and they called him a bigger doug gilmour.

 

[HisIceness]

wow that might be the most flattering comparison anybody has ever made on behalf of the, er, o-dog. even more than when he was drafted and they called him a bigger doug gilmour.

Well I barely saw Gilmour play but I'll take your word on that.

 

[Sentinel]

I don't exactly follow sports media, so can someone please fill me in on his public persona?