Rick DiPietro

Infobox Ice Hockey Player
position = Goaltender
catches = Right
height_ft = 6
height_in = 1
weight_lb = 210
team = New York Islanders
league = NHL
nationality = United States
birth_date = Birth date and age|1981|9|19|mf=y
birth_place = Winthrop, MA, U.S.
career_start = 2000
draft = 1st overall
draft_year = 2000
draft_team = New York Islanders


former_teams =

Rick DiPietro (born September 19, 1981, in Winthrop, Massachusetts) is an American professional ice hockey goaltender with the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League.

Collegiate career

DiPietro studied at Saint Sebastian's School but left after his sophomore year to play junior hockey in Michigan. He played one season (1999-2000) with Boston University in the NCAA's Hockey East. In that one year, DiPietro was named to the All-Rookie Team, named Second Team All-Hockey East, awarded the team's Co-MVP and was named Hockey East's Rookie of the Year. In addition, DiPietro nearly set the NCAA record for most saves in a game when he stopped 77 out of 80 shots in a 3-2 quadruple overtime loss to St. Lawrence during the NCAA regional final (record is 78 and held by Dick Greenlaw). In his one and only Beanpot Tournament, DiPietro was named MVP and won the Eberly Trophy awarded to the tournament's top goaltender.

Professional career

He was drafted first overall by the Islanders in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, out of Boston University, prompting them to trade Roberto Luongo. Islander GM Mike Millbury traded Luongo, now a perennial all-star, so that he could draft a goalie with more mobility and better puck handling skills. DiPietro was the fourth American to occupy the top draft position in the NHL Entry Draft. Though his NHL debut was widely anticipated, and he played 20 games in the 2000-2001 season, he managed to post just 3 wins against 15 losses for a mediocre New York team and was sent to the minors for additional seasoning. He played for the Chicago Wolves of the IHL and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL. He played 10 games the next season (as well as one playoff game) before being called up for good in the 2003-2004 season. His goals-against average decreased from 3.49 in the 00-01 season to 2.36 in the 03-04 season.

DiPietro chooses to play the puck aggressively. In contrast to many goaltenders who prefer to either let the puck go around the boards or stop it so that a teammate can pick it up, DiPietro often chooses to make a pass into the neutral zone. In certain situations, particularly on the power play, the pass can reach open forwards and create odd-man rushes or breakaways.

Along with former Islanders teammates Jason Blake and Mark Parrish, DiPietro was named to the US Olympic hockey team at the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics, held in February 2006. DiPietro was Team USA's No. 1 goalie for the tournament, starting 4 of the team's 6 games. DiPietro went 1-3 with a 2.28 goals against average during the Olympics.

On September 12, 2006, DiPietro signed a 15-year, $67.5 million contract with the Islanders. It is the longest official NHL contract ever to be signed, topping former teammate Alexei Yashin's contract signed before the start of the 2001-2002 season of 10 years.Cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/cp/sports/060912/s091278.html|title=New York Islanders sign Rick DiPietro to US$67.5-million 15-year deal|accessdate=2006-09-12|publisher=The Canadian Press|year=2006] Newsday reported that the team offered him a 15-year contract in September 2005, but the league discouraged this; instead, he signed a one-year offer.

On March 5, 2007, DiPietro broke an Islanders franchise record by making 56 saves in a 2-1 shootout loss to the New York Rangers. The previous record was 55 saves, held by both Félix Potvin and Billy Smith.

On March 13, 2007, DiPietro suffered a concussion after a collision with Montreal Canadiens forward Steve Bégin when DiPietro raced out to poke check a puck at the blueline at 15:41 of the first period. DiPietro returned for four games but then missed the rest of the regular season after he sustained another concussion in game against the Rangers. DiPietro returned to play games two through five of the Islanders' first round playoff series against the Buffalo Sabres.

DiPietro underwent surgery in the 2007 off season to fix a torn labrum in his hip.Cite web|url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/ny-sprick165377065sep16,0,4335745.story|title=Without a doubt, DiPietro is Islanders' money man|accessdate=2007-09-16|publisher=Newsday|year=2007]

DiPietro expressed a desire to minimize his impulsive behavior in the locker room and become more of a team leader. He said, "I'm a competitive person, and I have a tendency to have a short fuse with guys sometimes. That's something, as a leader, that you just can't do."Cite web|url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/ny-sprick165377065sep16,0,4335745.story|title=Without a doubt, DiPietro is Islanders' money man|accessdate=2007-09-16|publisher=Newsday|year=2007]

On November 19, 2007, DiPietro got his 100th NHL career win when the Islanders beat the New York Rangers 2-1. [ [http://islanders.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=344045&page=NewsPage&service=page New York Islanders - News: THE NYI STAT PACK - DP REACHES A MILESTONE - 11/21/2007 ] ]

DiPietro was selected to appear in his first NHL all star game in 2008 as a reserve, but he was named the starter because Martin Brodeur dropped out. On March 19, 2008, it was announced that DiPietro would miss the remainder of the 07-08 season because of surgery on his hip.

On June 3, 2008, DiPietro went on a Sirius satellite radio show being hosted by "Bubba the Love Sponge," where he told Bubba he would be undergoing knee surgery later that day. The surgery was done on the meniscus in his left knee.

International play

Played for United States in:
*World Junior Hockey Championship - 2000, 2001
*World Cup of Hockey - 2004
*IIHF World Championships - 2005
*XX Olympic Winter Games - 2006

References

External links

*hockeydb|49709
*nhlprofile|8468481
* [http://www.usolympicteam.com/26_38653.htm Rick DiPietro's U.S. Olympic Team bio] with photos, features, wallpapers