You can compare him to other guys in the league that drive the play and drive through bodies, and their hands are still good enough to make plays in those tight areas. tampabaylightning.com is the official Web site of the Tampa Bay Lightning. We've told the story often, how Cirelli went to a walk-on tryout with Oshawa and got cut before getting called back the next day. Shoots L. Experience 6 years. Privacy Policy Late in the second period, Islanders star Mathew Barzal newly crowned as the fastest player in the NHL at All-Star weekend had a breakaway for a potential tying goal, and somehow Cirelli chased him down, reached out from behind and lifted his stick at precisely the right moment, stealing the puck away to thwart the chance and keep the Lightning in control. Here's a complete list of the nicknames: Ryan Callahan "Tony". The Official Site of the Tampa Bay Lightning. CIRELLI-Anthony Fowler on February 6, 2006 of natural causes. "I think it's something where you've always got to find a way to impact the game and it's not necessarily scoring goals. He also had a team-high four blocked shots, as his strong two-way game was on full display. "He's a very good player," Bergeron said. A post shared by Tampa Bay Lightning (@tblightning) on Mar 16, 2019 at 10:04am PDT. Ranked #183 by ISS HOCKEY, 2015 NHL Entry Draft: He's hacking you on faceoffs. Try a week on us. They were the only goals Oshawa scored in the 2-1 win. He is survived by his wife Nina, children Kate (Neil) Aquilino, Ty (Amanda) Cirelli, and Jane Cirelli, his beloved granddaughter, Isabel. Cirelli heads into the offseason after putting up six points (three goals, three assists) in six games against the Maple Leafs. I think hes going to be a player.. Andrei Vasilevskiy went with his typical Big Cat nickname while Steven Stamkos name plate was decorated with Hammertime., One of the more interesting nicknames in the room was Yanni Gourdes Greyhound.. Joe Smith is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Minnesota Wild and the National Hockey League. Joe Smith is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Minnesota Wild and the National Hockey League. That's what separates (Cirelli) from a lot of guys. "He wants to belong. Cirelli also participated in the 2017 World Junior Championship with Canada, winning a silver medal. In each one so far, Cirelli has been No. It was the latest in what has become a relatively long line of timely goals in big games from Cirelli. Now you can argue that, on a Lightning team full of stars, Cirelli is one of the most important players. For Kopitar and OReilly, it took 10. ", The onlycriteria voters are given in determining the Selke winner is picking the forward that "demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game.". - EP Contact Book listing of your profile (optional) Anthony Cirellis name came up. Cirelli hasn't made it look all that difficult. He played a pivotal role in the final game, proving that he can make a difference under great pressure to perform. "You never know.". (Curtis Joe, EP 2014) CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: fantasynews | arena: nhl | pageType: stories | All Rights Reserved. "I really like players that are hard to play against and are capable offensively," Poulin said. [14] Building on his impressive overtime goal-scoring resume from his junior days, on September 17, 2020, he scored the winning goal in overtime of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Islanders. Be the first one to comment on this story. Game 4 is at Boston on Friday (7 p.m. Ranked #71 by TSN/McKenzie. "Mr. Reliable," Stamkos said. [6] However, the Otters would ultimately fall in the championship game of the 2017 Memorial Cup tournament to the host Windsor Spitfires.[7]. They have a very similar mindset. The story has been told before, but its so crazy, its worth repeating. "He's really good," said Sidney Crosby. It helps put things in perspective. The Selke is challenging to judge because its tough to measure the key characteristic: defensive performance. If there was one guy I looked up to, it was him.. In the middle of that is Cirelli, who CapFriendly projects will ink a four-year deal with an annual cap hit of between $4.1 million and $4.5 million. Eyssimont has appeared in five games for the Lightning this season, registering one assist. walk on to his junior team in Oshawa before he became a Memorial Cup hero. Cirelli leads Tampa Bay's forwards in shorthanded ice time per game during the postseason at 1:52. Besides Cirelli, you have Sergachev, who has taken big steps commanding the defensive zone, as another RFA. The numbers on the back were outlined in gold with green shamrocks taking up most of the white interior of the number. "He played so hard, he hit guys, he could score," Cirelli said. Hes willing to go to those spots. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. NHL 2023. "We always used to joke when we got to know him in Erie (Pa.) that he wasn't that good in minor hockey. Tampa Bay will have to make some tough decisions this summer, with BriseBois acknowledging that there comes a time when they cant keep everyone (as the cap-related J.T. Its how Im going to stay here. [15] He helped Canada progress through to the playoff rounds before losing the final to Finland to finish with the Silver Medal on May 26, 2019. [11] On April 21, 2018, Cirelli recorded his first career playoff assist and point in a 31 Lightning series clinching win over the New Jersey Devils. Contact Mari Faiello at mfaiello@tampabay.com. All Rights Reserved. Hes the first player over the boards on a key penalty kill or to protect the lead, and now Cirelli has found his offensive confidence. The Lightning have a roster full of no-trade clauses. Cirelli is always one of the last guys on the ice after practice, and he consistently reviews video with Halpern or fellow assistant Derek Lalonde. Sports Forecaster is a product of XML Team Solutions, LLC 2023 All Rights Reserved. Cirelli produced a goal and a power-play assist in Tuesday's 7-3 Game 1 win over the Maple Leafs.. Cirelli put the Lightning ahead 2-0 early before assisting on the second of Tampa Bay's four power-play goals. It was given to the Tampa Bay Lightning rookie center by captain Steven Stamkos. Hometown Woodbridge, Ontario. And he's making a huge impact in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. One of the dumbest things Ive done, Windsor GM Warren Rychel once told me. It's pretty open-ended in that respect. Now hes rounding into being able to add that offense while still having that defensive side to him as well. Veteran Lightning defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said Cirelli reminds him of Bergeron, only with better speed. He can play physical. Prior to his recall Cirelli was enjoying a productive rookie season with the Crunch. "We're from the same area, so we played minor hockey together," said Blackhawks forward Dylan Strome, a former junior and Team Canada World Junior teammate. 72) of the 2015 NHL Draft, following an impressive season with Oshawa of the Ontario Hockey League, where he had 36 points (13 . "I feel that's a pretty good comparison. He and Josh Brown are the only ones. It took Bergeron seven seasons to win his first Selke. Its amazing when you consider Cirellis path: The third-round pick had to walk on to his junior team in Oshawa before he became a Memorial Cup hero. And its deserved.. - Premium Design on your profile page (optional) He drags you into the battle and never takes a game off. Tampa Bay has only three defensemen under contract next year (Victor Hedman, McDonagh and Braydon Coburn, currently on IR). 'Active' : 'Inactive'}} players, Search {{searchActivePlayers ? "He seems to be smart, he's always in the right areas and is able to make those reads. The Mastercard Memorial Cup hero on May 31st, 2015, Cirelli was a spectacle to behold. He had a number of well-timed blocks, including two blocks as his line was getting hemmed in by the Anthony Cirelli line. Cirelli recorded his first career NHL goal and assist in the game, which resulted in a 54 overtime win. BOSTON --Anthony Cirelli has a nickname. He had 30 points (12 goals, 18 assists) in 25 games with Erie, which advanced to the 2017 Memorial Cup Final, losing 4-3 to Windsor of the OHL. There is nothing like it, so the intensity is way higher and obviously it's a lot harder.". At the Times, he covered the Lightning from 2010-18 and the Tampa Bay Rays and Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2008-13. He's one of those players I appreciate watching and (who) doesn't get enough credit for all the little things he does.". Contact Support, {{searchActivePlayers ? The 25-year-old underwent shoulder surgery in July. (Smith) said, If youre not going to be good defensively, then youre not going to play. Bring this kid in, Washkurak told the Oshawa brass. Long Range Potential: Is not an elite scorer but can hold his own offensively when place in an offensive role. Cirelli. Different guys like (Anze) Kopitar and Bergeron, as defensively sound as they are, but theyre still able to create offensive output out of heavier plays and going through some of those areas. They have also lived in Gunnison, CO and Minster, OH. Cirelli (lower body) is expected to play Saturday versus the Senators, Gabby Shirley of Bally Sports Florida reports. Tampa Bay currently sits in third place in the Atlantic Division. Thats what got me here. - Improve your search rank He scored twice including in overtime in the 2015 Memorial Cup final against Kelowna of the Western Hockey League. He was selected by the Lightning in the third round (72nd overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.Cirelli won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021; he also . When Joe Washkurak saw Cirellis goal Tuesday night, a few thoughts came to mind. In a game the Lightning absolutely had to have, and with Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov benched, Cirelli, 22, put the team on his back in overtime. Hes your modern-day power forward. Take control of your EliteProspects profile! Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli scores against the Coyotes at Gila River Arena on Feb. 22. Hes turned into an amazing two-way player, said MVP candidate Nathan MacKinnon. When polling the Tampa Bay Lightning dressing room for insight on why center Anthony Cirelli should win his first Selke Trophy, teammate Tyler Johnson stopped me dead in my tracks . He didnt think about that, he just outworked them every single day in practice. Cirelli picked up an assist in Saturday's 2-1 overtime loss to Toronto in Game 6. Cirelli trains with Leafs star Mitch Marner, Lightning prospect Taylor Raddysh and the Islanders Michael Dal Colle, who was taken fifth overall a year before Cirelli.