Scott Gomez

Infobox Ice Hockey Player
position = Center
shoots = Left
height_ft = 5
height_in = 11
weight_lb = 200
team = New York Rangers
league = NHL
nationality = USA
birth_date = birth date and age|1979|12|23
birth_place = Anchorage, AK, U.S.
career_start = 1999
draft = 27th overall
former_teams = New Jersey Devils
draft_year = 1998
draft_team = New Jersey Devils


image_size = 250px

Scott Gomez (born December 23, 1979 in Anchorage, Alaska) is an American professional ice hockey center of both Mexican and Colombian descent, who plays for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League.

Playing career

In the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, Scott Gomez was selected with the 27th pick of the first round by the New Jersey Devils. He was the first Latino NHL player, the first Latino ever drafted by an NHL team,cite web|url=http://www.latinosportslegends.com/Gomez_Scott_bio.htm|title=Biography at latinosportslegends.com] as well as the first Alaskan to play in the NHL. His father is Mexican-American and his mother is Colombian-American.cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=350022|title=Gomez helps put Alaska on NHL map] At the time, he was playing for the Tri-City Americans of the WHL, and had just been named to the WHL's All-Rookie Team. In the season after he was drafted, he justified the Devils' decision by scoring 108 points in 58 games for the Americans. This earned him a spot on the WHL West First All-Star Team. The year before, Gomez led the South Surrey Eagles of the Tier II Junior "A" British Columbia Hockey League to the gold medal game of the 1997 Royal Bank Cup against the hometown Summerside Western Capitals, but Gomez and his South Surrey Eagles were defeated 4-3. After this impressive WHL performance, he was brought to New Jersey for the 1999-2000 NHL season. In his rookie NHL season he scored 51 assists and 70 points for the Devils. For his efforts, he was awarded the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie and played in the NHL All-Star Game. Gomez scored 10 points in the 2000 NHL playoffs as the Devils won their second Stanley Cup.

In his sophomore season, Gomez totalled 63 points. The Devils again made their way to the Stanley Cup Finals, but were defeated by the Colorado Avalanche in seven games. In the 2001-02 season, Gomez's numbers dropped, as he scored just ten goals and 48 points. The Devils bowed out of the playoffs in the first round that season, losing to the Carolina Hurricanes. Gomez did not play a game in that series due to injury.

The 2002-03 NHL season was an improvement for Gomez and the Devils. Gomez tallied 55 points and again helped the Devils win the Stanley Cup, this time scoring 12 points during the playoffs. The 2003-04 NHL season was an even better year for Gomez, as he scored 70 points, the most since his rookie year. He also tied for the NHL lead in assists, with 56. However, the Devils lost in the playoffs to the Philadelphia Flyers.

During the NHL lockout that forced the cancellation of the 2004-05 season, Gomez returned to his native hometown of Anchorage, Alaska and played for the Alaska Aces of the ECHL. Throughout the season "Scotty" was the face of the Alaska franchise, and the ECHL, going on to lead the ECHL in scoring and win league Most Valuable Player honors. Gomez season ended early when he was seriously injured by Bakersfield Condors enforcer Ashlee Langdone, who checked him into an open bench door during game 4 of the Pacific Division Semifinals. Gomez sustained a broken pelvis from the incident.cite web|url=http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=121922|title=Gomez breaks pelvis in ECHL game]

Despite the lockout, Gomez returned to form in 2005-2006 and set career highs in goals scored and points tallying a total of 84 points. Along with linemates Brian Gionta, Patrik Eliáš and, before Eliáš' comeback, Zach Parise, Gomez helped rally the Devils from a very poor beginning of the season by finishing the season on an 11 game winning streak and clinching the division title in the last game. Gomez finished the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs with 5 goals and 4 assists in 9 games. On July 25, 2006, Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello accepted an arbitrator's ruling of a $5,000,000, one-year contract for Scott Gomez for the 2006-2007 season. Hence, he would go on to be an unrestricted free agent in the 2007 summer.During the 2006-07 NHL season he led the New Jersey Devils to the second round of the playoffs and totalled 60 points. Gomez scored the final goal ever at Continental Airlines Arena on May 5, 2007.

On July 1, 2007, Gomez signed a $51.5 million, seven-year contract with the New York Rangers. [cite news| url=http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=212475| title=Rangers ink Gomez and Drury | publisher=Associated Press | date=2007-07-02 | accessdate=2008-02-02] Also on July 1, the Rangers signed Chris Drury, who also wears the number 23. To settle who would be wearing number 23 while playing for the Rangers, a puck was flipped, with Drury winning, earning the right to continue wearing number 23, while Gomez will change his number to 19. Coincidentally, Drury won the Calder Trophy the year before Gomez won the same award.cite web|url=http://www.newyorkrangers.com/pressbox/pressreleases.asp?id=2955|title=NEW RANGERS DRURY, GOMEZ GET HEROES' WELCOME] When asked about his decision to leave the Devils, Gomez said

On February 1st 2008, in a game against his former club, the Devils, Gomez recorded his 500th career point by assisting on a Chris Drury goal.

On October 3rd 2008, Gomez was named an alternate captain of the New York Rangers.

Other Pursuits

* In addition to his NHL career, Gomez had a walk-on role on One Life to Live as an airport clerk in 2000.cite web|url=http://www.nhlpa.com/PlayerOfTheDay/index.asp?Date=2004-02-23|title=NHLPA.com Did You Know]
* Scott Gomez has started a Foundation for kids that can't afford to play hockey. [http://www.scottygomezfoundation.com ScottyGomezFoundation.com]
* Gomez is Spokesperson for GCI, an Alaska based provider of cable television and telephone service. Gomez appears in television and print adds for the firm, which is also a major corporate sponsor of the Alaska Aces hockey team, an organization that Gomez played for during the NHL lockout.

Awards

*1996-97: Top Forward (Tier II Junior "A" Royal Bank Cup)
*1997-98: All-Rookie Team (WHL)
*1998-99: West First All-Star Team (WHL)
*1999-00: Played in All-Star Game (NHL)
*1999-00: All-Rookie Team (NHL)
*1999-00: Calder Memorial Trophy (NHL)
*1999-00: Stanley Cup "New Jersey Devils" (NHL)
*2002-03: Stanley Cup "New Jersey Devils" (NHL)
*2004-05: First All-Star Team (ECHL)
*2004-05: Top Scorer (ECHL)
*2004-05: Most Valuable Player (ECHL)
*2007-08: Named to All-Star Game (NHL)

Career statistics

International play

*1998 - Played for the US Junior National team
*1999 - Played for the US Junior National team
*2004 - Played for the United States in the 2004 Ice Hockey World Championships
*2006 - Played for the United States in the XX Olympic Winter Games

Hockey Camp

Starting in the summer of 2008 Scott Gomez will be running a hockey camp in Andover, Massachusetts along with former New Jersey Devils teammate, Jay Pandolfo.

References

External links

*hockeydb|31170
*TSN-NHL-profile|1356
* [http://www.usolympicteam.com/26_43455.htm Scott Gomez's U.S. Olympic Team bio]