Mike Peluso (ice hockey, born 1965)
Michael David Peluso, is an American former professional ice hockey player. Peluso was known primarily as an enforcer throughout his National Hockey League career. Peluso played in the NHL from 1990 until 1998 with the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators, New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, and Calgary Flames. He won the Stanley Cup in 1995 with New Jersey as part of the "Crash Line". He also won the 1990 Turner Cup with the Indianapolis Ice of the International Hockey League. He is one of three players in NHL history to have over 400 penalty minutes in one season.
Early life
Peluso was born in Pengilly, Minnesota. His father was a steelworker and his mother a childcare worker. He had three older brothers. He liked sports, but was never great at them, he played hockey with his brothers, lining up as a defenseman when playing for his high school team, the Greenway Raiders. In his senior year, Peluso only played 12 games due to a teacher strike.Playing career
College career
Peluso was drafted by the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League in the tenth round, 190th overall, in the 1984 NHL entry draft out of high school. The Devils selected him mainly for his size, but both Peluso and the team believed that he should return to school. Peluso earned a scholarship to the University of Alaska Anchorage where he studied sociology while playing for the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves, a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college ice hockey program beginning in the 1985–86 season. The NCAA did not allow fighting and Peluso became the Seawolves' all-time scoring leader at defense, and set records for assists and points in a season by a defenseman. Peluso was named captain of the team for three years and was twice named an All-Great West Conference selection. The Seawolves won the Jeep/Nissan Classic tournament in December 1988. He remained at Alaska Anchorage until 1989.Chicago Blackhawks
The Devils never attempted to sign Peluso and he became a free agent at the end of his college tenure. He first enquired with the Minnesota North Stars, but they declined. Peluso then signed as a free agent with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1989. Upon joining the Hawks, he was switched to forward and encouraged to fight in order to stay in the lineup by coach Mike Keenan. He was assigned to Chicago's affiliate, the Indianapolis Ice of the International Hockey League, where under coach Darryl Sutter, he was taught how to be a role player. Peluso was recalled by Chicago early in the 1989–90 season but never saw game time. He was returned to Indianapolis where he missed time with a broken cheekbone suffered in a fight. He was recalled again to replace the suspended Dave Manson in December 1989 and played in his first NHL game on December 28. He fought Basil McRae of the Minnesota North Stars in his first NHL game, during which McRae attempted to knee Peluso and was ejected from the game for it. On the ensuing power play, the Blackhawks' Denis Savard tied the game at 1–1, which ended up being the final score. Peluso played one more NHL game, before being returned to Indianapolis on January 1, 1990, when Steve Thomas returned from injury. Peluso won the 1990 Turner Cup with Indianapolis after they swept the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the final.Peluso made the Blackhawks out of training camp for the 1990–91 season. He scored his first NHL goal on October 16 on Tim Cheveldae, putting in a rebound off a shot from Troy Murray in a 3–2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. On November 8, in a game versus the Edmonton Oilers, Peluso was on the receiving end of a shot that hit his cheek. He missed eleven games before being sent to the IHL on December 6. He returned to Chicago on December 28 On March 17, 1991, in a violent game versus the St. Louis Blues, Peluso was one of three Blackhawk goalscorers to take a 4–2 lead. However, in the third period five players were ejected for fighting, among them Peluso. Peluso and Kelly Chase of the Blues were suspended for ten games and received a $10,000 fine for leaving the bench for fighting. Peluso was eligible to return in game 4 of the opening round of the 1991 Stanley Cup playoffs. He returned to the lineup and played in his first NHL playoff game in game 4 of the first round series versus the Minnesota North Stars on April 10. However, the Blackhawks were eliminated by the North Stars in seven games.
Now an established enforcer, he began the season with Chicago, but was sent to Indianapolis on October 15. He was recalled on November 3 after appearing in four games, registering one point. Peluso registered 408 penalty minutes in 63 games during the 1991–92 NHL season, becoming one of only three players in NHL history, and the most recent, to have accumulated 400 PIM or more in a single season and the third highest total in NHL history. On May 16, 1992, in the third round series of the 1992 playoffs versus the Edmonton Oilers, he scored his first playoff goal on Bill Ranford in an 8–2 Chicago victory. Peluso played a key role in the Blackhawks' run to the 1992 Stanley Cup Finals that playoffs where they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins.