John Tonelli

Turning pro with the WHA’s Houston Aeros at 18, John Tonelli played with the father-son combination of Gordie and Mark Howe.  The Aeros only last three seasons and the New York Islanders picked up Tonelli.  He became known as a digger, began to become more aggressive, and scored more.  He was a key component of the Islanders’ Stanley Cup dynasty from 1980 to 1983.  His hard work was rewarded with a Team Canada call-up for the 1984 Canada Cup series.  He had nine points and was named the tournament’s top player.  After that, he had his best season ever with 42 goals and 100 points.  He then moved to Calgary for two and a half seasons, Los Angeles for three and then finished up his career in Chicago and Quebec.  He retired in 1992 with 836 points in 911 games.

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