Joe Mullen

Born on February 26, 1957, in Hell’s Kitchen, New York City, Joe Mullen’s early life shaped his dedication to hockey. He began playing roller hockey at five and took to ice skating at ten. His talent quickly became evident, culminating in an impressive 182 points in 40 games for the New York Westsiders in the 1974-75 season of the New York Junior Hockey League. Mullen earned a scholarship to Boston College, where he scored 110 goals in 111 games over four seasons. Despite going undrafted in the NHL, his collegiate success, including leading the Eagles to the ECAC championship in 1978 and being named an all-star in the NCAA tournament, led to him signing as a free agent with the St. Louis Blues in August 1979.

Mullen’s professional career began with the Salt Lake Golden Eagles in the Central Hockey League (CHL), where he won rookie of the year in 1980 and league MVP in 1981. He made his NHL debut in the 1980 Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Blues and became a regular in the 1981-82 season. He was a prolific scorer, achieving 40-goal seasons five times during his tenure with the Blues and later with the Calgary Flames, to whom he was traded in 1986. With the Flames, Mullen earned his first Stanley Cup in 1989, leading the postseason with 16 goals. During this period, he also achieved a personal best of 110 points (51 goals, 59 assists) in 1988-89 and received the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy twice (1986-87, 1988-89) for gentlemanly conduct. He was also named to the NHL First All-Star team in 1989 and played in three NHL All-Star Games (1989, 1990, 1994).

In 1990, Mullen was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he won two more Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992. He became the first American-born player to score 500 goals and 1,000 points in the NHL, reaching these milestones in 1997 and 1995, respectively. His career totals include 502 goals and 1,063 points in 1,062 regular-season games. After retiring in 1997, Mullen transitioned to coaching, serving as an assistant for the Penguins from 2000-2006, including a stint as interim head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He then joined the Philadelphia Flyers organization as an assistant coach from 2007 to 2017. Mullen’s significant contributions to hockey were recognized with his induction into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000. He also received the Lester Patrick Trophy in 1995 for his impact on the sport in the United States.