James Stephen Cummins (born May 15, 1970) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

former professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

player. Cummins was drafted 67th overall by the

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...

in the

1989 NHL Entry Draft The 1989 NHL entry draft was the 27th NHL entry draft. It was held on June 17 at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. The Detroit Red Wings' 1989 draft has been noted as exceptionally successful, with 5,955 total NHL games played by the p ...

. He played 12 seasons in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

(NHL) for the

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...

Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. The Lightning compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the ...

Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (N ...

Phoenix Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are an inactive professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division (1996–1998, 2021–2024) and ...

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Mighty may refer to: Businesses *Mighty Audio, an American company known for its product ''Mighty'', a portable audio player *Mighty Animation, an animation studio based in Guadalajara, Mexico Films *''The Mighty'', a 1998 comedy–drama * ''The ...

New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...

, and

Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. The Avalanche compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Con ...

Playing career

As a youth, Cummins played in the 1983

Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament () is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, and give an opportunity for international competition to p ...

with the Michigan Dynamos

minor ice hockey Minor ice hockey or minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body c ...

team. Cummins spent three years with the

Michigan State Spartans The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic teams that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 23 Varsity team, varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan Army, Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the sc ...

before going pro. While in college, Cummins established himself as an enforcer. Cummins brought the same intensity to the NHL, where he quickly established a reputation among fellow heavyweights. He made his NHL debut on March 8, 1992 with the

. The Red Wings traded Cummins to the

in June 1993. On March 18, 1994, Cummins was traded by the Flyers to the

in exchange for

Rob DiMaio Robert DiMaio (born February 19, 1968) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in 894 National Hockey League (NHL) games with the New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, New York Range ...

. While playing with the

in 1996, Cummins was suspended eight games and fined $1,000 for an altercation during a game against the

Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Panthers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team initially played it ...

. Cummins' 2001–02 season began slowly after enduring an abdominal injury during training camp with the Ducks. He returned to the lineup only to be injured again and sent to their minor league affiliate, the

Cincinnati Mighty Ducks The Cincinnati Mighty Ducks were a professional ice hockey team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They were members of the American Hockey League, and played their home games at the Cincinnati Gardens. Throughout their existence they were the primary m ...

. On January 14, 2002, Cummins was traded to the

in exchange for

Dave Roche David Roche (born June 13, 1975) is a Canadian former ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames and New York Islanders between 1995 and 2001. Roche was drafted by the Penguins in the t ...

. Then Islanders general manager

Mike Milbury Michael James Milbury (born June 17, 1952) is an American former professional ice hockey player and current sports announcer. He played for twelve seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), all for the Boston Bruins. He helped the Bruins reach ...

had brought him in to give the team some toughness. Cummins originally retired after the 2001–2002 season, but returned to play for the Colorado Avalanche during the 2003–2004 season. After one season with the Avalanche, he retired for good in 2004. , Cummins is currently an amateur scout for the

Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The ...

Career statistics

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cummins, Jim 1970 births Living people Adirondack Red Wings players American men's ice hockey right wingers Atlanta Knights players Calgary Flames scouts Chicago Blackhawks players Cincinnati Mighty Ducks players Colorado Avalanche players Detroit Compuware Ambassadors players Detroit Red Wings players Hershey Bears players Ice hockey players from Michigan Ice hockey people from Wayne County, Michigan Michigan State Spartans men's ice hockey players Mighty Ducks of Anaheim players Montreal Canadiens players New York Islanders players New York Rangers draft picks Philadelphia Flyers players Phoenix Coyotes players Sportspeople from Dearborn, Michigan Tampa Bay Lightning players 20th-century American sportsmen