Steven Anthony Tambellini (born May 14, 1958) is a Canadian former

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 and former

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for the

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

(July 2008 – April 2013). He is currently a scout for the

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

Playing career

Steve Tambellini played his junior hockey for the Lethbridge Broncos of the WCHL from the 1975–76 season until the 1977–78 season, where he scored 155 goals and notched 181 assists in 193 games. He would earn the WCHL Rookie of the Year for his effort in the 1975–76 season. In the 1978 NHL Entry Draft, Tambellini was chosen 15th overall by 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 ...

. He would spend two years with New York, winning a

Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...

with them in the

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

season. He was dealt at the trade deadline the next season along with Chico Resch to the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...

in exchange for Mike McEwen. He stayed with Colorado for two seasons, including their first season as the

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The club w ...

as the franchise was relocated in 1982. While playing for the New Jersey Devils, Tambellini scored the new team's first ever hat trick on December 3, 1982, in a 5–4 victory over Hartford. After the 1982–83 season, Steve was traded to the Calgary Flames. He would remain there for two seasons before signing on as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

with the

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

, where he would round out his NHL career. He would go on to play a minor amount of time in both the Swiss Hockey League and the Austrian Hockey League.

International play

During his career, Steve Tambellini represented Canada on three separate occasions: In 1978 he played for Team Canada in the World Junior Hockey Championship, winning a bronze medal after scoring two goals and two assists. He played in the World Hockey Championship as well as the

1988 Winter Olympics The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Calgary 1988 were a multi-sport event held from February 13 to 28, 1988, with Calgary, Calgary, Alberta as the main host city. This marks the m ...

Calgary, Alberta Calgary () is a major city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a Metropolitan area, metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the List of ...

, Canada, where he scored a goal and three assists.

After retirement

After his retirement from hockey, he was hired by the Canucks as the director of public and media relations and remained with the franchise until July 2008. In 1997, he would be promoted to senior vice-president of hockey operations. In 1998 his position would change again, this time to the vice-president of player personnel. In this position he would oversee player development and professional player scouting, until eventually being named assistant general manager to Dave Nonis and to Mike Gillis after Nonis was fired by the Canucks on April 14, 2008. In 2002, he was the director of player personnel for the

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winning Canadian Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team at the

2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 (; Gosiute dialect, Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; ; Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), were an international wi ...

. He would be rewarded again, being named the director of player personnel for both the 2003 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships as well as the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. In 2004, he was inducted into the British Columbia Hockey Hall of Fame. On July 31, 2008, he was named general manager of the

after the Oilers promoted

Kevin Lowe Kevin Hugh Lowe (born April 15, 1959) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive, former coach and former player. Lowe was the vice-chairman of Oilers Entertainment Group until his retirement on August 2, 2022, having formerly served as he ...

to president of hockey operations. On April 13, 2013, he was fired by the Edmonton Oilers, and was replaced by Craig MacTavish. The Anaheim Ducks hired Tambellini as a part-time scout on November 21, 2013.

Personal life

His father, Addie Tambellini, helped the Trail Smoke Eaters win the 1961 World Ice Hockey Championships, the last Canadian amateur team to do so. His oldest son, Jeff Tambellini, was drafted 27th overall by the

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

in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Jeff is now following in his grandfather's foot steps becoming the head coach and general manager of the Trail Smoke Eaters of the BCHL in 2018. His youngest son Adam Tambellini, was drafted 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 ...

65th overall in the 2013 NHL Draft and currently plays for Rogle BK of the

Swedish Hockey League The Swedish Hockey League (SHL; ) is a professional ice hockey league in Sweden and the highest level of the ice hockey in Sweden, Swedish ice hockey system. The league currently consists of 14 teams. The league was founded in 1975, and while Li ...

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tambellini, Steve 1958 births Living people Anaheim Ducks scouts Calgary Flames players Canadian ice hockey centres Colorado Rockies (NHL) players 20th-century Canadian sportsmen Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Edmonton Oilers executives Fort Worth Texans players Ice hockey people from Trail, British Columbia Ice hockey players at the 1988 Winter Olympics Lethbridge Broncos players NHL first-round draft picks New Jersey Devils players New York Islanders draft picks New York Islanders players Olympic ice hockey players for Canada Stanley Cup champions Vancouver Canucks executives Vancouver Canucks players Vancouver Canucks scouts