Bill Guerin

#13 Forward

Height: 6-2
Weight: 210
Shoots: Right
Birthdate: November  9, 1970
Birthplace: Wilbraham, Mass.

Billy Guerin became a hit with scouts and recruiters in 1988-89, when he scored 32 goals and 67 points in the last of his four seasons with NE Junior Coyotes of the Eastern Junior Hockey League. That led to his making the 1989 U.S. World Junior Team and being the first American selected at the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, taken fifth overall by New Jersey. He accepted a hockey scholarship to Boston College, where he spent the next two seasons before joining Team USA for the 1991-92 pre-Olympic tour. Guerin turned pro with the Devils in 1992, playing five regular-season games and six postseason games. He became an NHL regular the following year. Traded to Edmonton in 1998, he spent nearly three years with the Oilers, but finally came home to Boston in a Nov. 15, 2000, deal for Anson Carter.

Billy is the only player on the 2002 U.S. Olympic team who was cut from a previous Olympic squad. It happened in 1992, when Guerin was part of Team USA's pre-Olympic tour. Only 21 at the time, Guerin scored 12 goals and 27 points in 46 games, but missed out on his chance to go to Albertville, France, and play on the team that finished fourth. Guerin, one of the two youngest players along with Keith Tkachuk, was the last forward cut from the team. Six years later he made it to Nagano, Japan, and he'll make his second Olympic appearance a full decade after his tough break in 1992.

Named to the Olympic team for the second time on March 24, 2001, Guerin has played for Team USA at four previous major international tournaments:

1998 Olympics (Nagano, Japan) -- Had three assists in four games. Assisted on Team USA goals in 4-2 opening loss to Sweden. Also had assist in 5-2 win over Belarus.
1996 World Cup -- Played for victorious USA team, registering two assists in seven games.
1990 World Junior Championships (Helsinki, Finland) -- Played all seven games for seventh-place finishers but did not record any points.
1989 World Junior Championships (Anchorage, Alaska) -- Helped Team USA to fifth-place showing on home ice. Had three assists in seven games as Americans went 3-3-1 in tournament.

Guerin is a veteran of 10 NHL seasons, spent with New Jersey, Edmonton and Boston. Here is a look at some of his career highlights:

Began the 2000-01 season with the Edmonton Oilers, notching 22 points (12-10) in 21 games before being traded to Boston on Nov. 15 … established career season-highs in all scoring categories in 2000-01 with 40 goals, 45 assists and 85 points … finished 13th overall in the league's Art Ross scoring race … played the highest number of games of any player in the NHL with 85 combined … received 2001 NHL All-Star Game MVP honors when he tallied a hat trick and two assists in the 14-12 victory by North America … played all or parts of four seasons with Edmonton (1997-98 through 2000-01) … named the team's MVP in 1998-99 … New Jersey's fifth-leading scorer in 1996-97 with 47 points (29-18) in 82 regular-season games … Guerin's 29 goals were a career-high and tied for the team lead in that category … registered a team-best nine game-winning goals in 1996-97 … one of three Devils to appear in all 82 regular-season games in 1996-97 … added three points (2-1) in eight games in the 1996-97 Stanley Cup Playoffs … scored a career-high 53 points (23-30) in 80 regular-season games in 1995-96 … Guerin was one of five Devils to appear in all 48 regular-season games and all 20 Stanley Cup Playoff contests in 1994-95 … scored 25 points (12-13) during the 1994-95 regular season and added 11 points (3-8) during the playoffs as the Devils captured the 1995 Stanley Cup Championship … had three assists in the Cup-clinching victory over the Detroit Red Wings, including an assist on Neal Broten's game-winning goal … as a rookie with New Jersey in 1992-93, Guerin tallied 34 points (14-20) in 65 regular-season games … also played in 18 games for the American Hockey League's Utica Devils in 1992-93, netting 10 goals and seven assists … began his professional career in 1991-92 with Utica before being called up by New Jersey.