Darcy Tucker
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Darcy Tucker (born March 15, 1975 in Castor, Alberta) is an ice hockey player with the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs.
Early career
The 5'10" winger was drafted in the 6th round (151st overall) by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. In 1996, Tucker won the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as the top rookie of the American Hockey League, while playing for the Fredericton Canadiens. He was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning with Stephane Richer and David Wilkie for Patrick Poulin, Igor Ulanov and Mick Vukota in 1998 where he played for 3 seasons before being traded to the Maple Leafs in 2000 for Mike Johnson.
Controversies
Tucker became notorious on Long Island during the 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs after he hip-checked Islanders captain Michael Peca's knees during Game Six of the first round. The check blew out Peca's MCL and ACL, ending his season and delaying his entry into the 2002-2003 campaign. The hit was considered legal and no penalty was assesed.
On April 3, 2006, Tucker's notoriety continued when he was involved in a knee-on-knee collision with Buffalo Sabres winger Jochen Hecht, leaving Hecht with a minor knee injury. Tucker went after Hecht in retribution from sustaining a hit from Sabres' teammate Mike Grier earlier in the play. When approached by Tucker, Hecht retaliated and swung his stick at Tucker's head, resulting in a high-sticking penalty. Angered by the non-call on Tucker, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff immediately called for him to be suspended and fined for the gesture, stating in a post-game media gathering that Tucker's actions were "A joke!" (nine times in total over a two minute interview), a reaction that many observers have found to be amusing.
External links
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