Rick Middleton

For the American football player, see Rick Middleton (American football).

Rick Middleton
Middleton in 2010
Born	(1953-12-04) December 4, 1953 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shot	Right
Played for	New York Rangers Boston Bruins
National team	Canada
NHL draft	14th overall, 1973 New York Rangers
WHA draft	21st overall, 1973 Minnesota Fighting Saints
Playing career	1974–1988
Medal record Representing Canada Ice hockey Canada Cup 1984 Canada 1981 Canada

Richard David "Nifty" Middleton (born December 4, 1953) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player for the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League.

Early life

Middleton was born in Toronto, Canada on Dec 4, 1953 to his parents Terry & Dick Middleton. He began skating at 4 years old when his dad froze a small rink in the backyard and the older boys would take him on the ice so they could skate. He would start playing organized hockey when he was 6 years old along with playing street hockey with his neighbors. As a youth, Middleton played in the 1966 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Wexford, Toronto. Middleton’s family became very supportive of career his father who was a printer by trade would print flags that would say "Go Wexford Go" for the parents to wave at games. Middleton continued to play for the team until he turned 13. When he received an invitation tryout with a new organization in the Toronto Hockey League with the Toronto Young Nationals. Middleton would make the team spending the next 3 years with the team greatly improving his play.

Playing career

A right winger, Middleton was drafted in the first round, 14th overall, by the Rangers in the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft after a glittering junior career with the Oshawa Generals in which he led his league in scoring with his final year with 137 points in 62 games and was named to the league's Second All-Star Team and was awarded the Red Tilson Trophy as the leagues MVP. He spent the 1973–74 season with the Rangers' farm team, the AHL Providence Reds, earning rookie of the year honors with 84 points in 63 games also being named to the AHL's First All-Star Team. He was also named the AHLs rookie of the year for that season.

Middleton made the big club during the 1974–75 season, and despite suffering injuries that restricted him to 47 games, scored 22 goals in that limited time. The following season was not as spectacular, as he scored 24 goals in 77 games while showing defensive deficiencies.

Middleton was traded to the Boston Bruins for Ken Hodge on May 26, 1976. Rangers head coach and general manager John Ferguson Sr. was confident that his team had enough young talent to justify making Middleton expendable. What the Bruins got was a player who was ten years younger and a swifter skater than Hodge. The transaction became even more one-sided in favor of the Bruins when head coach Don Cherry developed Middleton's defensive skills to make him a solid two-way player. Hodge played only a single season more before his career ended, while Middleton became a star in Boston, scoring a hat trick in his first game as a Bruin (October 7, 1976 versus Minnesota) and nearly nine hundred points in a Bruins uniform over the next twelve years. Generally paired with centre Barry Pederson, Middleton had five straight seasons of at least forty goals and ninety points and led the Bruins to perennial glittering records. His leadership was apparent in being named co-captain (with Ray Bourque) to succeed Terry O'Reilly in 1985, a position he held until he retired, wearing the "C" during home games. Middleton was regarded as one of the best one-on-one players of all time and currently ranks second all time in career shooting percentage (19.7) among players with 400+ goals.

In 1977-1978, Middleton really started to show his promise having a career-high year across the board, scoring 25 goals and 66 points with an impressive plus-41 rating in 79 games. The Bruins would make it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final but were defeated by the Montreal Canadiens. He appeared in 15 post-season games, contributing five goals and seven points while maintaining an 18.5% shot percentage. At that point, he started to develop the nickname Rick “Nifty” Middleton. Middleton’s would then continue to get better and better with every season. Scoring 86 points in 1978-79, 92 in 1979-80. Then finally joining the 100 point club in 1980-81 with 44 goals and 59 assists. Throughout this time he would also become highly efficient on the Bruins power-play unit combining for 25 power-play goals and 71 points from 1979-1981. This resulted in him playing in the NHL all star game for the first time in 1981.

The next 3 years would see Middleton would become one of the premier wingers in the league when rookie Barry Pederson was put on his line at center. He and Barry clicked immediately and had 3 of the best season's together as any 2 linemates in NHL history  Together, from 1981-84, they would post over 200 points/season and help the Bruins finish first in 1983.

His best season was the 1981–82 season, during which Middleton scored a career high 51 goals, won the Lady Byng Trophy for excellence and sportsmanship, finished seventh among the league in scoring, placed first among all NHL players in shooting percentage with an 25.2% and was named to the NHL's Second All-Star Team. The following season, Middleton scored 96 points, led the Bruins to the league's best regular season record, and set unbroken records that year for the most points scored in the playoffs by a player not advancing to the finals (33) and for a single playoff series (19, in the quarterfinals against Buffalo). His best statistical season came during the 1983–84 season when he scored 105 points (47 goals 58 assists) in which he tied Ken Hodge's team record for most points scored in a season by a right winger, and remains unbroken. the following year Middletons number would start to decline however he still managed to have a 76 point season. But when 1985 came around Middleton struggled to stay healthy as injuries started to sideline him only appeared in 49 games that season. Then in 1986 he had somewhat recovered appearing in 76 games and scored 31 goals and 68 points. However he would play his final season in the NHL from 1987-1988 due to a lingering injury sustained in 1986. Middleton would officially retire from the NHL in 1988.

Middleton scored 25 shorthanded goals for Boston—a Bruins' team record that was surpassed by Brad Marchand in 2018–19. Middleton had held the club record for more than 30 years since overtaking Derek Sanderson's record of 24.

Middleton also starred in international play, being named to play for Team Canada in the Canada Cup in 1981 and 1984. Teamed on the top line with Wayne Gretzky and Michel Goulet in the 1984 series, he scored four goals and four assists in seven games. Further, Middleton played in the NHL All-Star Game in 1981, 1982 and 1984.

At the time of his retirement following the 1987–88 season, Middleton ranked third on the Boston Bruins' all-time regular-season scoring list (trailing only Johnny Bucyk and Phil Esposito) with 402 goals and 496 assists for 898 points—10 more than Bobby Orr accumulated. As of the end of the 2020–21 season, Middleton was in fifth spot, having been overtaken on the list by both Raymond Bourque and Patrice Bergeron.

Middleton's 100 playoff points for Boston puts him in a sixth-place tie with Bucyk on the club's all-time list.

On November 29, 2018, the Boston Bruins retired Middleton's #16 before a game against the New York Islanders at TD Garden.

Awards, honors and achievements

• Won Red Tilson Trophy (OHL Most Outstanding Player) in 1973.
• Won Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award (AHL Rookie of the Year) in 1974.
• Named to the AHL First All-Star Team in 1974.
• Seventh Player Award — 1979
• Elizabeth C. Dufresne Trophy — 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984
• Bruins Three Stars Awards — 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984
• NHL All-Star Game — 1981, 1982, 1984
• 1981 Canada Cup Silver Medal
• Won NHL Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1982.
• Named to the NHL Second All-Star Team in 1982.
• 1984 Canada Cup Gold Medal
• His #16 Jersey was retired by the Boston Bruins on November 29, 2018.
• Named One of the Top 100 Best Bruins Players of all Time.
• Named to the Boston Bruins All-Centennial Team.

As a coach

• Coached the United States 2002 Paralympic Sled Hockey team to a Gold medal at the 2002 Paralympic Olympics.
• Inducted into the U.S hockey hall of fame in 2024 as a member of the 2002 United States Paralympic Sled hockey team.

NHL records

• Most points in one playoff series: (19)
• Most shorthanded assists in a single playoff game (2)
• Most even strength points in a single playoff game (6)
• Highest playoff points per game average in one post-season by a right winger: (1.94)
• Highest playoff assists per game average in one post-season by a right winger: (1.29)
• Highest plus/minus in a single playoff game for a forward (+6)
• Most even strength assists in a single game for a right winger (4)
• Highest points per game average by a right winger in a single game (6.00)

Retirement

In the 1986 season, Middleton was struck by a puck on the temple in practice, and missed the remainder of the season and playoffs with a concussion. Although he wore a helmet thereafter and recovered enough to score 31 goals the following year, he had recurring headaches for the rest of his career, and retired from the NHL following the 1988 season.

He would play one season in Switzerland in 1988-89 for EHC Bulach scoring 11 goals and 14 assists in 25 games. He would then officially retire from the sport at the end of the season.

He retired with 448 goals and 540 assists for 988 points in 1005 games, and added 100 points in 114 playoff games.

After retirement Middleton started his own business, named Rick Middleton Enterprises, in which he published wholesale catalogs for barber and beauty shops nationwide.

In 1990 along side his old business partner CB Sullivan the two would start their own yearly celebrity golf tournament. That featured various New England athletes. The event lasted for over 20 years.

He was one of five plaintiffs along with Dave Forbes, Brad Park, Ulf Nilsson and Doug Smail in Forbes v. Eagleson, a class action lawsuit filed in 1995 on behalf of about 1,000 NHL players who were employed by NHL teams between 1972 and 1991 against Alan Eagleson, the league and its member clubs. The players alleged that the NHL and its teams violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act by colluding with Eagleson to enable him to embezzle from the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) and that the four-year statute of limitations in civil racketeering cases began when Eagleson was indicted in 1994. The lawsuit was dismissed on August 27, 1998, in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania by Thomas Newman O'Neill Jr. who ruled that the statute of limitations expired because it had begun in 1991 when the players were made aware of the allegations against Eagleson. O'Neill's decision was upheld in the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on October 17, 2000. Joe McDonald speculated in a May 14, 2020 article in The Athletic that Middleton's participation in the lawsuit jeopardized his chances of induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

In 2002 Middleton would join the international level, serving as a head coach of the United States 2002 Paralympic Sled Hockey team. Middleton who had little experience with the sport before taking the position. Would end up taking a team that were considerable underdogs to great heights. The team would go 5-0 in the preliminary round. Then leading the team to their first ever gold medal with a 4-3 victory over Norway. This would make them the first American team to win gold in the Paralympic Games. The team would later be inducted into U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame in 2022 and the USA hockey hall of fame in 2024.

He is currently the President of Boston Bruins Alumni and a partner in Orlanda Energy Systems. Middleton joined with New England High School Sports Showcases, running high school hockey showcases beginning in June 2014.

Middleton has also be inducted into a fair share of hall of fames since retirement, in 2005 he was inducted into the Oshawa Generals, In 2012 the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame and finally the New Hampshire Legends of Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014.

In 2018 Middleton was honored by the Sports museum’s tradition event at the TD garden being part of that years class and being given the hockey legacy award.

Middleton has also become involved in local charity organizations. Being involved with Ace Bailey Foundation since its inception in 2001. Later being awarded the foundations Ace Bailey Good Guy Award in 2015. He would remain active with the charity until it closed down in 2020. He still participates in local golf and hockey events in order to help raise money for multiple charities.

Middleton now resides in Hampton he is married to his wife Liz he has 2 step children. He has 3 biological children from a previous marriage 2 sons Jarret and Brett and 1 daughter Claudine. He spends his time finishing and playing golf.

NESN

Middleton was a studio analyst for New England Sports Network (NESN), which covers the Boston Bruins, from 2002 to 2007.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1971–72	Oshawa Generals	OHA-Jr.		53	36	34	70	24		12	5	5	10	2
1972–73	Oshawa Generals	OHA-Jr.		62	67	70	137	14		—	—	—	—	—
1973–74	Providence Reds	AHL		63	36	48	84	14		15	9	6	15	2
1974–75	New York Rangers	NHL		47	22	18	40	19		3	0	0	0	2
1975–76	New York Rangers	NHL		77	24	26	50	14		—	—	—	—	—
1976–77	Boston Bruins	NHL		72	20	22	42	2		13	5	4	9	0
1977–78	Boston Bruins	NHL		79	25	35	60	8		15	5	2	7	0
1978–79	Boston Bruins	NHL		71	38	48	86	7		11	4	8	12	0
1979–80	Boston Bruins	NHL		80	40	52	92	24		10	4	2	6	5
1980–81	Boston Bruins	NHL		80	44	59	103	16		3	0	1	1	2
1981–82	Boston Bruins	NHL		75	51	43	94	12		11	6	9	15	0
1982–83	Boston Bruins	NHL		80	49	47	96	8		17	11	22	33	6
1983–84	Boston Bruins	NHL		80	47	58	105	14		3	0	0	0	0
1984–85	Boston Bruins	NHL		80	30	46	76	6		5	3	0	3	0
1985–86	Boston Bruins	NHL		49	14	30	44	10		—	—	—	—	—
1986–87	Boston Bruins	NHL		76	31	37	68	6		4	2	2	4	0
1987–88	Boston Bruins	NHL		59	13	19	32	11		19	5	5	10	4
NHL totals				1,005	448	540	988	157		114	45	55	100	19

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1981	Canada	CC			7	1	2	3	0
1984	Canada	CC			7	4	4	8	0
Senior totals					14	5	6	11	0

See also

• List of NHL players with 1,000 games played

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database