Playing Career
Tucker is one of three players, along with Tyson Nash and Ryan Huska, that were a part of all three Kamloops Blazers Memorial Cup wins in 1992, 1994 and 1995. In 1996, while playing for the Fredericton Canadiens, he won the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as the top rookie of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Tucker was drafted in the sixth round (151st overall) by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. He was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning with Stéphane Richer and David Wilkie for Patrick Poulin, Igor Ulanov and Mick Vukota in 1998, where he played for three seasons before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2000 for Mike Johnson.
Tucker became notorious on Long Island during the 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs after he hip-checked the New York Islanders' captain Michael Peca during game five of the first round. The check blew out Peca's MCL and ACL on his left knee, ending his season and delaying his entry into the 2002–03 campaign. No penalty was assessed. In the offseason of 2006, the Leafs signed Peca for one season, making Tucker and Peca teammates.
On June 24, 2008, he became an unrestricted free agent after his former club, the Maple Leafs, bought out the remainder of his contract. On July 1, 2008, he signed a two-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche worth $4.5 million.
On October 1, 2010, Tucker announced his retirement after 14 seasons in the NHL.
Read more about this topic: Darcy Tucker
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