Matt Cullen

Matt Cullen (born on Matthew David Cullen on November 2, 1976) is an American professional ice hockey centerman who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Playing Career
Matt graduated from Moorhead High School in 1995; his father, Terry Cullen was the school's Varsity ice hockey coach. During his time at Moorhead High, He led Moorhead to three state tourney appearances and two runner-up finishes.

Matt was an all-state tourney selection three years, and was a Mr. Hockey finalist in 1995, when he was named the state’s Player of the Year by the Associated Press after scoring 47 goals and adding 42 assists in 28 games.

Matt played at St. Cloud State University from 1995 to 1997, and was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team in 1995 and WCHA All-Star in 1996. He was then drafted in the second round (35th overall) by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft.

Matt played 5 1/2 seasons with Anaheim before becoming a Florida Panther in 2003. He also played on four World Championship teams and was a 2004 bronze medalist on Team USA. During the 2004-05 NHL lockout, he played in the Italian Serie A with SG Cortina, where he led the league in scoring with 27 goals and 33 assists in 36 games.

In the 2005–06 season, after NHL play resumed, Matt won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes. After the season, he became an unrestricted free agent and subsequently signed a four-year contract with the New York Rangers.

However, after just one season with the Rangers, Matt was traded back to Carolina during the 2006–07 off-season in exchange for defenseman Andrew Hutchinson, forward Joe Barnes and a third-round draft pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft in the Rangers' attempt to free-up salary space underneath the cap.

On February 22, 2009, Matt scored the first hat-trick of his career in a game against the Colorado Avalanche. On February 12, 2010, he was traded to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Alexandre Picard and a second-round draft pick.

On July 1, 2010, he returned to his home state when he signed a three-year deal as a free agent with the Minnesota Wild.

Upon the expiration of his three-year contract with the Minnesota Wild and with the team facing salary cap constraints, Matt departed as a free agent and signed a two-year contract with the Nashville Predators on July 5, 2013.

On August 6, 2015, Matt signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins, reuniting him with former Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford, with whom he won another Stanley Cup.

Personal Life
Matt was born in Virginia, Minnesota, but grew up in Moorhead, Minnesota. He is the older brother of EC Red Bull Salzburg player Mark Cullen as well as of Braehead Clan player Joe Cullen. He has a wife and three sons.

Matt is a Christian and currently resides in West Fargo, North Dakota in the off-season with his family.

He founded the "Cullen Children's Foundation" (also known as "Cully's Kids") in 2003. The foundation provides financial resources to organizations that support children's healthcare needs with an emphasis on cancer.