Jeff Beukeboom

Jeff Beukeboom (born Jeffrey Scott Beukeboom on March 28, 1965) is a former NHL defenceman and current assistant coach for the New York Rangers.

Playing Career
Jeff played junior hockey for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (from 1982 to 1985).

After being selected in the first round (19th overall) of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers, he played in juniors for two more years before joining the Oilers. He won three Stanley Cups there and was known as a hard-hitting defenceman.

On November 12, 1991, Jeff was traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the New York Rangers on November 12, 1991 the same day the other member of the twin towers tandem in Edmonton, Steve Smith was undergoing a salary aribitration with the Chicago Blackhawks.

At the time, neither the Rangers nor Oilers made any announcement to indicate that Jeff was part of the Mark Messier trade.

At 6'5" 230 lbs, Jeff quickly established himself as a fan favourite and an anchor of the defence with his bodychecks and willingness to protect his teammates, through fighting if necessary. He played on the top defensive pairing with Brian Leetch and was an alternate captain.

Jeff's stay-at-home play allowed Leetch to lead the rush and kept opposing players out of the goal crease. He led the team in penalty minutes three times (1992–93, 93–94, 95–96) and was on four Stanley Cup winning teams (1987, 1988, 1990 and 1994).

He was also known for his philanthropy, including Ice Hockey in Harlem. He won the Rangers' Crumb Bum Award in 1996 (which is given for service to local youngsters).

While with the Rangers, Jeff also appeared in a memorable This is Sportscenter spot in which he assaults ESPN's Steve Levy after being told Levy had referred to him on-air as "puke-a-boom".

Due to his physical play, Jeff suffered from multiple concussions, the most devastating of which came as a result of a sucker punch by Matt Johnson of the Los Angeles Kings in November of 1998. Johnson would receive a 12-game suspension for intent to injure.

While Jeff returned after a few games off he injured his head again in a minor collision with Martin Gelinas in February of 1999.

Afterward, he was left with recurrent headaches, memory loss, nausea and mental fogginess that lasted for months. Jeff was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome and was ordered to never play hockey again.

Even after retiring, Jeff continued to suffer from post-concussion symptoms for almost two years before finally recovering.

He played in his last game on February 12, 1999 and he retired in July of 1999 with with a total of 1890 NHL penalty minutes in 804 games played. He is currently second all-time on the Rangers' penalty minutes list.

Coaching Career
Jeff returned to hockey as an assistant coach for the Toronto Roadrunners (AHL) for the 2003–2004 season.

In 2005, he became President and part-owner of the Lindsay Muskies of the Ontario Provincial Junior "A" Hockey League.

In 2008, Jeff became an assistant coach with the Barrie Colts in the Ontario Hockey League.

In June of 2009, he was named the assistant coach of the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League. In 2012, he returned to the AHL as an assistant coach for the Hartford Wolf Pack.

In 2016, Jeff was hired as an assistant coach ￼for the New York Rangers.

Accolades

 * Won a Stanley Cup with the Edmonton Oilers in 1987, 1988 and 1990. Also won with the New York Rangers in 1994.
 * NY Rangers Crumb Bum Award - service to local youngsters (1996)
 * OHL All-Star First Team (1984–85)
 * Was ranked No. 50 on the all-time list of New York Rangers in the book "100 Ranger Greats" (John Wiley & Sons, 2009).

Personal Life
Jeff grew up in Lindsay, Ontario, Canada. His brothers, John and Brian played hockey in the OHL.

His son, Brock Beukeboom (born on April 1, 1992) was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, but in February of 2011, he was traded to the St. Louis Blues. These days, he currently plays for the UPEI (U. of Prince Edward Island) Panthers.

His daughter, Tyson plays rugby for St. Francis Xavier University and in 2012, she was nominated for the CIS Female Athlete of the Year.

Jeff's cousin is former NHL player Joe Nieuwendyk and his nephew, Johnny McGuire, has played professionally with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League and the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL.