imported>Mta910: added career AHL totals

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added career AHL totals

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{{Short description|American ice hockey player (born 1982)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox ice hockey player
| name = Tim Stapleton
| image = timstapleton.jpg
| image_size = 230px
| caption = Stapleton with the [[Winnipeg Jets]] in 2011
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|7|19}}
| birth_place = [[La Grange, Illinois|La Grange]], [[Illinois]], [[United States|U.S.]]
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 9
| weight_lb = 180
| position = [[Centre (ice hockey)|Center]]
| shoots = Right
| played_for = [[Jokerit]] [[Toronto Maple Leafs]] [[Atlanta Thrashers]] [[Winnipeg Jets]] [[HC Dinamo Minsk]] [[Ak Bars Kazan]] [[HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk|Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk]] [[Metallurg Magnitogorsk]] [[HC Lugano]] [[Färjestad BK]] [[HC Spartak Moscow]] [[ERC Ingolstadt]]
| ntl_team = USA
| draft = Undrafted
| career_start = 2006
| career_end = 2018
}}

'''Timothy Gabriel Stapleton''' (born July 19, 1982) is an American former professional [[ice hockey]] [[centre (ice hockey)|center]]. He played in the [[National Hockey League]] with the [[Toronto Maple Leafs]], [[Atlanta Thrashers]] and [[Winnipeg Jets]] between 2008 and 2012. In 2011, Stapleton scored the last goal in Thrashers' history.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Wyshynski |first=Greg |date=August 30, 2012 |title=The Essentials: Atlanta Thrashers and Winnipeg Jets (1.0) Edition! |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/essentials-atlanta-thrashers-winnipeg-jets-1-0-edition-213942192--nhl.html |access-date=May 27, 2024 |website=y!sports}}</ref> He is the first player of [[Filipinos|Filipino]] descent to play a game in the [[National Hockey League]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Clinton |first=Mitchell |date=November 8, 2022 |title=Stapleton thrilled to return for Filipino Heritage Night: Former Jet was first Filipino-American to play in the NHL |url=https://www.nhl.com/jets/news/stapleton-thrilled-to-return-for-filipino-heritage-night-337325048 |access-date=May 27, 2024 |website=nhl.com}}</ref>

==Playing career==
Undrafted, Stapleton played for two seasons with the [[Green Bay Gamblers]] of the [[United States Hockey League]]. Stapleton then represented the [[University of Minnesota Duluth]] for four seasons, where he led the team in scoring as a freshman and had back-to-back 40 point seasons.

After a brief stint with the [[Portland Pirates]] of the [[American Hockey League]], he signed with [[Jokerit]] of the Finnish [[SM-liiga]], completing a tryout which led to a one-year contract. During his first Jokerit season, Stapleton won the SM-liiga silver medal and finished second in playoff scoring.

On June 6, 2008, Stapleton signed as a free agent to the [[Toronto Maple Leafs]] for the [[2008-09 NHL season|2008–09]] season.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=461308|title=Leafs ink Stapleton | publisher =[[Toronto Maple Leafs]] | date = 2008-06-06 | access-date = 2010-03-11}}</ref> Stapleton was assigned to the [[Toronto Marlies]] of the [[American Hockey League]] on September 26, 2008.

On 26 February 2009, Stapleton played his first career NHL game with the Toronto Maple Leafs, scoring the shootout winner.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/gamecenter/recap/NHL_20090226_TOR@NYI|title=Maple Leafs 5, Islanders 4 | work =[[CBS Sports]] | date = 2009-02-26 | access-date = 2008-11-10}}</ref> In his next game Stapleton was credited with his first NHL goal against the [[Ottawa Senators]], goaltender [[Brian Elliott]] on February 28, 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=339436|title=With NHL on his mind, Wolves Stapleton glad to be home | publisher =DailyHerald | date = 2009-11-24 | access-date = 2010-03-11}}</ref>

On July 1, 2009, Stapleton was traded to the [[Atlanta Thrashers]] with [[Pavel Kubina]] for [[Garnet Exelby]] and [[Colin Stuart (ice hockey)|Colin Stuart]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thrashers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=434530|title=Thrashers acquire Kubina and Stapleton from Toronto | publisher =[[Atlanta Thrashers]] | date = 2008-07-01 | access-date = 2010-03-11}}</ref> After signing with the Thrashers, Stapleton was then assigned to affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, for the [[2009-10 AHL season|2009–10]] season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thrashers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=442968|title=Thrashers agree to terms with three RFA's|publisher=[[Atlanta Thrashers]]|date=2009-07-17|access-date=2010-03-11|archive-date=2009-07-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090725124654/http://thrashers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=442968|url-status=dead}}</ref>

For the 2010–2011 season, Stapleton signed a professional Try-out agreement with the [[San Antonio Rampage]] of the [[American Hockey League|AHL]]. On November 30, 2010, Stapleton was signed to a 2-year contract by the [[Atlanta Thrashers]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thrashers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=544919&navid=DL%7cATL%7chome|title=Thrashers Sign F Tim Stapleton; Activate F Patrice Cormier from IR and Assign to Chicago (AHL)|publisher=[[Atlanta Thrashers]]|date=2010-11-30|access-date=2010-11-30|archive-date=2010-12-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202093736/http://thrashers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=544919&navid=DL%7CATL%7Chome|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On February 27, 2011, Stapleton scored his first goal since April 16, 2010. It was against his former team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was invited and accepted an invitation to join the United States national team for the [[2011 IIHF World Championship]], [[2013 IIHF World Championship]], and [[2014 IIHF World Championship]], winning bronze in 2013.

At 13:15 of the 3rd period on April 10, 2011, against [[Brent Johnson]] of the [[Pittsburgh Penguins]], Stapleton would score the final goal in the final game in Thrashers' history.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=ESPN |date=April 10, 2011 |title=Penguins 5-2 Thrashers (April 10, 2011) Final Score |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/game/_/gameId/310410028/penguins-jets |access-date=May 27, 2024 |website=[[ESPN]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Associated Press |date=April 11, 2011 |title=Penguins close regular season by beating Thrashers |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/recap/_/gameId/310410028 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240528055427/https://www.espn.com/nhl/recap/_/gameId/310410028 |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 28, 2024 |access-date=May 27, 2024 |website=[[ESPN]]}}</ref> The following season, the Thrashers, including Stapleton, moved to Canada to become the [[Winnipeg Jets]]. For the first time Stapleton remained at the NHL level for an entire season, often playing the point on the power play despite playing his even-strength minutes as a third- or fourth-line forward; partly because of this, he logged career highs (and more than doubled his career NHL totals) in games played, goals, assists and points.

Despite this performance, Stapleton was not re-signed by the Jets when his contract expired the following summer. On July 10, 2012, it was announced that Stapleton had agreed to terms with [[HC Dinamo Minsk|Dinamo Minsk]] of the [[Kontinental Hockey League]]. After a good performance with Dinamo, he signed in 2013 a two-year deal with [[Ak Bars Kazan]].

After only one-season with Ak Bars, Stapleton was released from the remaining year of his contract and joined fellow KHL club, [[HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk|Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk]] on a one-year deal on July 11, 2014.<ref>{{cite web| publisher = [[HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk|Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk]] | date = 2014-07-11 | access-date = 2014-07-11 | title = Stapleton receives contract offer from Neftekhimik | language = Russian | url =http://hcneftekhimik.ru/news/club-life/steplton-prinyal-kontraktnoe-predlozhenie-neftehimika-43721/ }}</ref> Stapleton was traded to [[Metallurg Magnitogorsk]] on December 15, 2014.<ref>{{cite web| publisher = [[Metallurg Magnitogorsk]] | date = 2014-12-15 | access-date = 2014-12-15 | title = Stapleton traded to Magnitogorsk | url =http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/how-russian-economic-uncertainty-impacts-khlers/ }}</ref>

On April 17, 2015, Stapleton left the KHL and signed a one-year contract with Swiss club, EHC Biel of the NLA.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.ehcb.ch/de/slid/4125-ehc-biel-verpflichtet-tim-stapleton | title = EHC Biel committed to Tim Stapleton | publisher = [[EHC Biel]] | language = German | date = 2015-04-17 | access-date = 2015-04-17}}</ref>

On August 1, 2016 he signed with the Karlstad-based, Swedish club [[Färjestad BK]], of the [[Swedish Hockey League]] (SHL). After collecting just 4 points in 20 games, he parted company with the team on November 26, 2016, and inked a deal with [[HC Spartak Moscow]] in a return to the KHL for the remainder of the [[2016-17 KHL season|2016–17]] campaign the following day.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.farjestadbk.se/artikel/33bwaivz0-23h01/|title=Tim Stapleton lämnar Färjestad|newspaper=Färjestad BK|access-date=2016-11-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.spartak.ru/news/tim-steplton-perekhodit-v-spartak/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20161127194547/http://www.spartak.ru/news/tim-steplton-perekhodit-v-spartak/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2016-11-27|title=Tim Stapleton signs with Spartak|website=[[HC Spartak Moscow]]|access-date=2016-11-27|date=2016-11-27|language=Russian}}</ref>

On April 21, 2017, Stapleton agreed to a one-year contract with [[EHC Olten]] of the [[Swiss League]] (SL).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.swisshockeynews.ch/index.php/shn/12-swiss-ice-hockey/nlb/9292-ehc-olten-signs-tim-stapleton-captain-stefan-huerlimann-leaves-the-club|title=EHC Olten signs Tim Stapleton, captain Stefan Hürlimann leaves the club|website=www.swisshockeynews.ch|access-date=2017-04-21|archive-date=2018-08-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180824035827/https://www.swisshockeynews.ch/index.php/shn/12-swiss-ice-hockey/nlb/9292-ehc-olten-signs-tim-stapleton-captain-stefan-huerlimann-leaves-the-club|url-status=dead}}</ref> He contributed with 21 points in 29 games before opting to leave Switzerland and join German club, [[ERC Ingolstadt]] of the [[Deutsche Eishockey Liga]] for the closing stages of the [[2017-18 DEL season|2017–18]] season on January 6, 2018.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.erc-ingolstadt.de/profis/newsdetail?id=5017 | title = ERC brings in Tim Stapleton | publisher = [[ERC Ingolstadt]] | date = 2018-01-06 | access-date = 2018-01-06 | language = German}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Despite being born and raised in the Chicago area, Stapleton is not related to 1970s [[Chicago Blackhawks]] star defenseman [[Pat Stapleton (ice hockey)|Pat Stapleton]] or former [[Winnipeg Jets (1972-1996)|Winnipeg Jets]] and [[Atlanta Thrashers]] forward [[Mike Stapleton]], despite wearing the latter's number with both franchises. Stapleton is half [[Filipino American|Filipino]] and half [[Irish American|Irish]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://umdbulldogs.com/news/2005/11/8/MHOCKEY_1778.aspx |title=Bulldog Sportlight: Time Stapleton |author= |date=8 November 2005 |website=Men's Hockey |publisher=University of Minnesota Duluth |access-date=1 April 2015}}</ref>

Stapleton is Co-Host of the Raw Knuckles Podcast With [[Chris Nilan|Chris "Knuckles" Nilan]].{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}

==Career statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs===
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em"
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"|
! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"|
! colspan="5"|[[Regular season]]
! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"|
! colspan="5"|[[Playoffs]]
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! [[Season (sports)|Season]]
! Team
! League
! GP !! [[Goal (ice hockey)|G]] !! [[Assist (ice hockey)|A]] !! [[Point (ice hockey)|Pts]] !! [[Penalty (ice hockey)|PIM]]
! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM
|-
| 1996–97
| [[Fenwick High School (Oak Park, Illinois)|Fenwick High School]]
| [[Illinois High School Association|HS=IL]]
| — || — || — || — || —
| — || — || — || — || —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1997–98
| Fenwick High School
| HS-IL
| — || — || — || — || —
| — || — || — || — || —
|-
| 1998–99
| Chicago Chill 16U AAA
| 16U AAA
| — || — || — || — || —
| — || — || — || — || —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1999–00
| Chicago Chill 16U AAA
| 16U AAA
| — || — || — || — || —
| — || — || — || — || —
|-
| [[2000–01 USHL season|2000–01]]
| [[Green Bay Gamblers]]
| [[United States Hockey League|USHL]]
| 52 || 7 || 15 || 22 || 8
| 4 || 1 || 2 || 3 || 4
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2001–02 USHL season|2001–02]]
| Green Bay Gamblers
| USHL
| 61 || 24 || 36 || 60 || 10
| 7 || 4 || 7 || 11 || 0
|-
| [[2002–03 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season|2002–03]]
| [[Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs men's ice hockey|University of Minnesota Duluth]]
| [[Western Collegiate Hockey Association|WCHA]]
| 42 || 14 || 28 || 42 || 6
| — || — || — || — || —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2003–04 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season|2003–04]]
| University of Minnesota Duluth
| WCHA
| 43 || 16 || 25 || 41 || 18
| — || — || — || — || —
|-
| [[2004–05 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season|2004–05]]
| University of Minnesota Duluth
| WCHA
| 38 || 19 || 20 || 39 || 6
| — || — || — || — || —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2005–06 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season|2005–06]]
| University of Minnesota Duluth
| WCHA
| 39 || 14 || 16 || 30 || 4
| — || — || — || — || —
|-
| [[2005–06 AHL season|2005–06]]
| [[Portland Pirates]]
| [[American Hockey League|AHL]]
| 9 || 0 || 5 || 5 || 4
| 4 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 2
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2006–07 SM-liiga season|2006–07]]
| [[Jokerit]]
| [[SM-liiga|SM-l]]
| 56 || 19 || 29 || 48 || 28
| 10 || 6 || 4 || 10 || 8
|-
| [[2007–08 SM-liiga season|2007–08]]
| Jokerit
| SM-l
| 55 || 28 || 33 || 61 || 36
| 14 || 9 || 8 || 17 || 8
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2008–09 AHL season|2008–09]]
| [[Toronto Marlies]]
| AHL
| 70 || 28 || 51 || 79 || 26
| 6 || 2 || 0 || 2 || 2
|-
| [[2008–09 NHL season|2008–09]]
| [[Toronto Maple Leafs]]
| [[National Hockey League|NHL]]
| 4 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0
| — || — || — || — || —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2009–10 AHL season|2009–10]]
| [[Chicago Wolves]]
| AHL
| 73 || 30 || 29 || 59 || 18
| 14 || 4 || 9 || 13 || 12
|-
| [[2009–10 NHL season|2009–10]]
| [[Atlanta Thrashers]]
| NHL
| 6 || 2 || 0 || 2 || 2
| — || — || — || — || —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2010–11 NHL season|2010–11]]
| Atlanta Thrashers
| NHL
| 45 || 5 || 2 || 7 || 12
| — || — || — || — || —
|-
| 2010–11
| Chicago Wolves
| AHL
| 4 || 1 || 3 || 4 || 2
| — || — || — || — || —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2010–11 AHL season|2010–11]]
| [[San Antonio Rampage]]
| AHL
| 20 || 8 || 7 || 15 || 2
| — || — || — || — || —
|-
| [[2011–12 NHL season|2011–12]]
| [[Winnipeg Jets]]
| NHL
| 63 || 11 || 16 || 27 || 10
| — || — || — || — || —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2012–13 KHL season|2012–13]]
| [[HC Dinamo Minsk|Dinamo Minsk]]
| [[Kontinental Hockey League|KHL]]
| 52 || 24 || 16 || 40 || 30
| — || — || — || — || —
|-
| [[2013–14 KHL season|2013–14]]
| [[Ak Bars Kazan]]
| KHL
| 54 || 16 || 17 || 33 || 16
| 6 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 2
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2014–15 KHL season|2014–15]]
| [[HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk|Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk]]
| KHL
| 37 || 14 || 12 || 26 || 30
| — || — || — || — || —
|-
| 2014–15
| [[Metallurg Magnitogorsk]]
| KHL
| 18 || 4 || 1 || 5 || 10
| 9 || 4 || 0 || 4 || 14
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2015–16 NLA season|2015–16]]
| [[EHC Biel]]
| [[National League A|NLA]]
| 24 || 5 || 8 || 13 || 20
| — || — || — || — || —
|-
| 2015–16
| [[HC Lugano]]
| NLA
| 19 || 6 || 8 || 14 || 8
| 5 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 6
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2016–17 SHL season|2016–17]]
| [[Färjestad BK]]
| [[Swedish Hockey League|SHL]]
| 20 || 1 || 3 || 4 || 4
| — || — || — || — || —
|-
| [[2016–17 KHL season|2016–17]]
| [[HC Spartak Moscow]]
| KHL
| 22 || 1 || 6 || 7 || 4
| — || — || — || — || —
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2017–18
| [[EHC Olten]]
| [[Swiss League|SWI-2]]
| 29 || 9 || 12 || 21 || 6
| — || — || — || — || —
|-
| [[2017–18 DEL season|2017–18]]
| [[ERC Ingolstadt]]
| [[Deutsche Eishockey Liga|DEL]]
| 8 || 3 || 6 || 9 || 0
| 5 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 0
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | AHL totals
! 176 !! 67 !! 95 !! 162 !! 52
! 24 !! 6 !! 9 !! 15 !! 16
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | NHL totals
! 118 !! 19 !! 18 !! 37 !! 24
! — !! — !! — !! — !! —
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | KHL totals
! 183 !! 59 !! 52 !! 111 !! 90
! 15 !! 4 !! 1 !! 5 !! 16
|}
{{MedalTableTop|name=}}
{{MedalCountry | {{USA}} }}
{{MedalSport | [[Ice hockey]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Ice Hockey World Championships|World Championships]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2013 IIHF World Championship|2013 Sweden/Finland]]|}}
{{MedalBottom}}

===International===
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:40em"
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Year
! Team
! Event
! Result
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |
! GP
! G
! A
! Pts
! PIM
|-
| [[2011 IIHF World Championship|2011]]
| [[United States men's national ice hockey team|United States]]
| [[IIHF World Championship|WC]]
| 8th
| 7
| 0
| 1
| 1
| 0
|- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2013 IIHF World Championship|2013]]
| United States
| WC
| {{bronze3}}
| 10
| 2
| 3
| 5
| 2
|-
| [[2014 IIHF World Championship|2014]]
| United States
| WC
| 6th
| 8
| 0
| 2
| 2
| 2
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan=4 | Senior totals
! 25
! 2
! 6
! 8
! 4
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{icehockeystats}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stapleton, Tim}}
[[Category:1982 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Ak Bars Kazan players]]
[[Category:American men's ice hockey centers]]
[[Category:American sportspeople of Filipino descent]]
[[Category:American people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:Atlanta Thrashers players]]
[[Category:EHC Biel players]]
[[Category:Chicago Wolves players]]
[[Category:Green Bay Gamblers players]]
[[Category:HC Dinamo Minsk players]]
[[Category:Färjestad BK players]]
[[Category:Ice hockey players from Illinois]]
[[Category:ERC Ingolstadt players]]
[[Category:Jokerit players]]
[[Category:HC Lugano players]]
[[Category:Metallurg Magnitogorsk players]]
[[Category:HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk players]]
[[Category:EHC Olten players]]
[[Category:People from Forest Park, Illinois]]
[[Category:Ice hockey people from Cook County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Portland Pirates players]]
[[Category:San Antonio Rampage players]]
[[Category:HC Spartak Moscow players]]
[[Category:Toronto Marlies players]]
[[Category:Toronto Maple Leafs players]]
[[Category:Undrafted National Hockey League players]]
[[Category:Winnipeg Jets players]]
[[Category:American expatriate ice hockey players in Finland]]

Tim Stapleton - Revision history

imported>Mta910: added career AHL totals