Tim Connolly

Timothy L. Connolly (born May 7, 1981) is an American former professional ice hockey player who played eleven seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, and Toronto Maple Leafs. Playing career As a youth, Connolly played in the 1993, 1994 and 1995 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a minor ice hockey team from Syracuse, New York. Connolly played for the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for two seasons, beginning in 1997–98. After recording 68 points in 46 games in his second OHL season, he was drafted fifth overall by the New York Islanders in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. He joined the Islanders for the 1999-2000 season and recorded 31 points in 81 games. He recorded 41 points in 82 games the following season. On June 24, 2001, at the NHL Entry Draft, Connolly and Taylor Pyatt were traded by the Islanders to the Buffalo Sabres for captain Michael Peca. After missing only three regular season games total in his first four seasons in the league, injuries began to plague Connolly's career beginning in 2003–04. He missed the entire season with post-concussion syndrome after suffering a concussion as a result of a hit by Scott Nichol in a preseason game versus the Chicago Blackhawks, a hit that teammate Daniel Briere claimed was dirty. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, he played the second half of the season with SC Langnau in the Swiss Nationalliga A.