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Cameron "Cam" Michael Neely (born June 6, 1965, in
Comox, British Columbia) played winger (ice
hockey)|right wing in the National Hockey League
from 1983 to 1996. He was originally drafted by
the Vancouver Canucks and played three dismal
seasons in Vancouver. The Canucks traded Neely and
a draft pick (1st choice, 3rd overall in the 1987
NHL Entry Draft) to the Boston Bruins for Barry
Pederson. Almost immediately, it became apparent
that the Bruins had received the better of the
deal. In his first full season following the
trade, Neely's 36 goals led the club, and his 72
points more than doubled his previous year's
performance. 

Neely's success stemmed largely from his hard,
accurate shot, quick release, and his willingness
to engage in the more physical aspects of the
game. At 6'01" and 215 lbs, Neely was as
devastating with his body checks and fists, as he
was with his goal scoring exploits.  He became the
archetype of the ultimate Power forward
(hockey)|power forward (in draft after draft,
general managers would say that they needed to
find a "Cam Neely" type).

Neely would play ten seasons with the Bruins, and
though increasingly injury-prone, recorded some
remarkable scoring feats.  Only Wayne Gretzky,
Mario Lemieux, and Brett Hull scored a better
goals per game average over the course of an NHL
season than Neely did with his
50-goals-in-49-games in 1993-94. Also, only ten
players in NHL history scored a better goals per
game average over their career than Neely.  He
reached the fifty goal mark three times, played in
five All-Star games, and was named the league's
Second Team All-Star at Winger (hockey)|right wing
in 1987-88 NHL season|1988, 1989-90 NHL
season|1990, 1990-91 NHL season|1991, and 1993-94
NHL season|1994.

Scoring 50 goals in 50 games is considered the
bench-mark of great goal scorers. Maurice Richard,
Mike Bossy, Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull, Mario
Lemieux, and Jari Kurri are the only other players
to score 50 goals in 50 games or less.
Unfortunately, Cam Neely's 50 in 49 does not count
in the record books because the record books state
"50 goals in 50 team games or less". Neely was
injured for much of the 1993-94 NHL season and did
not score his 50th goal in his team's 50th game or
less.

In addition, Neely's intense efforts to come back
time and again from his devastating injuries were
recognized with his winning of the Bill Masterton
Memorial Trophy|Masterton Trophy after the 1993-94
season. Sadly, a degenerative hip condition forced
Neely into a premature retirement. His #8 jersey
has been retired by the Bruins.

Neely was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in
2005.

Off the ice, Neely's personal family tragedies
with both his mom and dad, both dying of cancer,
have made Neely very aware of those whose
circumstances are less fortunate than his own.
Today, Neely remains active in the Cam Neely
Foundation run in conjunction with the New England
Medical Center, where patients and their families
avail themselves of accommodation at the "Neely
House" while undergoing cancer treatments.

Neely has also appeared on close friend Denis
Leary's series Rescue Me, playing a hockey-playing
firefighter who wreaks havoc during a NYPD vs.
FDNY game. 

Neely also had a cameo appearance in the movie
Dumb & Dumber, as the character Sea Bass.

==See also==
* Hockey Hall of Fame
* List of NHL players
* List of NHL seasons
* Power forward (ice hockey)
* 50 goals in 50 games

de:Cam Neely (Eishockeyspieler)