27 greatest American NHL players of all-time

Center. Minnesota North Stars. Neal Broten. 17. player. 119. <p>Neal Broten was a college star at Minnesota where he won the 1979 NCAA title and the Hobey Baker Award in 1980-1981 and in between played for the “Miracle on Ice” team that won the gold medal in the 1980 Olympics. He parlayed his amateur success into being the No. 42 pick in the 1979 draft of his hometown Minnesota North Stars.</p> <p>Broten was a star as soon as he hit the ice as a pro when he had a career-high 38 goals to go with his 98 points in his rookie season and finished fourth in the Calder, seventh in the Lady Byng and 13th in the Selke. Four seasons later Broten made history as the first American-born player to have a 100-point season when he had a career-high 105 points. He had 76 assists that year and finished eighth in the Hart voting.</p> <p>He was traded to the New Jersey Devils before the deadline in 1995 and had four game-winning goals and 19 points in 20 games for the Stanley Cup champions. Broten ranks ninth among Americans with 634 career assists and 11th with 923 career points.</p>