{{Short description|Canadian-Italian ice hockey centre (1971–2024)|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Sources|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox ice hockey player | image = | image_size = | caption = | played_for = HC Asiago<br>Frankfurt Lions<br>Winnipeg Jets | league = NHL | position = Centre | shoots = Left | height_ft = 5 | height_in = 11 | weight_lb = 209 | ntl_team = Italy | birth_date = {{birth date|1971|2|21}} | birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada | death_date = {{death date and age|2024|10|2|1971|2|21}} | death_place = | draft = 46th overall | draft_year = 1989 | draft_team = Winnipeg Jets | career_start = 1991 | career_end = 2008 }}
'''Jason Gerardo Cirone''' (February 21, 1971 – October 2, 2024) was a Canadian-Italian professional ice hockey centre. He played for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League and was the former head coach of the Metro Jets of the North American 3 Hockey League. He was head coach of the Midland University Men's hockey team in Fremont, Nebraska. Internationally, Cirone represented Italy at several World Championships and at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
==Playing career== As a youth, Cirone played in the 1984 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Don Mills.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.publicationsports.com/ressources/files/439/Joueurs_Pro.pdf|title=Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA|year=2018|website=Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament|access-date=January 20, 2019|archive-date=March 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306085544/https://www.publicationsports.com/ressources/files/439/Joueurs_Pro.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Cirone was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in the third round (46th overall) in the 1989 NHL entry draft. He played junior hockey for the Cornwall Royals and Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. Cirone appeared in three games with the Jets during the 1991–92 season.{{cn|date=January 2019}}
In August 1993, the Jets traded Cirone to the Florida Panthers in exchange for forward Dave Tomlinson.{{cn|date=January 2019}}
Cirone had a successful career in minor-league hockey.{{cn|date=January 2019}} He played for the Moncton Hawks and Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League; and the Cincinnati Cyclones, Los Angeles Ice Dogs, Kansas City Blades, and Flint Generals of the International Hockey League. In 2006–07 he was a player-assistant coach with the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees of the Central Hockey League.{{cn|date=January 2019}} Cirone had two stints overseas for Asiago HC on the Italian Ice Hockey League in 1992–93 and then again from 2001 to 2006, and the Frankfurt Lions of the German Ice Hockey League in 2000–01. Cirone also spent two seasons playing roller hockey for the Buffalo Stampede in 1994 and 1995.{{cn|date=January 2019}}
Cirone held an Italian passport, and played in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy as a member of the Italian team.{{cn|date=January 2019}}
==Coaching career== Cirone was the Midland University Men's Hockey team's head coach in Fremont, Nebraska from 2013 to 2021. Cirone was previously the head coach of the Metro Jets of the North American 3 Hockey League located in Waterford, Michigan. He also had previously served as an assistant coach for the Jets.{{cn|date=January 2019}}
==Death== Cirone died from cancer on October 2, 2024, at the age of 53.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gerics |first1=Chris |title=Former Winnipeg Jets draft pick Jason Cirone passes away at 53 |url=https://www.yardbarker.com/nhl/articles/former_winnipeg_jets_draft_pick_jason_cirone_passes_away_at_53/s1_17430_40992273 |access-date=3 October 2024 |work=Yardbarker |date=2 October 2024}}</ref>
==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 ! Team ! League ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM |- | 1986–87 | Toronto Red Wings U18 AAA | GTHL | 36 || 53 || 64 || 117 || 125 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1987–88 | Cornwall Royals | OHL | 53 || 12 || 11 || 23 || 41 | 11 || 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 |- | 1988–89 | Cornwall Royals | OHL | 64 || 39 || 44 || 83 || 67 | 17 || 19 || 8 || 27 || 14 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1989–90 | Cornwall Royals | OHL | 32 || 21 || 43 || 64 || 56 | 6 || 4 || 6 || 10 || 14 |- | 1990–91 | Cornwall Royals | OHL | 40 || 31 || 29 || 60 || 66 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1990–91 | Windsor Spitfires | OHL | 23 || 27 || 23 || 50 || 31 | 11 || 9 || 8 || 17 || 14 |- | 1991–92 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 3 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 2 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1991–92 | Moncton Hawks | AHL | 64 || 32 || 27 || 59 || 124 | 10 || 1 || 1 || 2 || 8 |- | 1992–93 | HC Asiago | ITA | 16 || 6 || 5 || 11 || 18 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1993–94 | Cincinnati Cyclones | IHL | 26 || 4 || 2 || 6 || 61 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 1993–94 | Birmingham Bulls | ECHL | 11 || 3 || 3 || 6 || 45 | 10 || 8 || 8 || 16 || 67 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1994–95 | Cincinnati Cyclones | IHL | 74 || 22 || 15 || 37 || 170 | 9 || 1 || 1 || 2 || 14 |- | 1995–96 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 24 || 4 || 5 || 9 || 34 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1995–96 | San Diego Gulls | WCHL | 3 || 2 || 1 || 3 || 20 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 1995–96 | Los Angeles Ice Dogs | IHL | 26 || 8 || 10 || 18 || 47 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1996–97 | Long Beach Ice Dogs | IHL | 11 || 4 || 3 || 7 || 14 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 1996–97 | Kansas City Blades | IHL | 70 || 18 || 38 || 56 || 88 | 3 || 0 || 3 || 3 || 2 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1997–98 | Kansas City Blades | IHL | 82 || 22 || 30 || 52 || 166 | 11 || 3 || 3 || 6 || 20 |- | 1998–99 | Kansas City Blades | IHL | 82 || 42 || 26 || 68 || 151 | 3 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 8 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1999–2000 | Kansas City Blades | IHL | 71 || 19 || 24 || 43 || 133 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 2000–01 | Frankfurt Lions | DEL | 51 || 18 || 17 || 35 || 138 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2001–02 | HC Asiago | ITA | 37 || 20 || 13 || 33 || 77 | 4 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 4 |- | 2002–03 | HC Asiago | ITA | 33 || 16 || 18 || 34 || 124 | 11 || 3 || 2 || 5 || 22 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2003–04 | HC Asiago | ITA | 38 || 31 || 21 || 52 || 79 | 12 || 6 || 5 || 11 || 16 |- | 2004–05 | HC Asiago | ITA | 18 || 1 || 13 || 14 || 34 | 3 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 2 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2005–06 | HC Asiago | ITA | 46 || 18 || 31 || 49 || 78 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 2006–07 | Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees | CHL | 59 || 28 || 35 || 63 || 84 | 5 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 4 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2007–08 | Flint Generals | IHL | 63 || 21 || 41 || 62 || 64 | 5 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 2 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | IHL totals ! 505 !! 160 !! 189 !! 349 !! 894 ! 31 !! 5 !! 8 !! 13 !! 46 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | NHL totals ! 3 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 2 ! — !! — !! — !! — !! — |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | ITA totals ! 188 !! 92 !! 101 !! 193 !! 410 ! 30 !! 9 !! 9 !! 18 !! 44 |}
===International=== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:40em" |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Year ! Team ! Event ! rowspan="102" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM |- | 2004 | Italy | WC D1 | 5 || 2 || 1 || 3 || 10 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2006 | Italy | OG | 5 || 1 || 1 || 2 || 6 |- | 2006 | Italy | WC | 6 || 0 || 2 || 2 || 18 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2007 | Italy | WC | 6 || 2 || 2 || 4 || 4 |- | 2008 | Italy | WC | 5 || 3 || 1 || 4 || 0 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3"| Senior totals ! 27 !! 8 !! 7 !! 15 !! 38 |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{sports links}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cirone, Jason}} Category:1971 births Category:2024 deaths Category:Asiago Hockey 1935 players Category:Birmingham Bulls (ECHL) players Category:Buffalo Stampede players Category:Canadian ice hockey centres Category:Canadian inline hockey players Category:Canadian sportspeople of Italian descent Category:Cincinnati Cyclones (IHL) players Category:Cornwall Royals players Category:Flint Generals players Category:Frankfurt Lions players Category:Ice hockey people from Toronto Category:Ice hockey players at the 2006 Winter Olympics Category:Italian inline hockey players Category:Kansas City Blades players Category:Long Beach Ice Dogs (IHL) players Category:Los Angeles Ice Dogs players Category:Moncton Hawks players Category:Olympic ice hockey players for Italy Category:Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees players Category:Rochester Americans players Category:Windsor Spitfires players Category:Winnipeg Jets (1979–1996) draft picks Category:Winnipeg Jets (1979–1996) players