Ray Cullen

{{Short description|Canadian ice hockey player (1941–2021)}} {{One source|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox ice hockey player | image = RayCullenVAN.png | caption=Cullen in 1970 photo | played_for = New York Rangers<br />Detroit Red Wings<br />Minnesota North Stars<br />Vancouver Canucks | league = NHL | position = Centre | shoots = Right | height_ft = 5 | height_in = 11 | weight_lb = 178 | birth_date = {{birth date|1941|9|20}} | birth_place = St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada | death_date={{death date and age|2021|3|14|1941|9|20}} |death_place=London, Ontario, Canada | career_start = 1965 | career_end = 1971 }} '''Raymond Murray Cullen''' (September 20, 1941 – March 14, 2021) was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played six seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, Minnesota North Stars and Vancouver Canucks. Cullen scored in the first North Stars home game and also in the first North Stars home playoff game. As of 2026, Cullen is one of just four players in the expansion era to score a goal in the first home game of an expansion team in the regular season and the playoffs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/48526483/2026-nhl-playoffs-stanley-cup-preview-stats-schedule-top-players-bracket-matchups|title=Stanley Cup playoffs daily: Previews, stats, schedule, bracket|date=April 27, 2026|website=ESPN}}</ref>

Prior to joining the NHL, Cullen played several seasons in different minor leagues, being named to the First All-Star Team in his only seasons in both the EHL and CPHL, as well as being named the EHL rookie of the year. He also was the winner of the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as the rookie of the year in the American Hockey League in 1964–65. Ray's older brothers, Brian and Barry, also played in the NHL.

Born in St. Catharines, Ontario, Cullen was the owner of Ray Cullen Chevrolet Buick GMC dealership in London, Ontario. He died on March 14, 2021, at the age of 79.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/ray-cullen-dies-but-his-jingle-and-hockey-past-remembered-1.5950515| title = Ray Cullen dies but his jingle and hockey past remembered {{!}} CBC News}} </ref>

==Career statistics== thumb|1966-67 postcard of Cullen for Detroit Red Wings ===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 |- | 1958–59 | St. Catharines Teepees | OHA | 54 || 19 || 14 || 33 || 46 | 7 || 1 || 1 || 2 || 0 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1959–60 | St. Catharines Teepees | OHA | 48 || 48 || 29 || 77 || 60 | 17 || 15 || 17 || 32 || 20 |- | 1960–61 | St. Catharines Teepees | OHA | 45 || 24 || 50 || 74 || 56 | 6 || 2 || 2 || 4 || 10 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1961–62 | St. Catherines Teepees | OHA | 50 || 36 || 42 || 78 || 63 | 6 || 4 || 2 || 6 || 0 |- | 1962–63 | Knoxville Knights | EHL | 67 || 66 || 43 || 109 || 32 | 5 || 4 || 1 || 5 || 0 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1963–64 | St. Louis Braves | CPHL | 63 || 46 || 52 || 98 || 24 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 1964–65 | Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 70 || 28 || 36 || 64 || 18 | 9 || 3 || 6 || 9 || 17 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1965–66 | New York Rangers | NHL | 8 || 1 || 3 || 4 || 0 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 1965–66 | Baltimore Clippers | AHL | 63 || 27 || 46 || 73 || 40 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1966–67 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 27 || 8 || 8 || 16 || 8 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 1966–67 | Pittsburgh Hornets | AHL | 28 || 15 || 14 || 29 || 8 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1967–68 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 67 || 28 || 25 || 53 || 18 | 14 || 2 || 6 || 8 || 2 |- | 1968–69 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 67 || 26 || 38 || 64 || 44 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1969–70 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 74 || 17 || 28 || 45 || 8 | 6 || 1 || 4 || 5 || 0 |- | 1970–71 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 70 || 12 || 21 || 33 || 42 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | NHL totals ! 313 !! 92 !! 123 !! 215 !! 120 ! 20 !! 3 !! 10 !! 13 !! 2 |}

==Awards==

===EHL=== {| class="wikitable" ! Award ! Year(s) |- | EHL First All-Star Team | 1962–63 |- | EHL Rookie of the Year | 1962–63 |}

===CPHL=== {| class="wikitable" ! Award ! Year(s) |- | CPHL First All-Star Team | 1963–64 |}

===AHL=== {| class="wikitable" ! Award ! Year(s) |- | Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award | 1964–65 |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

== External links == *{{icehockeystats|legends=12382}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cullen, Ray}} Category:1941 births Category:2021 deaths Category:Baltimore Clippers players Category:Buffalo Bisons (AHL) players Category:Canadian ice hockey centres Category:Detroit Red Wings players Category:Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Category:Ice hockey people from St. Catharines Category:Minnesota North Stars players Category:20th-century Canadian sportsmen Category:New York Rangers players Category:Pittsburgh Hornets players Category:St. Catharines Teepees players Category:Vancouver Canucks players Ray