Randy William Cunneyworth (born May 10, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, former AHL head coach, NHL head coach and assistant coach, as well as a pro scout, and player development coach spanning nearly 40 years.
Cunneyworth recently served as a player development coach with the Buffalo Sabres organization. He played professionally in the National Hockey League (NHL) and American Hockey League (AHL) in a twenty-year career; his coaching résumé includes a brief stint as interim head coach of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens. He had long stints as both a player and coach of the AHL's Rochester Americans. Cunneyworth was born in Etobicoke, Ontario, but grew up in Mississauga, Ontario.
Playing career As a youth, Cunneyworth played in the 1974 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Mississauga.
Mississauga Reps Midgets (1977-78) Cunneyworth played one season of Midget hockey for the Mississauga Reps of the former Metro Toronto Hockey League (GTHL).
Dixie Beehives (1978–1979) A 10th-round selection (129th overall) in the 1978 OHL Midget Draft, Cunneyworth suited up for his first year of junior hockey with the Dixie Beehives of the former OPJHL (now OJHL). As a 17-year-old rookie, Cunneyworth scored 17 goals and 14 assists in 41 games.
Ottawa 67's (1979–1981) After a strong showing with Dixie, Cunneyworth began his major junior hockey career with the Ottawa 67's of the Ontario Hockey League in the 1979–80 season, where in 63 games, he scored 16 goals and 41 points, helping the club into the playoffs. In 11 playoff games, Cunneyworth recorded an assist. Following the season, Cunneyworth was chosen in the eighth round, 167th overall, by general manager Scotty Bowman of the Buffalo Sabres in the 1980 NHL entry draft.
He returned to the Ottawa 67's for the 1980–81 season and led his team in scoring with 54 goals and 128 points in 67 games, as well as leading with 240 penalty minutes. In the playoffs, Cunneyworth appeared in 15 games, scoring five goals and 13 points.
Buffalo Sabres and Rochester Americans (1980–1985) Cunneyworth appeared in one game with the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans in the 1980–81 season, where he earned an assist. He was called up to the Sabres from Ottawa on March 1, 1981 by Sabres GM Scotty Bowman and played in his first NHL game vs the Boston Bruins in Boston 1980–81, where he was held off the scoresheet. He rejoined the Sabres for the post-season along with other prospects following the end of the OHA playoffs, but did not play in any games.
Cunneyworth suffered a serious eye injury (a Barry Melrose high stick) during a September 1981 preseason game at Toronto, and missed the remainder of the preseason. Cunneyworth began the season with Buffalo. During the 1981–82 season, he appeared in 20 games, scoring two goals and six points. He played primarily on the CPR (Canadian Pacific Railroad) line with young teammates Steve Patrick and Lindy Ruff. This nickname was given to the trio by then-Sabres assistant coach Nick Polano. Cunneyworth earned his first NHL assist on October 7, 1981 against the Washington Capitals. He scored his first NHL goal against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on 11-11-81 in New York against goalie Steve Weeks. Cunneyworth was reassigned to the Sabres affiliate in Rochester in late November. He spent the rest of the 1981–82 season with the Rochester Americans, playing in 57 games, scoring 12 goals and 27 points. Cunneyworth spent the playoffs with Rochester, scoring four goals in nine games, as the Americans lost to the Binghamton Whalers in the South Division finals.
Cunneyworth spent the entire 1982–83 season with the Mike Keenan-coached Rochester Americans. He appeared in 78 games scoring 23 goals and 56 points. In 16 playoff games, Cunneyworth had four goals and eight points, helping the Americans win the 1983 Calder Cup Championship defeating the Maine Mariners.
Cunneyworth spent another full season in the American Hockey League in the 1983–84 season with Rochester, scoring 18 goals and 35 points in 65 games, and once again helping the Americans reach the playoffs. In 17 post-season games, Cunneyworth scored five goals and 10 points, as Rochester lost to the Maine Mariners in the 1984 Calder Cup finals.
During the 1984-85 Buffalo Sabres preseason, Cunneyworth scored three goals and had an assist in four exhibition games. He was also among the leading scorers in inter-squad scrimmages but failed to secure a roster spot. The 1984–85 season would be Cunneyworth's third full season with the Americans playing in 72 games for Rochester, scoring 30 goals and 68 points to finish third in team scoring. In five playoff games, Cunneyworth had two goals and three points, as the Americans fell to the Baltimore Skipjacks in the first round of the playoffs.
Cunneyworth and teammate Ted Nolan began using local Rochester businessman Steve Bartlett as their representative/agent.
Although offered a contract, Cunneyworth elected not to re-sign with the Sabres organization, although the team held his rights. Cunneyworth was granted permission by Sabres GM Scotty Bowman to attend the Pittsburgh Penguins training camp/preseason roster. On October 4, 1985, following the pre-season tryout, Bowman traded Cunneyworth and Mike Moller to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Pat Hughes.
Pittsburgh Penguins (1985–1989)
Cunneyworth returned to the NHL for the 1985–86 as a full-time player with the Pittsburgh Penguins. In 75 games, Cunneyworth scored 15 goals and 45 points to finish sixth in team scoring, as Pittsburgh missed the playoffs by two points, finishing in fifth place in the Patrick Division. He was still classified as an NHL rookie for the season.
In 1986–87, Cunneyworth improved his offensive numbers, scoring 26 goals and 53 points in 79 games to finish third in team scoring behind Mario Lemieux and Dan Quinn, however, the Penguins failed to qualify for the playoffs again, finishing in fifth place, four points out of the postseason. Cunneyworth scored a hat trick in the season opener on October 9, 1986 vs Washington, and had a four-goal game at Quebec on March 3, 1987. He recorded 11 multiple-point games. At season's end, he was the Penguins' nominee for the Masterton Trophy.
The 1987–88 season would be the best offensive season of Cunneyworth's career, as he scored 35 goals and 74 points in 71 games, finishing an impressive third in scoring behind Lemieux and Quinn. However, the Penguins once again failed to qualify for the playoffs, finishing in last place in the Patrick Division despite a 36–35–9 record. Though he was considered, Cunneyworth was not selected by Wales Conference Coach Mike Keenan for the NHL All-Star Game, though his point totals ranked among the league leaders for his position at midseason. Cunneyworth missed 8 regular season games from January 16-30 due to an NHL suspension (5 games for a stick incident vs Boston on December 29, and 3 games for a match penalty during a fight with Steve Konroyd vs the NY Islanders on January 12). He recorded 20 multiple-point games, and scored 14 power-play goals.
In 1988, Cunneyworth joined Paul Coffey as one of the team's alternate captains. Playing primarily on the team's second line, he still managed 25 goals and 44 points in 70 games. He was shifted to right wing late in the season in order to create a solid second line for the upcoming playoff run. In 11 playoff games, Cunneyworth scored three goals and eight points, as Pittsburgh lost to the Philadelphia Flyers in seven games in the Patrick Division final. For the first time, Cunneyworth's name appeared on the NHL all-star ballot for left wingers.
Cunneyworth recorded a career game-high 27 minutes in penalties in a game played February 11, 1989 at Quebec, where he was involved in two on-ice fights versus Marc Fortier and Darrin Kimble during a line brawl. Cunneyworth also left the penalty box during the altercation to aid teammate John Cullen. After throwing a punch at Nordiques rookie Joe Sakic, Cunneyworth engaged Kimble in a fight and was head-butted by Kimble. Cunneyworth missed part of the season when he was hit with a shot by Paul Coffey during a Penguins practice on January 24, 1989.
On June 17, 1989, the Penguins traded Cunneyworth, Rick Tabaracci, and Dave McLlwain to the Winnipeg Jets for Jim Kyte, Andrew McBain, and Randy Gilhen.
Winnipeg Jets (1989) Cunneyworth began the 1989–90 season with the Winnipeg Jets, where he played in 28 games for the Jets, scoring five goals and 11 points. Cunneyworth's name appeared on the NHL All-Star ballot for left wingers. He played primarily on a line with Jets captain Dale Hawerchuk and Greg Paslawski.
On December 13, 1989, Winnipeg traded Cunneyworth to the Hartford Whalers for Paul MacDermid.
Hartford Whalers (1989–1994) Cunneyworth finished the 1989–90 season with the Hartford Whalers, where in 43 games, he scored nine goals and 18 points, helping the Whalers qualify for the playoffs. In four playoff games, Cunneyworth was held pointless, as the Whalers lost to the Boston Bruins in the Adams Division semi-finals.
Cunneyworth suffered through an injury-plagued 1990–91 season (broken leg/ankle injuries) after being hit by an Ulf Samuelsson shot during Hartford's December 21, 1990 game at Montreal. Appearing in only 32 games for the Whalers, he scored nine goals and 14 points, as the team reached the playoffs once again. Cunneyworth played in only one playoff game, getting no points, as the Whalers were once again eliminated by the Boston Bruins in the first round.
In a preseason game, Cunneyworth recorded a third-period hat trick. Injuries continued to take a toll during the 1991–92 season (ankle injury/back strains), as Cunneyworth played in 39 games with Hartford, scoring seven goals and 17 points, helping the Whalers reach the playoffs for the third consecutive season. In seven playoff games, Cunneyworth had three goals (tied for team lead) as Hartford lost to the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the postseason.
A healthier Cunneyworth, playing under coach Paul Holmgren in 1992–93, saw spot duty and was often a healthy scratch. In 39 games, he scored five goals and nine points, as Hartford failed to reach the playoffs. He earned 27 minutes in penalties in a game against Pittsburgh on December 4, 1993, in which Cunneyworth instigated a line brawl that featured a fight between Cunneyworth and Markus Näslund.
In 1993–94, playing full-time under new coach Pierre McGuire, Cunneyworth appeared in 63 games with Hartford, scoring nine goals and 17 points. On March 11, 1994, with the Whalers well out of the playoff hunt, Whalers GM Paul Holmgren traded Cunneyworth, Gary Suter, and the Whalers third-round pick in the 1995 NHL entry draft to the Chicago Blackhawks for Frantisek Kucera and Jocelyn Lemieux.
Chicago Blackhawks (1994) Cunneyworth finished the 1993–94 season with the Blackhawks, where, in 16 games, he scored four goals and seven points, as the Blackhawks made the playoffs as the sixth seed in the Western Conference. Cunneyworth played in six playoff games with Chicago, getting no points, as the Blackhawks lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the postseason. He played in the last NHL game ever in Chicago Stadium.
After the season, Cunneyworth elected to pursue free agency. On July 15, 1994, he signed a contract with the Ottawa Senators.
Ottawa Senators (1994–1998) Due to the 1994–95 NHL lockout, the 1994–95 season was shortened to 48 games. Cunneyworth was named the Senators team captain prior to the start of the season, Cunneyworth appeared in every game during the season. He scored five goals and ten points. The team finished in last place in the NHL. He was the Senators nominee for the King Clancy Award (Leadership and Dedication to the Game)