Status: NHL center played from 1985-2004 with Detroit, Washington, Anaheim, Edmonton, St. Louis, Boston and Philadelphia. Played 1,337 NHL games and ranks sixth on all-time assist list with 1,079. Member of 1985 NCAA RPI national championship team. Was hired as an assistant coach for New Jersey Devils in 2010 off-season.
Ht: 5-foot-11 Wt: 180 pounds
DOB: Aug. 27, 1962 In: Weston, Ont.
First Hockey Memory: "I guess going to play with my dad. Or maybe watching the Leafs on Hockey Night In Canada with my dad (David)."
Nicknames: "Oatesy."
Favorite Movies: "I like war movies."
Last Book Read: "Last book I read...I read a lot. Titles are tough. Oh, Lee Childs' Jack Reacher novels I like."
Hobbies/Leisure Activities: "I like golf. I just like golf a lot."
First Job: "Worked at a gas station."
Current Car: "Jaguar."
Greatest Sports Moment: "Playing in the NHL. First game (with Detroit). Making it."
Most Painful Moment: "Most painful moment...ah...probably losing Game 7 in the final (with Anaheim vs. New Jersey in 2003)."
Favorite Uniforms: "All the Original Six."
Favorite Arena: "The old Boston Garden."
Closest Hockey Friend: "Brett Hull."
Funniest Player Encountered: "Rick Tocchet."
Toughest Competitor: "Scott Stevens."
Strangest Game: "The outdoor game in Edmonton (2003). I didn't play in it, but I was there. It was weird, I just signed with them so I wasn't in shape yet to play."
Favorite Sport To Watch Outside Hockey: "Golf."
Most Memorable Goal: "I scored one in overtime in the playoffs against Buffalo. Off the face-off."
Favorite Players To Watch: "Who do I like to watch? In the league now? (Present or past.) Well, Gretzky. ‘Gretz’ was my favorite. And I like who I coached in Tampa Bay, I like Marty (St-Louis), I like watching Marty play."
Personality Qualities Most Admired: "Honesty. Reliability. Dedicated."
Mark 'Scoop' Malinowski is the author of "Heavyweight Armageddon: The Tyson-Lewis Championship Battle" and creator of two websites: www.thebiofile.com and www.Tennis-prose.com.