Matthew David Cullen is an American professional ice hockey centerman.
Background
Cullen was born in Virginia, Minnesota, but grew up in Moorhead, Minnesota. Matt attended Moorhead Senior High School, where his father Terry Cullen was the varsity hockey coach. Cullen graduated from Moorhead High School in 1995.
His father, Terry Cullen, was the school"s ice hockey coach.
Education
Saint Cloud State University.
Career
Cullen played at Saint Cloud State University from 1995 to 1997, and was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team in 1995 and WCHA All-Star in 1996. He was then drafted in the second round, 35th overall, by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the 1996 National Hockey League Entry Draft. During the 2004-2005 National Hockey League lockout, Cullen played in the Italian Serie A with SG Cortina, where he led the league in scoring with 27 goals and 33 assists in 36 games.
After the season, he became an unrestricted free agent and subsequently signed a four-year contract with the New York Rangers.
After just one season with the Rangers, however, Cullen was traded back to Carolina during the 2006-2007 off-season in exchange for defenseman Andrew Hutchinson, forward Joe Barnes and a third-round draft pick in the 2008 in the Rangers" attempt to free-up salary space underneath the cap. On February 22, 2009, Cullen scored the first hat-trick of his career in a game against the Colorado Avalanche.
On February 12, 2010, he was traded to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Alexandre Picard and a second-round draft pick
On July 1, 2010, Cullen returned to his home state when he signed a three-year deal as a free agent with the Minnesota Wild. Upon the expiration of his three-year contract with the Wild, and with the team facing salary cap constraints, Cullen departed as a free agent and signed a two-year contract with the Nashville Predators on July 5, 2013.
On August 6, 2015, Cullen signed a 1-year deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins, reuniting him with former Carolina Hurricanes General Motors Jim Rutherford.
Cullen is the older brother of European Commission Red Bulletin Salzburg player Mark Cullen, as well as of Braehead Clan player Joe Cullen. Cullen is a Christian and currently resides in West Fargo, North Dakota, in the off-season with his family.
Membership
He is currently a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (National Hockey League).