Joel Otto

Who is Joel Otto?

Joel Stuart Otto is an American former professional ice hockey center in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers. An undrafted player, Otto signed with the Flames as a free agent in 1984 and played 11 seasons with the team. He was one of the top defensive centers in the league during his career and one of the NHL's best at faceoffs; Otto was a two-time finalist for the Frank J. Selke Trophy. He was known for his confrontations with Mark Messier as part of the Flames' rivalry with the Edmonton Oilers and was a member of Calgary's 1989 Stanley Cup championship winning team. He joined the Flyers in 1995, with whom he played three seasons.

Otto was a frequent member of the United States national team. He played in two World Championships and two Canada Cups, captaining the United States to the final in 1991. Otto was a member of the team that won the inaugural World Cup of Hockey in 1996 and played in the 1998 Winter Olympics. He currently serves as an assistant coach of the Western Hockey League's Calgary Hitmen, with whom he won the league championship in 2010.