Cullen, Matt
Sport
Carolina Hurricanes center Matt Cullen comes from a family with ice hockey in its blood. Cullen's father was the hockey coach at Moorhead Senior High School (the Minnesota town where Matt grew up and the school he graduated from in 1995). One of his younger brothers, Mark, plays for the Detroit Red Wings and another, Joe, played for the Toronto RoadRunners. After two years at St. Cloud State University, Cullen was drafted in 1996 to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
After five and a half years with the Ducks, it was on to Florida and then to the Carolina Hurricanes, where he won the Stanley Cup in 2005. He was then traded to the New York Rangers but returned to Carolina after one season. As we go to press on Feb. 23, Cullen scored twice to help the Hurricanes beat the Washington Capitals, helping Carolina maintain its hold on the Southeast Division lead.
Outside the rink, Cullen is very active in the community. He and his wife set up the Cullen's Children Foundation in 2004, to help fund children's healthcare, especially those affected by cancer. The couple have a son, Brooks.
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