Topic: Tom Fitzgerald

Tom Fitzgerald (born August 28, 1968, in Billerica, Massachusetts) is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played seventeen seasons in the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League. He is currently an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Fitzgerald played his college hockey for Providence College and was selected by the New York Islanders of the NHL in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft (1st round, 17th overall). He turned pro in 1988 with the Islanders' American Hockey League affiliate Springfield Indians, and in 1990 was one of the key players who led Indians to the Calder Cup championship.

He played parts of five seasons for the Islanders before being drafted as one of the original Florida Panthers in the 1993 NHL Expansion Draft. Although he has been cast as a defensive forward in the NHL, he had his best scoring years in Miami and was one of the leaders in Florida's 1996 Stanley Cup run. In those 1995–96 playoffs, Fitzgerald scored the decisive goal in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was a 58-foot slapshot that found its way past Penguins goalie Tom Barrasso.