Peter Worrell

Peter J. Worrell (born August 18, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Worrell played seven seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Florida Panthers and the Colorado Avalanche. During that time he was considered one of the most feared enforcers in the game,

Worrell was a member of the Hull Olympiques for his three junior seasons. During these three seasons Worrell was part of two QMJHL championship teams (1994–95 and 1996-97) and part of the 1997 Memorial Cup winning team. Worrell totaled 464 PIMs during the 1995-96 season, which was the fifth highest total in league history. During the 1999–2000 season, Worrell missed 34 games with a knee injury, but managed to match his 9 points from the previous year.

On July 18, 2003, he was traded from the Florida Panthers along with a 2nd-round pick in the 2004 draft to Colorado Avalanche for Eric Messier and Vaclav Nedorost. Worrell missed the first 27 games of the season with another knee injury. Worrell made his Avalanche debut on December 11, 2003; the game marked his first in eight months. Worrell played in 49 games for Colorado collecting 3 goals and an assist, it was his lowest NHL point total, yet marked the first time that he was a plus player ending the season with a plus-2 rating.

Following his first season with the Avalanche the NHL lockout caused the cancellation of the 2004–05 NHL season. Worrell did not play professionally during the lockout like many other NHLers and considered himself retired. However, once the NHL returned Worrell decided that he would attempt to make a comeback and signed with the New York Rangers. The Rangers assigned first to the Hartford Wolfpack in the AHL but never played a game for them. Hartford sent Worrell to the Charlotte Checkers of the ECHL to work on his conditioning. Worrell currently works for the Fayetteville Marksmen as an assistant coach.

Facing racism Worrell was born in Canada to Barbadian parents. During his career Worrell has often had to deal with racism; beginning in junior, Worrell had spectators throw bananas at him while he was in the penalty box, a fan with a bullhorn yelled out "go back to Africa", and someone once brought a sign that read "6-foot-6 of pure shit go back to hell". While playing the Washington Capitals in a 1997 game Craig Berube called Worrell a "monkey". Berube received a one-game suspension from the league for his actions. In a 1998 game vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning, Darcy Tucker and Sandy McCarthy allegedly taunted Worrell by making ape like gestures to him while all three were in their respective penalty boxes. Following the game Tucker and Worrell got into an argument when Tucker, according to a Panthers staff member, called Worrell a "big ape". The NHL investigated the incident, reviewing videotape, interviewed players and employees of both teams, off-ice and on-ice officials and arena and security personnel. The NHL concluded that there was "insufficient evidence" to support the claims. Also in 1998 Flyers forward Chris Gratton was alleged to have used a racial slur against Worrell following a scuffle in the game. A newspaper reporter claimed that he read Gratton's lips and printed the story. Gratton denied using the slur telling reporters "We said some stuff behind the net.... What I said was, Learn how to play the game, basically, with a couple of words I don't want to use." Worrell helped to clear Gratton's name when he told the NHL that he never heard the slur.

Career statistics Bold indicates led league

Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1993–94 Lac St–Louis Lions QMAAA 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1994–95 Hull Olympiques QMJHL 56 1 8 9 243 21 0 1 1 91 1995–96 Hull Olympiques QMJHL 63 23 36 59 464 18 11 8 19 81 1996–97 Hull Olympiques QMJHL 62 17 46 63 495 14 3 13 16 83 1997–98 Florida Panthers NHL 19 0 0 0 153 — — — — — 1997–98 Beast of New Haven AHL 50 15 12 27 309 1 0 1 1 6 1998–99 Florida Panthers NHL 62 4 5 9 258 — — — — — 1998–99 Beast of New Haven AHL 10 3 1 4 65 — — — — — 1999–2000 Florida Panthers NHL 48 3 6 9 169 4 1 0 1 8 2000–01 Florida Panthers NHL 71 3 7 10 248 — — — — — 2001–02 Florida Panthers NHL 79 4 5 9 354 — — — — — 2002–03 Florida Panthers NHL 63 2 3 5 193 — — — — — 2003–04 Colorado Avalanche NHL 49 3 1 4 179 — — — — — 2005–06 Charlotte Checkers ECHL 37 7 8 15 139 — — — — — NHL totals 391 19 27 46 1554 4 1 0 1 8