Neil Little
In-game article clicks load inline without leaving the challenge.
Leslie Neil Little, Jr. (born December 18, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He was a member of the Philadelphia Flyers organization nearly his entire professional career, helping backstop the Philadelphia Phantoms to two Calder Cup championships and playing in two career National Hockey League (NHL) games with the Flyers. Until 2015, he was an amateur scout for the Flyers. He is now a scout for the NHL Montreal Canadiens.
Playing career
Little played 4 seasons for R.P.I. (NCAA Div 1, ECAC) before starting a professional career.
Little has played for the Hershey Bears and Philadelphia Phantoms in the AHL, as well as playing two NHL games for the Philadelphia Flyers. He signed with the Espoo Blues in the Finnish SM-liiga for the 2005–06 season, played there until Christmas, then finished the season in Geneva, Switzerland.
On December 28, 2003, he was the "flying goalie" in a brawl between the Phantoms and the Binghamton Senators as several players from the two teams were fighting next to the Senators' net, Little skated across the rink and dove into the crowd.
Despite only playing two career games with the Philadelphia Flyers, Little was named as one of the Flyers goaltenders for the 2012 NHL Winter Classic Alumni game.
Little is also the founder of ProHockeyLaunch.com which is an evaluation and mentorship company for up-and-coming young hockey players.
Coaching career
Following his playing career, Little was named an assistant coach/goaltending development coach for the Philadelphia Phantoms as well as a global scout for the Philadelphia Flyers, concentrating his focus on goaltenders. He spent eight seasons with the Flyers organization before spending six seasons working with the Florida Panthers. Little spent the 2021–22 season working for the independent scouting firm Team 33 and was hired in the fall of 2022 by the Montreal Canadiens as a scout.
Little was the assistant coach for the Princeton University men's hockey team from 2007–08 to the 2010–11 seasons.
Personal life
Little married Catherine M. Foote, DMD of Ardmore, PA in July 2013. He has four children, Nicholas, Elsie, Graysen, and Piper.
Awards and honours
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| All-ECAC Hockey Rookie Team | 1990–91 |
| All-ECAC Hockey First Team | 1992–93 |
| AHCA East Second-Team All-American | 1992–93 |
- 1997–98: Calder Cup Philadelphia Phantoms
- 2004–05: Calder Cup Philadelphia Phantoms
- 2006: Inducted into Philadelphia Phantoms Hall of Fame
- 2007: Inducted into RPI's Athletic Hall of Fame
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | OTL | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% |
| 1989–90 | Estevan Bruins | SJHL | 46 | 21 | 19 | 4 | — | 2707 | — | — | 3.32 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1990–91 | R.P.I. | ECAC | 18 | 9 | 8 | 0 | — | 1032 | 71 | 0 | 4.13 | .879 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1991–92 | R.P.I. | ECAC | 28 | 11 | 11 | 3 | — | 1532 | 96 | 0 | 3.76 | .874 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1992–93 | R.P.I. | ECAC | 31 | 19 | 9 | 3 | — | 1801 | 88 | 0 | 2.93 | .906 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1993–94 | R.P.I. | ECAC | 27 | 16 | 7 | 4 | — | 1570 | 102 | 0 | 3.36 | .899 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1993–94 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 18 | 1 | 0 | 3.23 | .889 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1994–95 | Johnstown Chiefs | ECHL | 16 | 7 | 6 | 1 | — | 897 | 55 | 0 | 3.68 | .896 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 145 | 11 | 0 | 4.55 | .864 |
| 1994–95 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 19 | 5 | 7 | 3 | — | 919 | 60 | 0 | 3.91 | .868 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1995–96 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 48 | 21 | 18 | 6 | — | 2680 | 149 | 0 | 3.34 | .895 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 60 | 4 | 0 | 4.02 | .902 |
| 1996–97 | Philadelphia Phantoms | AHL | 54 | 31 | 12 | 7 | — | 3007 | 145 | 0 | 2.89 | .909 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 620 | 20 | 1 | 1.94 | .935 |
| 1997–98 | Philadelphia Phantoms | AHL | 51 | 31 | 11 | 7 | — | 2960 | 145 | 0 | 2.94 | .903 | 20 | 15 | 5 | 1193 | 48 | 3 | 2.41 | .927 |
| 1998–99 | Grand Rapids Griffins | IHL | 50 | 18 | 21 | 5 | — | 2740 | 144 | 3 | 3.15 | .894 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1999–00 | Philadelphia Phantoms | AHL | 51 | 26 | 18 | 2 | — | 2830 | 143 | 1 | 3.03 | .906 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 298 | 15 | 0 | 3.02 | .922 |
| 2000–01 | Philadelphia Phantoms | AHL | 58 | 22 | 27 | 4 | — | 3117 | 148 | 2 | 2.85 | .909 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 631 | 23 | 1 | 2.19 | .926 |
| 2001–02 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 60 | 4 | 0 | 4.00 | .862 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2001–02 | Philadelphia Phantoms | AHL | 35 | 13 | 15 | 7 | — | 2079 | 70 | 2 | 2.02 | .926 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 298 | 13 | 0 | 2.62 | .917 |
| 2002–03 | Philadelphia Phantoms | AHL | 42 | 18 | 9 | 4 | — | 2478 | 103 | 4 | 2.49 | .907 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2003–04 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 33 | 2 | 0 | 3.61 | .750 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2003–04 | Philadelphia Phantoms | AHL | 34 | 21 | 12 | 1 | — | 1900 | 62 | 6 | 1.96 | .920 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2004–05 | Philadelphia Phantoms | AHL | 26 | 15 | 7 | 0 | — | 1383 | 54 | 3 | 2.34 | .921 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1.000 |
| 2005–06 | Espoo Blues | FIN | 37 | 14 | 16 | — | 7 | 2100 | 85 | 2 | 2.43 | .916 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NHL totals | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 93 | 6 | 0 | 3.86 | .838 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from , or , or , or , or
- . hockeygoalies.org. The Goaltender Home Page.