Playing career

Verbeek was selected 43rd overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft. He helped the Devils to their first playoff berth in the 1987-88 season, when he scored what was a club record 46 goals until it was broken in the 2005-06 season by Brian Gionta's 48 goals.

After the 1988-89 season, the Devils traded him to the Hartford Whalers. In his first season, he led the team in goal scoring and in his second he was named team MVP. In 1991, he made the All-Star team for the first time and in the following season, Verbeek was named the Whalers captain. After a short stint with the Rangers, he signed with the Dallas Stars as a free agent, where he won his first Stanley Cup in 1999.

During the 1999-2000 season, he signed with the Detroit Red Wings. In Detroit, he passed the 1,000-point mark, scored his 500th goal, and moved into the top 25 in career goal scoring before returning to Dallas for his final NHL season in 2001-02. After retirement, he became a part-time color analyst for television broadcasts of Red Wings' road games. Verbeek is the only player in NHL history to total over 500 career goals and 2500 career penalty minutes. He left his position as a broadcaster in September 2006, to become a scout for the Red Wings.

On May 15, 1985, one of Verbeek's thumbs was cut off by an auger in a farming accident. Thanks to his father and brother his thumb was saved, and after extensive rehabilitation, Verbeek returned to hockey. He did not miss any regular-season NHL games because of the injury.

On April 18, 1988, Verbeek used his skate to cut the leg of Washington Capitals defenseman Rod Langway. The NHL ruled the incident accidental, but the episode added to the Patrick Division rivalry between Washington and New Jersey.

Awards

• Member of one Stanley Cup winning team: 1999 with the Dallas Stars
• Selected to two NHL All-Star Games: 1991 and 1996

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1981-82	Sudbury Wolves	OHL		66	37	51	88	180		—	—	—	—	—
1982-83	Sudbury Wolves	OHL		61	40	67	107	184		—	—	—	—	—
1982-83	New Jersey Devils	NHL		6	3	2	5	8		—	—	—	—	—
1983-84	New Jersey Devils	NHL		79	20	27	47	158		—	—	—	—	—
1984-85	New Jersey Devils	NHL		78	15	18	33	162		—	—	—	—	—
1985-86	New Jersey Devils	NHL		76	25	28	53	79		—	—	—	—	—
1986-87	New Jersey Devils	NHL		74	35	24	59	120		—	—	—	—	—
1987-88	New Jersey Devils	NHL		73	46	31	77	227		20	4	8	12	51
1988-89	New Jersey Devils	NHL		77	26	21	47	189		—	—	—	—	—
1989-90	Hartford Whalers	NHL		80	44	45	89	228		7	2	2	4	26
1990-91	Hartford Whalers	NHL		80	43	39	82	246		6	3	2	5	40
1991-92	Hartford Whalers	NHL		76	22	35	57	243		7	0	2	2	12
1992-93	Hartford Whalers	NHL		84	39	43	82	197		—	—	—	—	—
1993-94	Hartford Whalers	NHL		84	37	38	75	177		—	—	—	—	—
1994-95	Hartford Whalers	NHL		29	7	11	18	53		—	—	—	—	—
1994-95	New York Rangers	NHL		19	10	5	15	18		10	4	6	10	20
1995-96	New York Rangers	NHL		69	41	41	82	129		11	3	6	9	12
1996-97	Dallas Stars	NHL		81	17	36	53	128		7	1	3	4	16
1997-98	Dallas Stars	NHL		82	31	26	57	170		17	3	2	5	26
1998-99	Dallas Stars	NHL		78	17	17	34	133		18	3	4	7	14
1999-00	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		68	22	26	48	95		9	1	1	2	2
2000-01	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		67	15	15	30	73		5	2	0	2	6
2001-02	Dallas Stars	NHL		64	7	13	20	72		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				1424	522	541	1063	2905		117	26	36	62	225

[ Source: Wikipedia ]