Mike Lenarduzzi


Mike "Whopper" Lenarduzzi is a retired ice hockey goaltender who played professionally for the Hartford Whalers, Hershey Bears, Springfield Indians and other professional teams in North America and Europe.

Playing career

Born in London, Ontario, Lenarduzzi played junior hockey for the Oshawa Generals, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, Ottawa 67s and Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League before turning professional in 1992 with the Springfield Indians, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Hartford Whalers. He had been drafted in the third round of the 1990 NHL Entry Draft by the Hartford Whalers. He would be in the Hartford system until 1994 - his most notable action with the system being his first regular season game for Springfield, in which he allowed eight goals on the first eleven shots he faced before being pulled - and played four games in the NHL. After 1994, he played for a number of minor league teams including the AHL Hershey Bears in 1996–97. He played one season in the Italian Hockey League for Milan in 1998–99, before finishing his career with one season with the Baton Rouge Kingfish of the ECHL in 1999–2000.