Chris Dingman

Chris Dingman (born July 6, 1976 in Edmonton, Alberta) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League with the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Playing career
Dingman played junior hockey for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League, and served as that team's captain when they won the WHL Championship during the 1995–96 season. In his best campaign (1994–95) he scored 40 goals and totalled 83 points in 66 games, while also amassing 201 minutes in penalties, making him a multiple threat.

Dingman, or "Dinger" as he is known colloquially, was drafted by the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (19th overall in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft), and played his first full NHL season for the Flames in 1997–98, where he earned a reputation as a tough customer and found himself involved as a checker and a pugilist as opposed to a scoring line player.

During the 1998–99 season, he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in a multiplayer swap that saw him trade places with fellow combatant and old nemesis from the WHL, Wade Belak. Dingman-Belak fights were legendary in their time, though Belak never proved much of a challenge for "Dinger". Before engaging his opponents (in his time with the Wheat Kings) Dingman would square up, remove his helmet, fix his hair, then proceed to rearrange their face like clippings on a ransom note. Dingman plied his trade with the Avalanche for three seasons and won a Stanley Cup with them in 2001 before ending up with the Carolina Hurricanes. He was dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2002, where he has played since. While he saw only limited action in his first campaign there, he gradually earned more and more ice time and in 2004, Dingman won another Stanley Cup with the Lightning.

He was scratched for the last two Lightning/Senators games of the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs after earning a seven minute Ottawa powerplay after challenging Chris Neil, but Neil turtled when Dingman started punching him, leading to a fighting, instigator, and game misconduct penalties for Dingman.

In November 2006 he was acquired by Södertälje SK, in Sweden. He played 2007 for AaB Ishockey of the Oddset Ligaen in Denmark.

Awards and achievements

 * 2000–01 NHL  Stanley Cup  (Colorado Avalanche)
 * 2003–04 NHL  Stanley Cup  (Tampa Bay Lightning)