Mark Tinordi was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Rangers on January 4, 1987. He was traded in early 1988 to the Minnesota North Stars in a multi-player deal. Three seasons later in 1991, his hard-nosed style helped guide the North Stars to their improbable playoff run to the 1991 Stanley Cup Finals, where they eventually lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The captain of the team, Tinordi remained in that role when the team became the Dallas Stars prior to the 1993–94 NHL season. After playing in Dallas for one season, he was traded to the Washington Capitals in the deal that sent Kevin Hatcher to the Stars. Tinordi played the final five seasons of his career with the Capitals, which included an appearance in the 1998 Stanley Cup Finals. He was selected by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 1999 NHL Expansion Draft, but retired prior to the 1999–2000 NHL season without playing for them.
