Eligible for the 1984 NHL Entry Draft but unselected, Nieuwendyk chose to attend Cornell University where he played hockey and lacrosse for the Big Red. He was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) hockey rookie of the year in 1984–85 after scoring 39 points in 23 games. At the 1985 NHL Entry Draft, the Calgary Flames selected him in the second round, 27th overall, with a pick obtained that day in a trade with the Minnesota North Stars for Kent Nilsson. The disappointment in Calgary over the trade of Nilsson resulted in some criticism of Nieuwendyk’s selection, famously leading to a local newspaper to question the moves with the headline “Joe Who?” Returning to Cornell for the 1985–86 season, Nieuwendyk chose to give up lacrosse in order to focus on hockey. He was named an NCAA All-American after scoring 42 points in 21 games. He was again named an ECAC All-Star and NCAA All-American in 1987. Nieuwendyk chose to forgo his senior year in favor of turning professional. In 81 games with Cornell, Nieuwendyk scored 73 goals and 151 points, both among the highest totals in the school’s history. His number 25 jersey was retired by Cornell in 2010, shared with Ken Dryden’s number 1 as the first such numbers retired by the hockey team, and believed the first in any sport in the school’s varsity sports history. In 2011, he was named one of the 50 greatest players in ECAC history. {insert Bio Paragraph} Named ECAC First-Team All-Star, 1985-1986. Named MVP of and led the ECAC in scoring with 52 points, 1987. Cornell University retired his playing jersey number 25 in 2010.