He played 82 games in the National Hockey League with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, and New York Rangers from 2000 to 2003.

Tibbetts started his career in the ECHL with the Birmingham Bulls, playing two games with the team as a 19-year-old rookie during the 1994–95 season.

Tibbetts finished the season with 37 goals, 31 assists, and 68 points, ranking third on the team behind established ECHL veterans Don Parsons and Trevor Jobe.

However, in 1995, while on probation for the rape case, Tibbetts was convicted of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a BB gun), disorderly conduct and witness intimidation.

[6] He was later assigned to their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre, where he scored 38 points in 38 games before being recalled by his parent club later that season.

On March 17, 2002, Tibbetts was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for defensive forward and faceoff specialist Kent Manderville.

Tibbetts "did everything he was supposed to do, which included going to anger management classes",[citation needed] Flyers GM Bobby Clarke said.

[11] On October 5, 2004, Tibbetts re-signed with the San Diego Gulls,[12] but spent time on the injured reserve (IR) list because of back problems.

San Diego waived Tibbetts on November 12, 2004, citing a "zero tolerance policy because of past conduct problems".

On December 8, 2005, Rockford Icehogs announced that they loaned Tibbetts to the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League.

The promotion was originally intended for amateurs who wanted a shot at playing for the Boston Bruins,[21] but because Tibbetts was a member of the Chicago Wolves at the time, his entry (submitted by his father) would be permitted.

[24][25] In 2019 he served 58 days for violating his probation, then pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal harassment against the Scituate police chief and the chief's sister, and one count each of violating a harassment prevention order, intimidating a witness and driving with a suspended license.