Chris Minard

Christopher Minard
Born	(1981-11-18) November 18, 1981 Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada
Occupation	Professional ice hockey player (retired)
Years active	2002–2017
Known for	NHL career with Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers; playing in Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL)

Christopher Minard (born November 18, 1981) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey athlete. His NHL tenure included stints with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers before he wrapped up his playing days in Germany’s Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Minard launched his pro career in 2002 with the Pensacola Ice Pilots competing in the ECHL. His brother, Mike Minard, also had a brief NHL career as a goaltender for the Edmonton Oilers.

Playing career

During the 2004–05 campaign, Minard competed for the Alaska Aces in the ECHL and made his first appearance in the American Hockey League (AHL) with a single game for the Milwaukee Admirals. That season’s NHL lockout saw him team up with Scott Gomez, who played a key role in helping Minard earn an invitation to the New Jersey Devils’ training camp. Consequently, Minard spent the 2005–06 season with the Albany River Rats and followed that with a 2006–07 season at Lowell Devils.

On July 12, 2007, Minard inked a deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He made his NHL debut on January 21, 2008, facing off against the Washington Capitals. His first NHL point came on February 26 when he assisted on a goal versus the New York Islanders, and he netted his inaugural NHL goal on March 12, 2008, against Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres.

Minard signed a one-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers on July 13, 2009, shortly after Pittsburgh secured the Stanley Cup title. While he was awarded a Stanley Cup ring and included in official team photographs, he did not fulfill the minimum game requirements to have his name inscribed on the Cup.

Following three seasons competing in Germany’s DEL with Kölner Haie and missing postseason play in 2014–15, Minard agreed to a two-year contract with rival Düsseldorfer EG on March 4, 2015. After completing his second year with Düsseldorfer in 2016–17—where he contributed nine points over 49 games—he retired from professional hockey after a career spanning 15 seasons.

Career statistics

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				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1997–98	Owen Sound Platers	OHL		9	0	1	1	0		1	0	0	0	2
1998–99	Owen Sound Platers	OHL		43	6	9	15	18		—	—	—	—	—
1999–00	Owen Sound Platers	OHL		38	12	14	26	39		—	—	—	—	—
1999–00	Toronto St. Michael's Majors	OHL		28	5	14	19	6		—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	Toronto St. Michael's Majors	OHL		40	11	8	19	28		—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	Oshawa Generals	OHL		28	12	12	24	18		—	—	—	—	—
2001–02	Oshawa Generals	OHL		67	36	35	71	20		5	2	3	5	6
2002–03	Pensacola Ice Pilots	ECHL		72	15	17	32	71		4	0	0	0	6
2003–04	San Angelo Saints	CHL		64	39	36	75	51		5	1	1	2	2
2004–05	Alaska Aces	ECHL		69	49	29	78	54		15	4	4	8	12
2004–05	Milwaukee Admirals	AHL		1	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Alaska Aces	ECHL		33	26	16	42	38		22	14	5	19	54
2005–06	Albany River Rats	AHL		37	7	12	19	26		—	—	—	—
2006–07	Lowell Devils	AHL		65	32	17	49	30		—	—	—	—
2007–08 |Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins |AHL |56 |25 |17 |42 |33 |23 |11 |6 |17 |10
2007–08 |Pittsburgh Penguins |NHL |15 |1 |1 |2 |10 |— |— |— |— |—
2008–09 |Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins |AHL |54 |34 |23 |57 |38 |12 |6 |3 |9 |12
2008–09 |Pittsburgh Penguins |NHL |20 |1 |2 |3 |4 |— |— |— |— |
2009–10 |Springfield Falcons |AHL |40 |22 |16 |38 |18 |- |- |- |- |-
2009–10