Kyle Quincey
Kyle Quincey | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 12, 1985 Orangeville, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey defenceman (retired) |
| Years active | 2005–2018 |
| Known for | Playing in the NHL for Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Colorado Avalanche, Tampa Bay Lightning, New Jersey Devils, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild |
Kyle Quincey (born August 12, 1985) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) with several teams, including the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Colorado Avalanche, Tampa Bay Lightning, New Jersey Devils, Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Minnesota Wild.
Junior
Quincey’s early development took place in the Caledon, Ontario region, where he played minor hockey for the Halton Hurricanes AAA squad. In the 2001 OHL Priority Selection, he was chosen 47th overall by the London Knights. Following his debut major junior season in 2002–03, Quincey was picked 132nd overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings.
In October 2003, Quincey was traded to the Mississauga IceDogs in exchange for forward Rob Schremp. He played a pivotal role in guiding the IceDogs to the OHL Final in 2004. Recognized as an offensively talented defensive defenceman, Quincey earned a place on the OHL Second All-Star Team during the 2004–05 season after tallying 46 points in 59 games. Additionally, he was honored as the Eastern Conference's Best Defensive Defenceman and placed third in voting for the Max Kaminsky Trophy.
Detroit Red Wings
Quincey signed a three-year entry-level contract with Detroit on July 28, 2005. His professional journey began with their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, during the 2005–06 campaign, where he ranked fifth among rookie defensemen by scoring seven goals and accumulating 33 points over 70 games. He made his NHL debut on November 25, 2005, facing off against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
Although spending most of the subsequent season with Grand Rapids, Quincey netted his inaugural NHL goal on April 7, 2007, contributing to a victory against the Chicago Blackhawks. Injuries to key defensemen led to his involvement in playoff action, where he played a part in Detroit’s advance to the Western Conference Final.
After demonstrating promise during the playoffs, Quincey was anticipated to earn a permanent spot on Detroit’s roster; however, a broken hand sustained during training camp sidelined him for much of the 2007–08 pre-season. He spent most of that season back with Grand Rapids but appeared in six NHL contests. While he was included in Detroit’s Stanley Cup-winning organization in 2008—receiving a ring and featuring in the team photograph—he did not meet requirements to have his name engraved on the Cup.
Prior to the start of the 2008–09 season, Quincey secured a two-year contract extension with Detroit.
Los Angeles Kings
On October 13, 2008, salary cap constraints and an abundance of defensemen on Detroit’s roster led to Quincey being claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Kings. He made an immediate impact by registering an assist in his debut for Los Angeles against the Carolina Hurricanes on October 17, 2008. Quickly establishing himself as a vital member of the Kings’ youthful defensive unit—particularly stepping up during Jack Johnson's injury—Quincey contributed effectively on both power play and penalty kill situations. He finished that season as Los Angeles’ top-scoring defenseman with 34 assists and a total of 38 points across 72 games before a herniated disc prematurely ended his campaign on April 1, 2009.
Colorado Avalanche
On July 3, 2009, Quincey was sent to the Colorado Avalanche along with defenseman Tom Preissing and a fifth-round selection in the 2010 draft, in return for left winger Ryan Smyth. He made his first appearance for Colorado during a 5–2 victory against the San Jose Sharks on October 1, 2009. Quincey became one of just two players to have suited up for both the Avalanche and their rivals, the Detroit Red Wings. Quickly becoming a key figure on Colorado’s defense during their rebuilding phase, he led the team in average ice time and achieved personal bests with six goals and 29 points over 79 games. On July 2, 2010, he signed a two-year contract extension worth $6.25 million.
In mid-2011, Quincey captained Canada in a three-game exhibition series against the United States held in New Zealand, underscoring his leadership on the international stage.
Return to Detroit
On February 21, 2012, during the last season of his contract with the Avalanche, Quincey was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Steve Downie, before being immediately dealt to the Detroit Red Wings for a first-round pick in the 2012 and prospect Sébastien Piché. Quincey appeared in all 18 remaining regular-season games and participated in Detroit’s first-round playoff defeat to the Nashville Predators, concluding the 2011–12 season.
As a restricted free agent on July 18, 2012, Quincey agreed to a two-year deal with Detroit. With the start of the season delayed by the 2012–13 NHL lockout, he signed with the newly founded Denver Cutthroats of the Central Hockey League on October 12, 2012, influenced by former teammate and Cutthroats head coach Derek Armstrong. Seeking to support the local community, he tallied 11 points in 12 games before concluding his stint on November 19, 2012. Quincey rejoined Detroit once the NHL resumed play in January 2013.
During the 2013–14 season, Quincey was one of only two Red Wings to participate in all 82 games, contributing four goals and nine assists. On July 2, 2014, Detroit rewarded him with a two-year contract extension valued at $8.5 million.
In the course of the 2014–15 season, Quincey recorded three goals and 15 assists across 73 games while achieving a career-high plus-10 rating. He underwent surgery during the offseason to remove bone chips from his ankle. In the final year of his contract during the 2015–16 season, he added four goals and seven assists over 47 games.
New Jersey Devils and Columbus Blue Jackets
On September 28, 2016, Quincey inked a one-year deal with the New Jersey Devils. Throughout the 2016–17 NHL season, he secured a consistent role among New Jersey’s top four defensemen. As the team struggled in league standings and after contributing 12 points in 53 games, Quincey was traded at the deadline to the playoff-contending Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Dalton Prout on March 1, 2017. He appeared in 20 games for Columbus, registering three points.
Minnesota Wild
On July 1, 2017, Quincey inked a one-year contract worth $1.25 million with the Minnesota Wild, aiming to add seasoned depth to their defensive lineup. He began the 2017-18 NHL season positioned as a third-pair defenseman but encountered difficulties over 18 games, leading to his placement on waivers on November 29, 2017. After clearing waivers, he declined to report to the AHL affiliate Iowa Wild and consequently did not play for the rest of the season.
HIFK
Quincey ventured overseas for the first time on August 28, 2018, when he signed a one-year contract with Finnish team HIFK, competing in the Liiga.
Personal
Originating from Orangeville, Ontario, Quincey has mentioned former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Bill Berg as an early inspiration due to his diligent approach to the game. He commemorated his Stanley Cup victory with the Detroit Red Wings in Caledon, Ontario, celebrating alongside family and supporters. On February 5, 2016, Quincey married his longtime partner Rachel Quincey (Hall).
Regular season and playoffs
2009–10 NHL seasonColorado Avalanche NHL 79 6 23 29 76 6 0 0 0 8 2010–11 NHL season Colorado Avalanche NHL 21 0 1 1 18 — — — — — 2011–12 NHL season Colorado Avalanche NHL 54 5 18 23 60 — — — — — 2011–12 Detroit Red Wings NHL 18 2 1 3 29 5 0 2 2 6 2012–13 CHL seasonDenver CutthroatsCentral Hockey League CHL 12 2 9 11 6 — — — — — 2012–13 NHL season Detroit Red Wings NHL 36 1 2 3 18 14 0 2 2 12 2013–14 NHL season Detroit Red Wings NHL 82 4 9 13 88 5 0 0 0 2 2014–15 NHL season Detroit Red Wings NHL 73 3 15 18 77 7 0 3 3 4 2015–16 NHL season Detroit Red Wings NHL 47 4 7 11 36 4 0 1 1 4 2016–17 NHL seasonNew Jersey Devils NHL 53 4 8 12 39 — — — — — 2016–17 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 20 2 1 3 12 2 0 1 1 2 2017–18 NHL seasonMinnesota Wild NHL 18 0 3 3 28 — — — — — 2018–19 Liiga seasonHIFKLiiga 35 5 8 13 58 12 1 6 7 12| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–02 | Mississauga Chargers | OPJHL | 27 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–03 | London Knights | OHL | 66 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 77 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–04 | London Knights | OHL | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–04 | Mississauga IceDogs | OHL | 61 | 14 | 23 | 37 | 135 | 24 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 32 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–05 | Mississauga IceDogs | OHL | 59 | 15 | 31 | 46 | 111 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–06 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–06 | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL | 70 | 7 | 26 | 33 | 107 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 27 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–07 NHL season | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–07 AHL season | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL | 65 | 4 | 18 | 22 | 126 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–08 NHL season | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–08 AHL season | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL | 66 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 149 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–09 NHL season | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 72 | 4 | 34 | 38 | 63 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "AHL totals" | - bgcolor="#e0e0e0" | "NHL totals" |
} International
Awards and honours
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||