Tyler Motte
Tyler Motte | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 10, 1995 United States |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey forward |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Known for | Playing in the NHL for Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Detroit Red Wings |
Tyler Motte (born March 10, 1995) is an American professional ice hockey forward currently engaged in a professional try-out contract with the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL). Selected 121st overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2013 NHL entry draft, Motte appeared in 33 games for Chicago during the 2017 season before being traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets. His NHL experience also includes stints with the Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Detroit Red Wings.
Amateur
Motte competed in the 2008 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament representing the Detroit Red Wings minor ice hockey team.
In the 2010–11 season, he skated for the Detroit Honeybaked U16 team in the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League, where he notched 22 goals and 14 assists over 33 contests. Honeybaked captured USA Hockey’s Tier 1 national championship, with Motte contributing three goals and three assists across six tournament games, including two pivotal goals in the third period that helped secure a comeback victory in the final.
For the 2011–12 season, Motte advanced to the USA Hockey National Team Development Program U-17 squad, amassing 25 goals and 16 assists in 53 games. He also made two appearances with the U-18 team, scoring once, and added two goals during two USHL playoff games. The following year, with the U-18 team, he recorded 26 goals and 19 assists across 67 games.
College
Motte launched his collegiate hockey career with the Michigan Wolverines in the 2013–14 season, compiling nine goals and nine assists over 34 games. He opened his scoring account on October 12, 2013, and twice earned Big Ten Second Star of the Week recognition during his freshman year.
In his sophomore campaign (2014–15), Motte tallied nine goals alongside 22 assists in 35 games, ranking third on Michigan for assists and fourth in total points. He led all forwards on his team with 43 blocked shots and was honored as Big Ten Second Star of the Week following a four-assist performance against Ohio State.
Motte’s junior year (2015–16) marked a significant surge in production, as he posted 32 goals and 24 assists through 38 contests, placing him third nationally with 56 points. He netted the game-winning goal in the season opener and received multiple weekly accolades from both Big Ten and NCAA committees. Notably, on January 17, he registered a career-best five-point game including his inaugural hat-trick. His outstanding January performance earned him Hockey Commissioners’ Association National Player of the Month honors after leading all players nationwide with 18 points and ten goals over six games. Alongside teammate Kyle Connor, he set records as Michigan’s fastest players to reach 20 goals since the 2007–08 season.
During the 2016 Big Ten Tournament, Motte matched the championship game record by scoring twice and surpassed a milestone of over 100 career points. In NCAA Tournament play, he delivered an overtime game-winning goal against Notre Dame, securing Michigan’s first NCAA Tournament victory since 2011.
Motte wrapped up his college tenure earning All-Big Ten First Team honors while finishing second nationally in goal scoring. His streak of scoring in twelve consecutive games was Michigan’s longest since 1984. Leading all forwards and ranking second nationally with 70 blocked shots, he was also named an AHCA First Team All-American and was among the top ten finalists for the Hobey Baker Award.
Professional
On April 6, 2016, Motte inked a three-year entry-level deal with the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL), along with an amateur tryout agreement for their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. He completed the 2015–16 AHL campaign with Rockford, tallying two goals and five points across five games, plus two goals in three postseason contests. Motte started the 2016–17 NHL season with Chicago, netting his inaugural NHL goal on October 21, 2016. Following a period marked by injury and diminished performance, he was reassigned to Rockford in January 2017 but returned to Chicago’s roster in April.
On June 23, 2017, Motte was involved in a significant trade sending him and Artemi Panarin to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Brandon Saad, Anton Forsberg, and draft selections. Initially placed with Columbus’s AHL team, the Cleveland Monsters, he was regularly called up throughout the season, dividing his time between the NHL and AHL levels. Subsequently, on February 26, 2018, Motte was traded to the Vancouver Canucks alongside Jussi Jokinen in return for Thomas Vanek. During his first full NHL season (2018–19) with Vancouver, he achieved personal bests with nine goals and sixteen points while primarily serving on the fourth line. In July 2019, he agreed to a one-year contract extension worth $975,000 with Vancouver.
In the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, Motte played a pivotal role by scoring crucial goals that helped Vancouver overcome the St. Louis Blues in the opening round before being eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights in a seven-game series. On October 9, 2020, he secured a two-year contract extension valued at $2.45 million with the Canucks. Later, on March 21, 2022, Motte was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick. While with Vancouver, he was noted for his defensive contributions on the penalty kill and added two playoff goals during New York’s run to the Eastern Conference Final.
After becoming an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, Motte signed a one-year deal with the Ottawa Senators on September 14, 2022. He was traded back to the Rangers on February 19, 2023, in exchange for Julien Gauthier and a conditional draft pick. Following an injury caused by a hit from former teammate Austin Watson that sidelined him for two games in March 2023, Motte made a notable return by recording his first regular-season multi-goal game on April 6 against Tampa Bay. On September 9, 2023, he agreed to a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning, finishing the season with six goals and three assists over 69 games.
On July 2, 2024, Motte signed a one-year contract worth $800,000 with the Detroit Red Wings. After completing that term, he accepted an invitation to attend training camp with the reigning champion Florida Panthers ahead of the 2025 season but was released prior to roster finalization. Subsequently, on October 15, 2025, he signed a tryout contract with their AHL affiliate team, the Charlotte Checkers.
International play
Motte represented Team USA at the 2012 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, contributing one assist over five games and helping secure a silver medal. At the 2013 IIHF World U18 Championships, he led his squad by scoring five goals and tied for most points with seven overall en route to another silver medal finish. He also participated in the 2015 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship, adding one assist across five games as the United States finished fifth.
In 2016, Motte competed for the United States at the 2016 IIHF World Championship, where he played alongside linemates J. T. Compher and Kyle Connor and recorded one goal and two assists over ten games.
Personal life
In January 2020, Motte took part in the Canucks' yearly Hockey Talks initiative, where he openly revealed his struggles with anxiety and depression.
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2011–12 | U.S. NTDP Juniors | USHL | 36 | 15 | 13 | 28 | 32 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2011–12 | U.S. NTDP U17 | USDP | 53 | 25 | 16 | 41 | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | U.S. NTDP U18 | USDP | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | U.S. NTDP Juniors | USHL | 26 | 11 | 6 | 17 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | U.S. NTDP U18 | USDP | 67 | 26 | 19 | 45 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | University of Michigan | B1G | 34 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | University of Michigan | B1G | 35 | 9 | 22 | 31 | 14 | — | — | — | — | |||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | United States | getWorld U-17 Hockey Challenge#U17 | get Template:Silver2 | get0|get1|get1|get6| | |||||
| get2013 IIHF World U18 Championships#U18| | getIIHF World U18 Championship#U18| | getTemplate:Silver2| | get5|get2|get7|get4| | ||||||
| get2015 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship#WJC| | getUnited States men's national junior ice hockey team#WJC| | getIIHF World U20 Championship#WJC| | get0|get1|get1|get2| | ||||||
| get2016 IIHF World Championship#WC| | getUnited States men's national ice hockey team#WC| | getIce Hockey World Championships#WC| | get1|get2|get3|get0| | ||||||
| Junior totals! | 17! | 5! | 4! | 9! | 12! | ||||
| Senior totals! | 10! | 1! | 2! | 3! | 0! | ||||
Awards and achievements
| Award | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| College ice hockey | | ||
| | | ||
| get All-Big Ten First Team | | | | |
| get AHCA West First-Team All-American | | | | |
| Vancouver Canucks | | ||
| get Fred J. Hume Award | | | | |
| get Daniel & Henrik Sedin Award | | |
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