Tyler Wotherspoon
Tyler Wotherspoon | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 12, 1993 Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey defenseman |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Known for | Playing for Barys Astana in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) |
Tyler Wotherspoon (born March 12, 1993) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing for Barys Astana in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He was chosen 57th overall by the Calgary Flames during the 2011 NHL entry draft.
Junior
Hailing from Burnaby, British Columbia, Wotherspoon was selected in the second round of the 2008 Western Hockey League (WHL) bantam draft by the Portland Winterhawks. He made his WHL debut at age 15 during the 2008–09 season, appearing in four games, and went on to complete four full seasons through 2013. Across 239 WHL contests, he accumulated 17 goals and 65 assists.
While with Portland, Wotherspoon participated in three straight WHL championship series, finishing as runners-up in both 2011 and 2012 before capturing the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2013. In the 2012–13 season, he was named to the WHL Western Conference second All-Star Team. At the 2013 Memorial Cup, he contributed three points over five games as Portland ended as finalists against the Halifax Mooseheads. That same year, Wotherspoon represented Canada at the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, tallying two points in six matches.
Professional
Chosen 57th overall by the Calgary Flames in the 2011 NHL entry draft, Wotherspoon was characterized by Flames Special Assistant to GM Craig Conroy as a dependable stay-at-home defenseman with proficient passing and defensive capabilities. He launched his professional career with Calgary’s AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Heat, during the 2013–14 AHL season. After recording nine points in 48 games along with a +13 plus-minus rating, he was called up late in the season due to an injury within Calgary’s lineup, making his NHL debut on March 7, 2014. That season, he appeared in 14 NHL contests, registering four assists before a shoulder injury prematurely ended his campaign.
In the 2014–15 season, Wotherspoon primarily played for Calgary’s new AHL affiliate, the Adirondack Flames, where he notched 24 points across 61 games. He was recalled for Calgary’s final regular-season game and made his playoff debut during the first round of the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs, participating in six postseason games. The next year, he began with the Stockton Heat—the Flames’ AHL affiliate—appearing in 53 games and compiling 10 points before being recalled to Calgary in February. During that NHL stint, he added one assist over 11 games. In 2016–17, Wotherspoon spent most of his time with Stockton, scoring six goals and totaling 18 points over 56 outings.
In September 2017, Wotherspoon signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $650,000 to remain with Calgary. After clearing waivers, he returned to Stockton for the 2017–18 AHL season, where he achieved personal bests with seven goals, 30 assists, and 37 points in 67 games while serving as an alternate captain.
Following five seasons within Calgary’s organization, Wotherspoon inked a one-year, two-way deal with the St. Louis Blues on July 1, 2018. He spent the entirety of the 2018–19 AHL season with their affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage, playing in 70 games and contributing 22 points.
On July 1, 2019, he agreed to a two-year, two-way contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. Assigned to their AHL affiliate—the Lehigh Valley Phantoms—Wotherspoon played 54 games and tallied 22 points during the pandemic-affected 2019–20 season. The following campaign saw him appear in 24 games and register six assists.
Wotherspoon signed a professional tryout agreement with the New Jersey Devils on September 14, 2021. Following training camp, he joined their AHL team—the Utica Comets—on a one-year contract. After posting three goals and 21 points over 53 games that season, he secured a two-year, two-way contract extension with New Jersey in July 2022. Serving as an alternate captain for Utica during both the 2022–23 and 2023–24 AHL seasons, he recorded four goals and added 18 assists across 65 games in the latter season.
On July 1, 2024, Wotherspoon signed a one-year AHL contract with the Montreal Canadiens' affiliate, the Laval Rocket, where he was appointed an alternate captain for the upcoming campaign.
Broadening his international experience, on September 26, 2025, Wotherspoon agreed to a one-year deal with Barys Astana of the Kontinental Hockey League.
International competition
Wotherspoon made his initial appearance for Hockey Canada as part of Team Canada Pacific during the 2010 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, where the team secured a fifth-place finish overall.
In December 2012, he earned a spot on the Canada men's national junior ice hockey team roster for the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. At this tournament, Canada concluded in fourth place after an overtime defeat to Russia in the bronze medal match.
Wotherspoon was selected in January 2022 to represent the Canada men's national ice hockey team at the 2022 Winter Olympics held in Beijing, China.
Personal background
Tyler's younger sibling, Parker Wotherspoon, was chosen in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL entry draft by the New York Islanders and is currently active with the Boston Bruins.
Tyler and his spouse, Mishaela, are parents to two children: a daughter named Kolette and a son named Karter.
Regular season and playoffs
International
| Year | Team | Tournament | Placement | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Canada Pacific | U17 | 5th place | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2013 | Canada | WJC | Fourth | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2022 | Canada | OG | Sixth place | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| Junior career totals | 11 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||||
| Senior career totals | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| CHL | |
| CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game | 2011 |
| WHL | |
| Ed Chynoweth Cup winner | 2013 |
| West Second All-Star Team | 2013 |