Ryan McDonagh

From Kazakhstan Encyclopedia

Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox ice hockey player Ryan Patrick McDonagh (born June 13, 1989) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing for and serving as the captain of the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Drafted in the first round, 12th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens in 2007, he played college hockey for the Badgers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

McDonagh also competes internationally for the United States and was a member of the men's hockey team at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Playing career

Amateur

McDonagh attended Cretin-Derham Hall High School in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where as a junior he helped lead his team to the school's first state hockey championship. The following season, he was awarded the 2007 Minnesota Mr. Hockey award, which is given annually to the top senior high school hockey player in the state.[1] He was then drafted in the first round, 12th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens on June 22, 2007, in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. He also won a silver medal with Team USA at the 2007 IIHF World U18 Championships.[2][3] Two years later, he represented the Americans at the 2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.[4]

On June 30, 2009, McDonagh's rights were traded, along with Chris Higgins, Pavel Valentenko and Doug Janik, to the New York Rangers in exchange for Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt and Michael Busto.[5]

Professional

On July 6, 2010, McDonagh signed an entry-level contract with the Rangers, forgoing his senior season at Wisconsin and joining childhood friend and former Wisconsin teammate Derek Stepan in New York.[6][7] After beginning the 2010–11 season with the Rangers' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, he was promoted to the Rangers on January 3, 2011.[8] He played his first career NHL game against the Dallas Stars on January 7, 2011.[9][10] He then earned his first NHL point on an assist of a Brandon Prust goal against the Carolina Hurricanes on January 20.[11][12] On March 20, McDonagh was the victim of an elbow to the head from Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke, who was subsequently suspended for the remainder of the regular season and the first round of the 2011 playoffs.[13]

On April 9, 2011, McDonagh scored the game-winning goal, the first of his career, against the New Jersey Devils, earning the Rangers the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.[14]

As a result of the 2012–13 NHL lockout, McDonagh signed a contract with Barys Astana of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He became the first American NHL player to join the KHL as a result of the lockout.[15]

On July 8, 2013, McDonagh re-signed with the Rangers to a six-year contract worth $28.2 million.[16] He led all Rangers defensemen with 43 points in the 2013–14 season as the Rangers finished fifth in the Eastern Conference.[17] The team defeated the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens en route to the 2014 Stanley Cup Final against the Los Angeles Kings, where the Rangers ultimately lost the series 4–1. During the playoffs, McDonagh was tied for the lead amongst defensemen in assists (13) and ranked second in points (17). For his season's efforts, McDonagh was named Rangers' MVP and the recipient of the Players' Player Award, given to the Ranger "who best exemplifies what it means to be a team player." He became just the second Rangers defenseman to hold both awards after Brian Leetch did so in the 2002–03 season.

On October 6, 2014, McDonagh was named the 27th captain in Rangers history, filling the vacancy left by Ryan Callahan the previous season.[18] Martin St. Louis, Marc Staal, Dan Girardi and Derek Stepan were named his alternates. McDonagh became the fourth-youngest Ranger captain and 11th defenseman to hold the honor. In his first season as captain, he led his team to the Presidents Trophy and were ultimately eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Tampa Bay Lightning in a hard-fought seven-game series.[19]

On May 30, 2015, after the Rangers lost the Eastern Conference Finals against Tampa Bay, it was revealed that McDonagh had been playing the last three games with a broken foot.[20]

McDonagh continued his strong play and leadership into the 2015–16 season, his second as team captain. However, during a February 6, 2016 game between the Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers, McDonagh suffered a concussion after getting punched by Flyers' forward Wayne Simmonds after McDonagh cross-checked Simmonds. McDonagh missed 8 games as a result, including a February 14 rematch between the two teams, during which Rangers' rookie defenseman Dylan McIlrath fought Simmonds.

Still feeling the effects of the concussion, McDonagh's defensive play during the Rangers' first-round playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins was poor, and the Rangers were eliminated in 5 games by the Penguins, who went on to win the Stanley Cup that year.

Personal life

On July 19, 2013, McDonagh married long-time girlfriend Kaylee Keys at Our Lady of Victory Chapel in his hometown of Saint Paul, Minnesota.[21] The couple gave birth to their first child, Falan Erin McDonagh, on October 18, 2016.Template:Citation needed Former National Football League (NFL) quarterback Steve Walsh is McDonagh's uncle.[22]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2007–08 U. of Wisconsin WCHA 40 5 7 12 42
2008–09 U. of Wisconsin WCHA 36 5 11 16 59
2009–10 U. of Wisconsin WCHA 43 4 14 18 65
2010–11 Hartford Wolf Pack/CT Whale AHL 38 1 7 8 12
2010–11 New York Rangers NHL 40 1 8 9 14 5 0 0 0 4
2011–12 New York Rangers NHL 82 7 25 32 44 20 0 4 4 11
2012–13 Barys Astana KHL 10 0 3 3 6
2012–13 New York Rangers NHL 47 4 15 19 22 12 1 3 4 6
2013–14 New York Rangers NHL 77 14 29 43 36 25 4 13 17 8
2014–15 New York Rangers NHL 71 8 25 33 26 19 3 6 9 8
2015–16 New York Rangers NHL 73 9 25 34 22 3 0 0 0 0
NHL totals 390 43 127 170 166 84 8 26 34 37

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International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2007 United States WJC U18 Template:Sica 7 0 3 3 4
2009 United States WJC 5th 6 0 3 3 2
2011 United States WC 8th 7 0 1 1 2
2014 United States OG 4th 6 1 1 2 0
2016 United States WCH 7th 3 2 0 2 0
Junior totals 13 0 6 6 6
Senior totals 16 3 2 5 2

Awards and honors

Award Year
Minnesota Mr. Hockey 2007
All-WCHA Rookie Team 2007–08 [23]
All-WCHA Second Team 2009–10 [23]
New York Rangers Team MVP 2014
NHL All-Star 2015–16 2016-17

References

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External links

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