HOCKEY CANADA BACKGROUND
Won a gold medal with Canada at the 2016 IIHF World Championship in Russia … Won a gold medal with Canada at the 2015 IIHF World Championship in the Czech Republic … Played for Canada at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Sweden and Finland, finishing fifth … Played for Canada at the 2012 IIHF World Championship in Sweden and Finland, finishing fifth … Captained Canada’s National Under-18 Team at the 2009 IIHF World U18 Championship in Fargo, N.D., and Moorhead, Minn., finishing fourth … Won a gold medal with Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team at the 2008 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament in the Czech Republic and Slovakia … Captained Ontario to a gold medal at the 2008 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in London, Ont.
HOCKEY BACKGROUND
2015-16: His seventh NHL season, first with Buffalo … Traded from Colorado to Buffalo on June 26, 2015 … Led Buffalo in scoring, with 60 points … Set a career high with 39 assists … Recorded his 300th NHL point on March 29 vs. Pittsburgh … Scored his 100th NHL goal on Dec. 12 vs. Los Angeles … Played in the NHL All-Star Game … 2014-15: Third in Colorado scoring, with 55 points … Led Colorado in assists (38), takeaways (98) and face-off percentage (53.4%) … Led Colorado forwards in average ice time (19:43) … Played his 400th NHL game on Feb. 12 vs. N.Y. Rangers … Recorded his 200th career NHL point on Nov. 6 vs. Toronto … 2013-14: Won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s most sportsmanlike player … Led Colorado with a career-high 28 goals and nine power-play goals … Became only the second player ever to receive two or fewer PIM in a full season of 80 games or more (Butch Goring, 1977-78) … Played his 300th NHL game on Dec. 21 vs. Los Angeles … 2012-13: Signed with Colorado on Feb. 28, after starting the season with the KHL’s Metallurg Magnitigorsk … 2011-12: Led Colorado in scoring, with 55 points … Set career highs with 18 goals, 37 assists and 55 points … Led the NHL with 101 takeaways … Registered his 100th NHL point on Feb. 25 vs. Detroit … Became the youngest player in franchise history to play 200 games on Jan. 12 vs. Nashville … 2010-11: Played his 100th NHL game on Nov. 19 vs. N.Y. Rangers … 2009-10: As a rookie, collected 26 points … His first playoff goal was an overtime game-winning goal on April 18 vs. San Jose … Became the youngest player in Avalanche history (18 years, 236 days) and second youngest in franchise history, behind Owen Nolan (18 years, 234 days) to score an overtime winner … First player selected outside of the first round to play in the NHL in his draft year since 2003 … Became the first player in franchise history to score two shorthanded goals in one game on Nov. 6 vs. Chicago … Scored his first NHL goal on Oct. 15 vs. Montreal … Made his NHL debut on Oct. 1 vs. San Jose, registering his first NHL point, an assist … Amateur: Played two seasons (2007-09) with the OHL’s Erie Otters … Erie’s first-round selection, first overall, in the 2007 OHL Priority Selection … Received the Jack Ferguson Award as the No. 1 overall selection in the OHL Priority Selection … Minor Hockey: Lists Tate Phillips as his favourite minor hockey coach … Played in the 2007 OHL Cup with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens (Minor Midget)
PERSONAL
Son of Brian and Bonnie … Has one brother, Cal, and two sisters, Tara and Shannon … Purchases and donates game tickets to every Colorado home game for charity … Favourite NHL team growing up: Edmonton Oilers … Favourite player growing up: Joe Thornton … His parents are both volunteers with the Children’s Aid Society of Ontario and serve as social workers in Ontario … His brother, Cal, played 20 NHL games this season with Buffalo … His sister, Tara, played with the Carleton University women’s hockey team from 2006-10, serving as team captain in her final season