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Derek Stepan

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Derek Stepan
Stepan with the Arizona Coyotes in November 2019
Born (1990-06-18) June 18, 1990 (age 34)
Hastings, Minnesota, U.S.
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 196 lb (89 kg; 14 st 0 lb)
Position Center
Shot Right
Played for New York Rangers
KalPa
Arizona Coyotes
Ottawa Senators
Carolina Hurricanes
National team  United States
NHL draft 51st overall, 2008
New York Rangers
Playing career 2010–2023

Derek Kenneth Stepan (/stɛˈpɑːn/ steh-PAHN;[1] born June 18, 1990) is an American former professional ice hockey center who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers, Arizona Coyotes, Ottawa Senators and Carolina Hurricanes. Stepan was drafted by the Rangers in the second round, 51st overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

After being drafted, Stepan attended the University of Wisconsin, where he played for the Badgers hockey team in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). On July 1, 2010, he signed his first professional contract with the Rangers, forgoing his junior and senior years at Wisconsin.[2] On October 9, 2010, he became the first player in Rangers history, and the fourth in NHL history, to score a hat trick in his NHL debut.

Playing career

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Amateur

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Stepan in March 2010 with the Badgers collegiate team, during his final year at the University of Wisconsin–Madison

Stepan attended high school at Shattuck-Saint Mary's, where he played on the hockey team. He scored 81 points during his junior year and 111 during his senior year at the school.[3] He then attended the University of Wisconsin, where he played for the Badgers ice hockey team in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA).

Professional (2010–2023)

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New York Rangers (2010–2017)

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On July 1, 2010, Stepan signed his first professional contract with the New York Rangers, forgoing his junior and senior years at Wisconsin.[2] In Fall 2010, having attended the Rangers' training camp and playing for the team during the pre-season, Stepan made the transition from Wisconsin to the NHL. He scored a hat trick in his first NHL game on October 9, 2010, against Ryan Miller of the Buffalo Sabres, becoming the first rookie in Rangers history to do so, en route to a 6–3 victory.[4] He is only the fourth player in NHL history to have scored a hat-trick in his debut, joining Alex Smart of the Montreal Canadiens (January 14, 1943), Réal Cloutier of the Quebec Nordiques (October 10, 1979) and Fabian Brunnström of the Dallas Stars (October 15, 2008). Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs later accomplished the feat with four goals (October 12, 2016). Stepan was selected as a member of the 2011 NHL All Star roster on January 11, 2011, and performed in the NHL SuperSkills competition on January 29, 2011.

Stepan with the New York Rangers in October 2011

In the 2012–13 season, Stepan finished tied for the NHL lead with four short-handed points.[5] On September 26, 2013, Stepan signed a new two-year, $6.15 million contract with New York for the 2013–14 and 2014–15 seasons.[5] On September 24, 2014, Stepan suffered a broken leg in a non-contact drill during a Rangers practice.[6]

On May 13, 2015, Stepan scored the overtime and series-winning goal against the Washington Capitals in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Rangers would eventually lose to the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games.[7]

Following the 2014–15 season, Stepan became a restricted free agent under the terms of the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The Rangers made him a qualifying offer to retain his NHL rights. However, Stepan rejected the initial contract, which was worth $5.2 million per year. On July 5, 2015, Stepan filed for Salary Arbitration under the CBA, seeking at least $7.25 million per year.[8] On the morning of July 27, 2015, just hours before his arbitration hearing was scheduled to occur, Stepan and the Rangers agreed to a six-year, $39 million contract lasting to the end of the 2020–21 season.[9] Paying an average of $6.5 million annually, the contract made Stepan the second-highest-paid Rangers forward at the time behind Rick Nash, who made $7.9 million per year.

Arizona Coyotes (2017–2020)

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On June 23, 2017, Stepan (along with goaltender Antti Raanta) was traded to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for the seventh overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and defenseman Tony DeAngelo.[10] Stepan scored 14 goals with 42 assists in his first season with the Coyotes, playing in all 82 games. He was named an alternative captain for the Coyotes to begin the 2017–18 season.[11]

During the 2018–19 season, Stepan played in his 600th career NHL game on October 10, 2018, becoming the first player drafted in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft but who was not a first-rounder to reach that milestone.[12]

Ottawa Senators (2020–2021)

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On December 26, 2020, after three seasons with the Coyotes, Stepan was traded to the Ottawa Senators for a second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft which originally belonged to the Columbus Blue Jackets.[13] In the pandemic delayed 2020–21 season, with the divisional re-alignment restricting the Senators to remain in Canada, Stepan struggled to adapt away from family; while in the final year of his contract, the Senators looked to explore trade possibilities.[14] Before a trade could be completed, after registering 1 goal and 6 points through 20 games, Stepan suffered a dislocated shoulder injured in a 5-4 shootout victory over the Montreal Canadiens on February 23, 2021.

On March 2, 2021, it was announced that Stepan would undergo season-ending shoulder surgery to repair a damaged labrum, effectively ending his tenure with the Senators.[15]

Carolina Hurricanes (2021–2023)

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As an unrestricted free agent, Stepan signed a one-year, $1.35 million contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on July 31, 2021.[16] Assuming a depth role among the Hurricanes forward group, Stepan tallied 9 goals and 19 points through 58 games in the 2021–22 season.

Un-signed through the following summer, Stepan continued with the Hurricanes in initially accepting a professional tryout contract to participate in training camp and pre-season for the following 2022–23 season. After co-leading the team in goals through the pre-season, Stepan was signed to a one-year, $750,000 contract with the Hurricanes on October 11, 2022.[17]

Retirement

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On October 3, 2023, Stepan announced his retirement from professional hockey.[18]

International play

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Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Representing the  United States
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2010 Saskatoon

At the 2010 IIHF World U20 Championships, Stepan was the captain of the United States team and led the tournament in scoring with four goals and ten assists in seven games, leading to an All-Star Team selection.[19][20][21][22] He captained the United States to win their second gold medal ever, defeating Canada in overtime.[23]

Stepan joined the United States men's team at the 2011 IIHF World Championship in Slovakia, playing alongside Ranger teammate Ryan McDonagh and Ranger prospect Chris Kreider. He finished the tournament with seven points in seven games, and was selected as a top three player on the U.S.

Personal life

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Stepan was born into a hockey family, as his father Brad was also a draft pick of the Rangers in the 1985 NHL entry draft.[24] Stepan's younger cousin, Zachary, was selected 112th overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2012 NHL entry draft.[25] On August 9, 2014, Stepan married his longtime girlfriend Stephanie Kent in their home state, Minnesota. Stephanie gave birth to the couple's first child on October 27, 2015, and their second child on September 21, 2017.[26]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2006–07 Shattuck-Saint Mary's HS-Prep 63 38 32 70 22 — — — — —
2007–08 Shattuck-Saint Mary's HS-Prep 60 44 67 111 22 — — — — —
2008–09 University of Wisconsin WCHA 40 9 24 33 6 — — — — —
2009–10 University of Wisconsin WCHA 41 12 42 54 10 — — — — —
2010–11 New York Rangers NHL 82 21 24 45 20 5 0 0 0 2
2011–12 New York Rangers NHL 82 17 34 51 22 20 1 8 9 4
2012–13 KalPa SM-l 12 2 2 4 0 — — — — —
2012–13 New York Rangers NHL 48 18 26 44 12 12 4 1 5 2
2013–14 New York Rangers NHL 82 17 40 57 18 24 5 10 15 2
2014–15 New York Rangers NHL 68 16 39 55 22 19 5 7 12 10
2015–16 New York Rangers NHL 72 22 31 53 20 5 2 0 2 0
2016–17 New York Rangers NHL 81 17 38 55 16 12 2 4 6 4
2017–18 Arizona Coyotes NHL 82 14 42 56 26 — — — — —
2018–19 Arizona Coyotes NHL 72 15 20 35 14 — — — — —
2019–20 Arizona Coyotes NHL 70 10 18 28 16 9 1 4 5 6
2020–21 Ottawa Senators NHL 20 1 5 6 8 — — — — —
2021–22 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 58 9 10 19 14 3 0 0 0 0
2022–23 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 73 5 6 11 8 11 0 1 1 2
NHL totals 890 182 333 515 216 120 20 35 55 32

International

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Year Team Event Result   GP G A Pts PIM
2010 United States WJC 1st place, gold medalist(s) 7 4 10 14 4
2011 United States WC 8th 7 2 5 7 2
2014 United States OG 4th 1 0 0 0 0
2016 United States WCH 7th 3 0 1 1 0
Junior totals 7 4 10 14 4
Senior totals 11 2 6 8 2

References

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  1. ^ 2014–15 National Hockey League (NHL) Player Pronunciations.
  2. ^ a b "Stepan making jump to pro game". New York Rangers. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
  3. ^ "Prospect: Derek Stepan". hockeysfuture.com. January 14, 2010.
  4. ^ "NHL - New York Rangers/Buffalo Sabres Box Score Saturday October 9, 2010". Retrieved October 9, 2010.
  5. ^ a b Podell, I. (September 26, 2013). "Stepan, Rangers agree to 2-year contract". Associated Press. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
  6. ^ Leonard, Pat (September 24, 2014). "Derek Stepan suffers broken leg, NY Rangers center will be out indefinitely". New York Daily News. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  7. ^ "Stepan scores 3 in NHL debut in Rangers 6-3 win". yahoo.com. October 9, 2010.
  8. ^ "Arbitration cases scheduled". National Hockey League. July 5, 2015. Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  9. ^ "Rangers sign Stepan to 6-year $39 million contract". CBS Sports. July 27, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  10. ^ "Coyotes acquire Stepan, Raanta from Rangers for No.7 pick and DeAngelo". Arizona Coyotes. June 23, 2017. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
  11. ^ "Coyotes Announce Leadership Group for 2017-18 Season". NHL.com. October 4, 2017. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  12. ^ Vest, Day (October 10, 2018). "Preview: Coyotes at Ducks". NHL.com. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
  13. ^ "Senators acquire forward Derek Stepan from Arizona". Ottawa Senators. December 26, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  14. ^ "Senators exploring trade possibilities for Derek Stepan". Sportsnet.ca. February 12, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  15. ^ "Stepan out for season with shoulder surgery". National Hockey League. March 2, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  16. ^ "Canes Agree to Terms with Derek Stepan". Carolina Hurricanes. July 31, 2021. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  17. ^ "Canes sign Derek Stepan to one-year contract". Carolina Hurricanes. October 11, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  18. ^ "Derek Stepan announces retirement after 13 NHL seasons". www.nhlpa.com. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  19. ^ "Scoring Leaders" (PDF). IIHF. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
  20. ^ "Media All Stars" (PDF). IIHF. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
  21. ^ "Goalscoring Leaders" (PDF). IIHF. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2010.
  22. ^ "Player Statistics by Team: USA" (PDF). IIHF. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
  23. ^ "New champs: USA stuns Canada". IIHF. January 14, 2010. Archived from the original on January 18, 2010.
  24. ^ Kinkopf, Alex (June 20, 2020). "Stepan Story: A Special Bond Between Father and Son". NHL.com. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  25. ^ Morreale, Mike G. (June 15, 2012). "Zachary Stepan following cousin Derek's path". NHL.com. Archived from the original on January 23, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  26. ^ Dillman, Lisa (October 3, 2017). "Five Questions with Derek Stepan". NHL.com. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
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