Danny DeKeyser
Birth dateMarch 7, 1990 (age 36)
Birth placeDetroit, Michigan, U.S.
Height6 ft
Height in3
Weight lb192
PositionDefense
ShootsLeft
Played forDetroit Red Wings
Ntl teamUSA
DraftUndrafted
Career start2013
Career end2022

Daniel Christopher DeKeyser (born March 7, 1990) is an American former professional hockey defenseman and current Detroit Red Wings studio analyst. He played as an alternate captain for the Detroit Red Wings in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Playing career

Amateur

As a youth, DeKeyser played in the 2003 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Detroit Little Caesars minor ice hockey team.[1] He later played midget hockey with the Compuware AAA program from 2006 to 2008, before signing with the Trail Smoke Eaters of the British Columbia Hockey League[2] (BCHL) for the 2008–09 season, where he recorded eight goals and 17 assists in 58 games.[citation needed] For his efforts, he was named the Trail Smoke Eaters' Defenseman of the Year.[citation needed] During the 2009–10 season,[3] DeKeyser played for the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League (USHL), where he recorded one goal and ten assists in 41 games.[3][citation needed] Following the 2009–10 season, DeKeyser committed to play college ice hockey for the Western Michigan Broncos.[3][citation needed]

During the 2010–11 season, DeKeyser appeared in 42 games, where he recorded five goals and 12 assists. He was named to the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) All-Rookie team, and named to the CCHA All-Tournament Team for tallying two assists and helping shut down the University of Michigan’s high-powered offense during the CCHA Semifinals and Finals.[citation needed] DeKeyser ranked second on the team in plus-minus with a +12 rating, and led the team in blocked shots with 54. DeKeyser recorded his first collegiate goal on October 8, 2010, in a game against Canisius College.[citation needed]

During the 2011–12 season, DeKeyser appeared in 41 games, where he recorded five goals and 12 assists. He was named to the Second Team All-American, Second Team All-CCHA, CCHA Best Defensive Defenseman, and CCHA All-Tournament Team. He became just the second Bronco player in program history to be named CCHA Best Defensive Defenseman.[citation needed]

During the 2012–13 season, DeKeyser appeared in 35 games, where he recorded two goals and 13 assists. He was named to the First Team All-CCHA, and became the first Bronco to be named CCHA Best Defensive Defenseman twice after winning it in consecutive seasons. In three seasons with the Broncos, DeKeyser racked up 12 goals and 37 assists in 118 games.[4]

Professional

After three years with Western Michigan, DeKeyser was being pursued by multiple teams around the NHL. Eventually, he decided to play for his hometown team and signed a two-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings on March 29, 2013.[5] He began playing for Detroit one week later and recorded his first NHL point against the Nashville Predators on April 14, 2013, assisting on a Henrik Zetterberg goal. DeKeyser appeared in 11 regular season and two post-season games for the Red Wings during the 2012–13 season. Following the conclusion of Detroit's Stanley Cup playoff run in 2013, he joined the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL) during the 2013 Calder Cup playoffs, where he recorded one assist in six games and helped the team capture their first-ever Calder Cup championship.[citation needed]

On November 4, 2013, DeKeyser scored his first career NHL goal in a game against the Winnipeg Jets.[6] During the 2013–14 season, DeKeyser recorded four goals and 19 assists, as well as a +10 rating, in 65 games. He ranked among the NHL's top rookie blueliners in points (eighth), plus-minus (tied for fourth) and ice time (second). He also placed third among all rookies, and second on Detroit overall, with 116 blocked shots. On September 16, 2014, the Red Wings signed DeKeyser to a two-year, $4.375 million contract extension.[7] DeKeyser was named the 2014 Detroit Red Wings–Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association (DSBA) Rookie of the Year, receiving the award in a pre-game ceremony on November 9, 2014, at Joe Louis Arena.[citation needed]

On July 26, 2016, the Red Wings signed DeKeyser to a six-year, $30 million contract.[8]

As a free agent following the conclusion of the season and his six-year deal with the Red Wings, DeKeyser went un-signed over the summer. On September 10, 2022, DeKeyser agreed to a professional tryout to join the Vancouver Canucks training camp.[9] After attending camp and participating in the pre-season, DeKeyser was unable to earn a contract offer from the Canucks and was released from his tryout. To begin the 2022–23 season, DeKeyser opted to continue his career in the AHL, agreeing to a professional tryout contract with the Toronto Marlies, the primary affiliate to the Toronto Maple Leafs, on October 19, 2022.[10] He registered 1 goal in 3 appearances with the Marlies, before suffering an injury and was later released from his PTO on November 8, 2022.

International play

DeKeyser represented the United States at the 2014 IIHF World Championship, where he recorded two assists in eight games. DeKeyser again represented the United States at the 2017 IIHF World Championship, where he recorded no points in eight games.

Personal life

DeKeyser, a native of Macomb, Michigan, is the son of Michael and Linda DeKeyser.[4] On February 13, 2016, he proposed to girlfriend Melissa Beurmann.[citation needed] They married in September 2016,[11] and Beurmann gave birth to their first child in February 2018.[12]

DeKeyser was a communication major at Western Michigan University and graduated from De La Salle Collegiate High School.[4] In 2018, he was inducted into the Western Michigan University Hockey Ring of Honor.[13]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
2006–07Compuware 18U AAAMWEHL2636930
2007–08Compuware 18U AAAMWEHL25113142641129
2008–09Trail Smoke EatersBCHL58817251231014
2009–10Sioux City MusketeersUSHL411101112
2010–11Western Michigan UniversityCCHA425121743
2011–12Western Michigan UniversityCCHA415121742
2012–13Western Michigan UniversityCCHA352131522
2012–13Detroit Red WingsNHL11011220000
2012–13Grand Rapids GriffinsAHL60118
2013–14Detroit Red WingsNHL65419233050006
2014–15Detroit Red WingsNHL802293142710112
2015–16Detroit Red WingsNHL78812204450114
2016–17Detroit Red WingsNHL82481233
2017–18Detroit Red WingsNHL65661228
2018–19Detroit Red WingsNHL525152039
2019–20Detroit Red WingsNHL80444
2020–21Detroit Red WingsNHL47481218
2021–22Detroit Red WingsNHL590111126
2022–23Toronto MarliesAHL31010
NHL totals547331131462661911222

International

YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
2014United StatesWC6th802216
2017United StatesWC5th80006
Senior totals1602222

Awards and honors

AwardYear
College
All-CCHA Rookie Team2010–11
CCHA All-Tournament Team2011, 2012[14]
All-CCHA Second Team2011–12[15]
AHCA West Second-Team All-American2011–12
All-CCHA First Team2012–13[15]
AHCA West Second-Team All-American2012–13
Detroit Red Wings
Rookie of the Year"2014[16]

References

  1. ^ "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA". Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
  2. ^ "Danny DeKeyser"
  3. ^ "Danny Dekeyser Stats and Profile". hockeydb.com
  4. ^ "Danny DeKeyser Bio". Western Michigan University. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  5. ^ Custance, Craig (March 29, 2013). "Red Wings land Danny DeKeyser". ESPN. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  6. ^ Nelson, Andrea (November 6, 2013). "DeKeyser won't forget his first pro goal". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  7. ^ DiFilippo, Alex (September 16, 2014). "Wings, DeKeyser agree on new deal". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  8. ^ Kujawa, Kyle (July 26, 2016). "Red Wings, DeKeyser agree to terms". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  9. ^ "Canucks sign defenceman Danny DeKeyser to PTO". Vancouver Canucks. September 10, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  10. ^ Toronto Marlies (October 19, 2022). "Marlies sign defenseman DeKeyser to PTO". Twitter. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  11. ^ Savage, Brendan (July 26, 2016). "With marriage on horizon, new contract provides peace of mind for Red Wings' Danny DeKeyser". mlive.com. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  12. ^ Wakiji, Dana (February 28, 2018). "Notes: Wings offer new dad DeKeyser some advice". NHL.com. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  13. ^ "Steve Abbott and Danny DeKeyser to be Inducted Into WMU Hockey Ring of Honor". wmubroncos.com. July 20, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  14. ^ "2012-13 CCHA Media Guide". Issuu. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
  15. ^ "All-CCHA Teams". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  16. ^ Kujawa, Kyle (June 11, 2014). "Danny DeKeyser named Red Wings Rookie of the Year by the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved August 14, 2014.