{{Short description|Canadian ice hockey player (born 1983)}} {{Infobox ice hockey player | image = Steve Eminger.png | image_size = 230px | played_for = Washington Capitals<br>Philadelphia Flyers<br>Tampa Bay Lightning<BR>Florida Panthers<BR>Anaheim Ducks<br>New York Rangers<br>Lake Erie Monsters | position = Defence | shoots = Right | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 1 | weight_lb = 202 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1983|10|31|mf=y}} | birth_place = Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada | draft = 12th overall | draft_year = 2002 | draft_team = Washington Capitals | career_start = 2003 | career_end = 2016 }} '''Steve Eminger''' (born October 31, 1983) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL).
==Playing career== Eminger, who is also known for his physical play, started his hockey career with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League in 1999. He was drafted in the first round, 12th overall by the Washington Capitals at the 2002 NHL entry draft. He made his NHL debut the next season, but after 17 games in Washington he was sent back down to Kitchener. Kitchener was strengthened by Eminger's return, and they won the Memorial Cup.
Since leaving junior hockey, Eminger split his time between the Capitals and their AHL affiliate, the Portland Pirates. Despite the lofty projections that came with his first-round-pick status, Eminger has failed to live up to expectations. Throughout the 2007–08 NHL season, the final season of his contract, Eminger spent a great deal of time as a healthy scratch. However, during the 2008 playoffs the Capitals were decimated by injuries and Eminger was put into the lineup with a larger role. During these playoffs, Eminger suddenly found his niche and proved himself to be a solid defenceman. During the 2008 NHL entry draft, Eminger, along with the 84th overall pick (Jacob De Serres) were traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for the 27th pick overall (John Carlson).
On June 29, 2008, Eminger and the Flyers agreed to a one-year contract. After 12 games with the Flyers, Eminger was traded to Tampa Bay on November 7, 2008, along with Steve Downie and a 4th-round draft pick for Matt Carle and a 3rd-round draft pick.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://flyers.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=391135|title=Flyers acquire defenseman Matt Carle | publisher =Flyers.nhl.com | date = 2008-11-07 | accessdate = 2008-11-07}}</ref>
On March 9, 2009, on the day of the trade deadline, Tampa Bay traded Eminger to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Noah Welch and a 3rd round draft pick.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/sports/epaper/2009/03/04/0304panthers.html|title=Jay Bouwmeester stays; Panthers acquire Steve Eminger from Tampa Bay | publisher =palmbeachpost.com | date = 2009-03-04 | accessdate = 2009-03-04}}</ref>
On September 4, 2009, Eminger was signed as a free agent by the Anaheim Ducks on a two-year deal.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ducks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=497761|title=Ducks sign Eminger to a two-year deal | publisher =Anaheim Ducks | date = 2009-09-04 | accessdate = 2010-05-08}}</ref>
On July 9, 2010, Eminger was traded to New York Rangers for Aaron Voros and Ryan Hillier.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rangers obtain Eminger from Ducks|url=http://rangers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=534115|publisher=New York Rangers|accessdate=2010-07-09}}</ref> On September 10, 2012, Eminger agreed to a new contract with the Rangers.
After spending his professional career entirely on North American soil, Eminger signed as a free agent to his first contract abroad with Russian club CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League on October 21, 2014.<ref>{{cite web| publisher = HC CSKA Moscow | date = 2014-10-21 | accessdate = 2014-10-21 | url = http://www.cska-hockey.ru/news/CSKA_podpisal_Emindzhera | title = Eminger joins CSKA Moscow | language = Russian}}</ref> After producing just 2 assists in 25 games, Eminger was released from his KHL contract, and on January 24, 2014, Eminger joined the Norfolk Admirals after having cleared AHL waivers.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://theahl.com/norfolk-signs-eminger-p190011 | title = Norfolk signs Eminger | publisher = American Hockey League | date = 2014-01-24 | accessdate = 2014-01-24}}</ref>
On September 5, 2014, the Boston Bruins announced that Eminger had signed a one-year contract with their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://bruins.nhl.com/club/blogpost.htm?id=31308 | title = Matt Fraser signed to one-year deal, Steve Eminger to AHL deal | publisher = Boston Bruins | date = 2014-09-05 | accessdate = 2014-09-05}}</ref> As a free agent in the summer and into the midpoint of the 2015-16 season, Eminger returned to play, signing a professional try-out contract with the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL on January 21, 2016.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.lakeeriemonsters.com/team/news/monsters-sign-steve-eminger-pto | title = Monsters sign Steve Eminger to PTO | publisher = Lake Erie Monsters | date = 2016-01-21 | accessdate = 2016-01-21}}</ref> Eminger ended his playing career after winning the Calder Cup with the Monsters during the 2015–16 season.
On June 14, 2017, Eminger was announced to have accepted a position as a professional scout for the New York Rangers.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.nhl.com/rangers/news/new-york-rangers-announce-hockey-club-personnel-additions/c-289923390 | title = Rangers announce hockey club personnel decisions | publisher = New York Rangers | date = 2017-06-14 | accessdate = 2017-06-14}}</ref>
==Personal life== Eminger is married to Lindsay Eminger.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://rangers.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8470192 | title = Steve Eminger biography | publisher = New York Rangers | date = 2013-03-14 | accessdate = 2013-03-14}}</ref>
==Career statistics== ===Regular season and playoffs=== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em" |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="5" | Regular season ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="5" | Playoffs |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |- | 1998–99 | Bramalea Blues | OPJHL | 47 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 81 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1999–2000 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 50 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 74 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |- | 2000–01 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 54 | 6 | 26 | 32 | 66 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2001–02 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 64 | 19 | 39 | 58 | 93 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 |- | 2002–03 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 23 | 2 | 27 | 29 | 40 | 21 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 44 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2002–03 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 17 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2003–04 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 41 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2003–04 | Portland Pirates | AHL | 41 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 40 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |- | 2004–05 | Portland Pirates | AHL | 62 | 3 | 17 | 20 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2005–06 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 66 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 81 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2006–07 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 68 | 1 | 16 | 17 | 63 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2007–08 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 20 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |- | 2008–09 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 12 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2008–09 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 50 | 4 | 19 | 23 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2008–09 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2009–10 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 63 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2010–11 | New York Rangers | NHL | 65 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2011–12 | New York Rangers | NHL | 42 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 28 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |- | 2012–13 | New York Rangers | NHL | 35 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2012–13 | Connecticut Whale | AHL | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2013–14 | CSKA Moscow | KHL | 25 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2013–14 | Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 33 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 24 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14 |- | 2014–15 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 62 | 4 | 19 | 23 | 60 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2015–16 | Lake Erie Monsters | AHL | 19 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 4 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | NHL totals ! 488 ! 19 ! 80 ! 99 ! 359 ! 20 ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 6 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | AHL totals ! 221 ! 16 ! 53 ! 69 ! 178 ! 31 ! 2 ! 9 ! 11 ! 20 |} {{MedalTableTop|name = }} {{MedalCountry | {{ih|CAN}} }} {{MedalCompetition|World Junior Championships}} {{MedalSilver|2003 Halifax|}} {{MedalBottom}}
===International=== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:40em" |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Year ! Team ! Event ! Result ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |- | 2000 | Canada Ontario | U17 | {{silver2}} | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2003 | Canada | WJC | {{silver2}} | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 16 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="4" | Junior totals ! 11 ! 0 ! 6 ! 6 ! 16 |}
==Awards and honors== {| class="wikitable" ! Awards ! Year ! |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" | colspan="3" | OHL |- | Second All-Star Team | 2002 | |- | Memorial Cup | 2003 | |- | Memorial Cup All-Star Team | 2003 | |- |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" | colspan="3" | AHL |- | Calder Cup (Lake Erie Monsters) | 2016 | <ref name = "Calder">{{cite web | url = http://bluejackets.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=885753 | title = Bjorkstrand's OT goal clinches Monsters' first-ever Calder Cup championship | publisher = Columbus Blue Jackets | first = Tony | last = Brown | date = June 12, 2016 | accessdate = June 12, 2016}}</ref> |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Ice hockey stats}}
{{s-start}} {{s-ach}} {{succession box | before = Brian Sutherby | title = Washington Capitals first-round draft pick | years = 2002 | after = Alexander Semin}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eminger, Steve}} Category:1983 births Category:Living people Category:Anaheim Ducks players Category:Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Category:Canadian ice hockey defencemen Category:Canadian people of German descent Category:Connecticut Whale (AHL) players Category:Florida Panthers players Category:HC CSKA Moscow players Category:Kitchener Rangers players Category:Lake Erie Monsters players Category:NHL first-round draft picks Category:New York Rangers players Category:New York Rangers scouts Category:Norfolk Admirals players Category:Ice hockey people from Vaughan Category:Philadelphia Flyers players Category:Portland Pirates players Category:Providence Bruins players Category:Tampa Bay Lightning players Category:Washington Capitals draft picks Category:Washington Capitals players Category:21st-century Canadian sportsmen