Chris Kreider facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chris Kreider
Kreider with the New York Rangers in October 2014
Born	(1991-04-30) April 30, 1991 (age 34) Boxford, Massachusetts, U.S.
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight	230 lb (104 kg; 16 st 6 lb)
Position	Left wing
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Anaheim Ducks New York Rangers
National team	United States
NHL Draft	19th overall, 2009 New York Rangers
Playing career	2012–present

Christopher James Kreider (born April 30, 1991) is an American professional ice hockey player. He plays as a left wing for the Anaheim Ducks in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Chris grew up in Boxford, Massachusetts. He played high school hockey and then went on to play college ice hockey for the Boston College Eagles. The New York Rangers drafted him in the first round of the 2009 NHL entry draft. Kreider joined the NHL during the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs. He set a new NHL record for most playoff goals scored before playing a regular season game.

After a few seasons splitting time between the NHL and the minor leagues, Kreider became a regular player for the Rangers in the 2014–15 season. He continued to achieve personal and team records throughout his career. He was chosen for the NHL All-Star Game twice. In the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, Kreider became the Rangers' all-time leader in playoff goals. He also led in playoff power play goals and playoff game-winning goals.

Kreider has also played for the United States in international tournaments. He won a gold medal at the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He has also won two bronze medals with the senior team.

Early life and beginnings

Chris Kreider was born on April 30, 1991, in Boxford, Massachusetts. His parents are Kathy and David Kreider. He has a younger sister named Katie.

Chris played hockey with the Valley Jr. Warriors for four years. He then attended Masconomet Regional High School. As a sophomore, he became an All-League player. He helped his team win the Cape Ann League championship.

He later transferred to Phillips Andover for his junior year. There, he led the team in goals and points. In his final year, he had 56 points in 26 games. He helped Phillips Andover reach the New England Prep semifinals. Kreider was named New England Prep Player of the Year.

College hockey career

After high school, Kreider went to Boston College. He studied communications there for three years. Before his first year, the New York Rangers drafted him 19th overall in the 2009 NHL entry draft.

In his first college game, he had four shots on goal. He earned his first point, an assist, in the next game. Before playing in the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, he led all rookies on his team with eight points.

Kreider finished his first season with 14 goals and 21 points. He was named to the 2009-10 Hockey East All-Rookie Team. He helped the Boston College Eagles win the 2010 Hockey East championship. He also scored a goal in the 2010 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament title game. This helped the Eagles win the national title. He was the second American to win both a World Junior Championship gold medal and an NCAA title in the same year.

In his second year, Kreider helped the Eagles win their second straight Beanpot Tournament title. He was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. He suffered a broken jaw in March but returned to play. He finished the season with 11 goals and 13 assists.

Kreider returned to Boston College for his junior year. He led the team to another NCAA title. He scored 23 goals and had 45 points in 44 games. He also helped the team win their third straight Beanpot Tournament title. Kreider finished the regular season with 23 goals and 22 assists. He was selected for the All-Hockey East Second Team.

Professional hockey career

New York Rangers

Early NHL years (2011–2014)

Kreider signed a three-year contract with the Rangers on April 10, 2012. He made his NHL debut in the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs on April 16, 2012. He scored his first NHL goal in his fourth playoff game. This was a game-winning goal that helped the Rangers avoid elimination. He continued to score in the playoffs, setting an NHL record for most playoff goals before playing a regular season game.

Kreider (right) while with the Hartford Wolf Pack

During the 2012–13 season, which was shortened by a lockout, Kreider played for the Rangers' minor league team, the Connecticut Whale. He scored his first AHL goal in October 2012. He later scored his first regular-season NHL goal in February 2013. He finished his rookie NHL season with two goals and one assist in 23 games.

In the 2013–14 season, Kreider started in the AHL but was soon called up to the Rangers. He began to score points quickly under new coach Alain Vigneault. On November 30, he scored his first career NHL hat-trick. He became one of only three Rangers rookies in 20 years to achieve this. He finished the month tied for second among NHL rookies in points. Kreider became a strong player on the Rangers' top line. He suffered a hand injury in March but returned for the playoffs.

In the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs, Kreider made an immediate impact. He helped the Rangers eliminate the Pittsburgh Penguins. He also injured Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price during a game. Kreider had a strong playoff run, helping the Rangers reach the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals. Although he scored in Game 5, the Rangers lost the Stanley Cup to the Los Angeles Kings.

Becoming a key player (2014–2019)

On July 23, 2014, Kreider signed a two-year contract extension with the Rangers. In the 2014–15 season, he scored 21 goals and 25 assists for 46 points. He helped the Rangers win the Presidents' Trophy as the regular season champions. In the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs, he scored seven goals.

The 2015–16 NHL season was shorter for Kreider due to injuries. He scored his 20th goal of the season on April 4, 2016. This helped the Rangers qualify for the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs.

On July 22, 2016, Kreider signed a four-year contract extension. In the 2016–17 season, he set new career highs in goals and points. He had great chemistry with his linemates, Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich. He scored his second career hat-trick on December 31. He was named the NHL's Second Star of the Week for his strong play in December. Kreider finished the regular season with 28 goals and 53 points. He played in his 300th career NHL game in February 2017. He was protected by the team in the 2017 NHL expansion draft.

Kreider playing against the Washington Capitals on December 27, 2017

In the 2017–18 season, Kreider reached several milestones. He recorded his 100th NHL assist, 100th NHL goal, and 200th NHL point. In December 2017, he was diagnosed with a blood clot in his right arm. This required surgery, and he missed 24 games. He returned to play in February 2018. He was nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for his perseverance.

For the 2018–19 season, David Quinn, his former college coach, became the Rangers' head coach. Kreider was named an assistant captain. He had his fourth career 20-goal season. He passed Wayne Gretzky on the Rangers' all-time points list with his 250th career point. He finished the season with 28 goals.

Recent success (2019–2025)

In the 2019–20 season, there were rumors that Kreider might be traded. However, the Rangers signed him to a seven-year contract extension on February 24, 2020. He was also selected for the 2020 NHL All-Star Game. He suffered an injury in February 2020 and was sidelined when the season was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the 2020–21 season, Kreider continued as an alternate captain. He scored his 161st NHL goal, becoming the second American-born player on the Rangers' all-time goal-scoring list. He recorded his third and fourth career NHL hat-tricks in February and March 2021. He was nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for his leadership and community work.

The 2021–22 season was a career-best for Kreider. He set new highs in goals and points. He was named to the 2022 NHL All-Star Game. On January 22, 2022, he scored his fifth career NHL hat-trick. He tied for the NHL lead in goals at that time. He broke the Rangers' record for most power play goals in a single season. On April 11, he scored his 50th goal of the season, becoming only the fourth Ranger to reach this milestone. He finished the regular season with 52 goals and 77 points. He received the Steven MacDonald Extra Effort Award and the inaugural Mr. Ranger Award.

In the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, Kreider continued to set records. He became the Ranger with the most playoff game-winning goals. He also tied Mark Messier for second most playoff goals in Rangers history. He scored two goals in Game 7 of the second round to help the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Final. He finished the season with a combined 62 goals in the playoffs and regular season, tying a franchise record.

Kreider during a game against the Seattle Kraken in November 2022.

For the 2022–23 season, Kreider was named an alternate captain. He continued to climb the Rangers' all-time leaderboards. He became the all-time leading goal scorer among American-born Rangers. He also surpassed several legendary players in total goals and game-winning goals. In the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, Kreider became the Rangers' all-time leader in playoff goals and power play goals.

In the 2023–24 season, Kreider set more franchise scoring records. He surpassed Andy Bathgate for the fourth most goals in Rangers history. He also tied Vic Hadfield for the second-most consecutive 10-goal seasons. On December 15, he passed Adam Graves for the third most goals in Rangers history. He also recorded his 500th and 501st career NHL points. On January 2, 2024, he set the record for most goals scored at Madison Square Garden. On March 16, he played in his 800th career NHL game. A few games later, he became the third player in franchise history to score 300 career NHL goals with the team. He finished the regular season with 39 goals and 36 assists for 75 points.

In the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, Kreider became the Rangers' all-time leader in playoff goals, playoff power play goals, and playoff game-winning goals. On May 16, 2024, he scored a natural hat-trick in the third period of a playoff game. This was his first playoff hat-trick and the 16th in Rangers playoff history.

In the 2024–25 season, Kreider continued to play for the Rangers. He scored six goals in his first nine games. He also tied Jean Ratelle for the second most game-winning goals in franchise history.

Anaheim Ducks

New team (2025–2026)

On June 12, 2025, Kreider was traded by the Rangers to the Anaheim Ducks. He joined the Ducks in exchange for Carey Terrance and a 2025 third-round draft pick.

International play

Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Representing  United States
World Championships
Bronze	2018 Denmark
World Junior Championships
Gold	2010 Saskatchewan
Bronze	2011 Buffalo

Kreider has played for the United States in international tournaments at both junior and senior levels.

He first played for the United States junior team at the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He scored his first goal in the second game. He also recorded a hat-trick against Latvia. He scored his sixth goal of the tournament in the gold-medal game against Canada. The U.S. team won the gold medal.

After his freshman year at Boston College, Kreider played for the United States senior team at the 2010 World Championship. He had one goal and one assist in six games.

He played for the United States again at the 2011 World Junior Championships. He scored four goals and two assists in six games. He helped the U.S. team win a bronze medal. His total of 10 World Juniors goals tied him for third all-time among American players. He also played for the senior team at the 2011 World Championship.

In 2018, Kreider represented the United States at the 2018 World Championship. He was named the USA Player of the Game twice. He scored two goals against Canada to help the United States win a bronze medal.

He was also selected to play for the United States at the 2019 World Championship. He scored three goals and one assist in eight games.

Personal life

Chris Kreider married Francesca in 2023. Even though he left Boston College early, he earned his degree in communications in 2016. He took online courses and studied during the off-season to finish his degree. Besides English, Kreider can speak some Spanish and Russian.

He spent his summers growing up between New York and Massachusetts. In a 2015 interview, he mentioned that The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway was one of his favorite books.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2010	United States	WJC			7	6	1	7	2
2010	United States	WC	13th		6	1	1	2	0
2011	United States	WJC			6	4	2	6	0
2011	United States	WC	8th		7	2	1	3	6
2018	United States	WC			10	4	6	10	2
2019	United States	WC	7th		8	3	1	4	2
Junior totals					13	10	3	13	2
Senior totals					31	10	9	19	10

Awards and honors