Chris Pronger facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chris Pronger
Hockey Hall of Fame, 2015
Pronger with Canada in 2010
Born	(1974-10-10) October 10, 1974 (age 50) Dryden, Ontario, Canada
Height	6 ft 6 in (198 cm)
Weight	220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Left
Played for	Hartford Whalers St. Louis Blues Edmonton Oilers Anaheim Ducks Philadelphia Flyers
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	2nd overall, 1993 Hartford Whalers
Playing career	1993–2011
Medal record Representing  Canada Ice hockey Olympic Games Gold 2002 Salt Lake City Gold 2010 Vancouver World Championships Gold 1997 Finland World Junior Championships Gold 1993 Sweden

Chris Pronger (born October 10, 1974) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played as a defenceman, a player who helps protect the goal. He was so good that he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015.

Chris won the Hart Memorial Trophy in the 1999–2000 season. This award goes to the most valuable player in the National Hockey League (NHL). After his playing career, he became an advisor for the Florida Panthers team.

He was picked second overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. Pronger played for several teams, including the St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers, and Anaheim Ducks. Later, he joined the Philadelphia Flyers. He was even a captain for the Blues, Ducks, and Flyers.

Chris played in the Stanley Cup Finals with three different teams. He won the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007. Winning the Hart Trophy made him the first defenceman to do so since Bobby Orr in 1972. He was a key player for Team Canada. He won two Olympic gold medals in 2002 and 2010. He is also part of the "Triple Gold Club." This means he won an Olympic gold, a World Championship gold, and the Stanley Cup. In 2017, he was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history.

Pronger's playing career ended in 2011 due to injuries. He had several concussions and also had vision problems from being hit in the eye. In 2014, he started working with the NHL's Player Safety Division. The St. Louis Blues retired his jersey number 44 on January 17, 2022.

Chris Pronger's Hockey Journey

Starting Out in Hockey

Chris Pronger was born in Dryden, Ontario, Canada. His parents were Jim and Eila Pronger. His mother was an immigrant from Pori, Finland. He started playing minor hockey in his hometown.

When he was 15, he joined the Stratford Cullitons Jr. B team. He played defence there with Greg de Vries, who also later played in the NHL. Chris first thought about playing college hockey. He wanted to join his older brother, Sean Pronger, at Bowling Green State University.

But the Peterborough Petes picked him in the OHL Priority Selection. The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) is a major junior league. Chris decided to play for Peterborough instead.

Becoming a Top Draft Pick

Chris played two excellent seasons with the Peterborough Petes. He was known for his large size and speed. He also had great offensive skills and played very physically. These rare talents made him a top player.

In the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, the Hartford Whalers picked him second overall. He was chosen right after Alexandre Daigle. Daigle famously said, "I'm glad I got drafted first, because no one remembers number two." But Chris Pronger proved him wrong!

Playing for the Hartford Whalers

Pronger started his NHL career in the 1993–94 NHL season. He played 81 games for the Whalers. He even earned a spot on the NHL All-Rookie Team. His teammate, Kelly Chase, said Chris had talent but needed direction.

The Whalers team was not very strong at the time. After two seasons, Chris was traded. On July 27, 1995, he went to the St. Louis Blues. In return, the Whalers received star player Brendan Shanahan.

Time with the St. Louis Blues

In St. Louis, Chris played for coach Mike Keenan. Keenan helped him improve his fitness and reduce mistakes. When Wayne Gretzky joined the team, it took some pressure off Chris. This helped him focus on his defensive skills.

In his third season with the Blues, Chris became team captain. He was also named to the All-Star team. During the 1998 Stanley Cup playoffs, he had a scary moment. He was hit in the chest with a puck and had a heart problem.

In the 1999–2000 NHL season, Pronger had his best year. He scored 62 points and had a +52 rating. This means his team scored 52 more goals than they gave up when he was on the ice. He won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the best defenceman. He also won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player. He was even named to the First All-Star team.

Chris won a gold medal with Team Canada in 2002. This was at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Injuries became a problem for him in the 2002–03 season. He only played five games that year. Al MacInnis took over as captain during this time.

After the 2004–05 NHL lockout, the Blues traded Pronger. He went to the Edmonton Oilers. The Blues needed to lower their team salaries. The Oilers were able to sign Chris to a big contract.

Adventures with the Edmonton Oilers

Chris was chosen to play for Team Canada again in the 2006 Winter Olympics. This was his third time at the Olympics. That same year, the Oilers made it to the Stanley Cup Finals.

In Game 1 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals, Chris made history. He scored the first penalty shot goal ever in a Stanley Cup Finals game. The Oilers lost in Game 7. But Chris had a great playoff run, scoring 21 points.

After the season, Chris asked to be traded from the Oilers. His agent said it was for personal reasons. Some media reports said his wife was not happy in Edmonton. This made some fans in Edmonton upset with him.

On July 3, 2006, Pronger was traded to the Anaheim Ducks. The Oilers received Joffrey Lupul and other players and draft picks.

Winning the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks

Chris Pronger with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007

In 2007, Chris played a huge part in the Ducks winning the Stanley Cup. It was his second time in a row playing in the Finals. During the playoffs, he was suspended twice for hits. Once for hitting Tomas Holmström and once for elbowing Dean McAmmond.

With the Stanley Cup victory, he became a member of the Triple Gold Club. This is a special group of players. They have won an Olympic gold medal, a World Championship gold medal, and the Stanley Cup.

On September 28, 2007, Pronger was named captain of the Ducks. He replaced Scott Niedermayer. Chris remained captain until the next season.

In March 2008, Chris was suspended for eight games. This was for stomping on Ryan Kesler's leg. Some people thought the punishment was too light. They compared it to another player who got a longer suspension for a similar action.

The 2008–09 NHL season was good for Chris. He played his 1,000th career game on February 20, 2009. The Ducks had a strong finish to the season. They beat the San Jose Sharks in the playoffs. But they lost to the Detroit Red Wings.

Joining the Philadelphia Flyers

On June 27, 2009, Chris was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers gave up Joffrey Lupul, Luca Sbisa, and draft picks. Ten days later, Chris signed a seven-year contract with the Flyers.

The NHL looked into his contract. They wanted to make sure it followed the salary cap rules. The contract paid him a lot at the start. But it paid very little in the last two years. This raised questions about whether he planned to retire early.

Pronger with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010

On December 30, 2009, Chris was chosen for Team Canada again. He played in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He was an alternate captain for the team. They won the gold medal that year. Chris became Canada's all-time leader in Olympic games played.

In the NHL, the Flyers made it to the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs. They had a thrilling playoff run. They upset the New Jersey Devils. They also made a historic comeback against the Boston Bruins. They were down three games to none and still won the series. They then beat the Montreal Canadiens.

The Flyers played the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals. The Flyers lost the series, but Chris played very well. He led his team to the Finals for the third time in a row.

After the playoffs, Chris had knee surgery. Injuries limited him to only 50 games in the next season. On September 16, 2011, Chris was named the 18th captain in Flyers history.

On October 24, 2011, he was hit in the eye with a stick. He missed several games with a serious eye injury and a concussion. More hits led to post-concussion syndrome. This put his playing career in doubt. He also continued to have problems with his right eye.

Chris stepped down as team captain in 2013. Claude Giroux took over. Chris did not officially retire from the NHL. This was because his contract ran until the 2016–17 season. The Flyers could get salary cap relief if he stayed on injured reserve.

Even though he wasn't playing, Chris stayed with the Flyers. He helped scout new players. On June 27, 2015, the Flyers traded his playing rights to the Arizona Coyotes. This deal helped both teams with their salary cap. Chris never played for Arizona.

Three days later, on June 30, 2015, he was named to the Hockey Hall of Fame. He was eligible because he hadn't played in three full seasons.

Life After Playing Hockey

After his contract ended in 2017, Chris officially retired. He then signed with the Florida Panthers. He became a senior advisor for their hockey operations.

Personal Life

Chris Pronger in 2007 after winning the Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks

Chris Pronger married his wife Lauren in 1999. They have three children together. He used to live in Irvine, California, when he played for the Anaheim Ducks. Chris now lives in Chesterfield, Missouri. He runs a luxury travel agency with his wife.

Chris appeared on the cover of two video games: NHL 2000 and NHL Hitz 2003. His older brother, Sean Pronger, also played in the NHL.

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

International Play

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1993	Canada	WJC			7	1	3	4	6
1997	Canada	WC			9	0	2	2	4
1998	Canada	OG	4th		6	0	0	0	4
2002	Canada	OG			6	0	1	1	2
2006	Canada	OG	7th		6	1	2	3	16
2010	Canada	OG			7	0	5	5	2
Junior totals					7	1	3	4	6
Senior totals					34	1	10	11	36

All-Star Games

Awards and Achievements

See also

• List of NHL players with 1,000 games played