Dany Heatley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dany Heatley
Heatley with the San Jose Sharks in February 2010
Born	(1981-01-21) January 21, 1981 (age 44) Freiburg, West Germany
Height	6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight	220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb)
Position	Left wing
Shot	Left
Played for	Atlanta Thrashers SC Bern Ak Bars Kazan Ottawa Senators San Jose Sharks Minnesota Wild Anaheim Ducks Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	2nd overall, 2000 Atlanta Thrashers
Playing career	2001–2016

Daniel James Heatley (born January 21, 1981) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He was a talented winger known for scoring many goals. Dany was born in Germany but grew up in Canada.

He was picked second overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers. In his first year, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the best rookie in the National Hockey League (NHL). His time with the Thrashers was affected by a serious car accident in 2003 that sadly took the life of his teammate, Dan Snyder. Dany was also seriously hurt but made a full recovery.

After leaving Atlanta, Heatley became a star for the Ottawa Senators. He set new team records for goals and points in a season. He played on a famous line with Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson. Dany also proudly represented Team Canada in many big tournaments. This included six World Championships and two Olympics, where he won a gold medal in 2010.

Heatley later played for the San Jose Sharks, Minnesota Wild, and Anaheim Ducks in the NHL. He finished his career playing in Germany for the Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers.

Dany Heatley's Early Life

Dany Heatley was born in Freiburg, Germany. His father, Murray Heatley, was also a professional hockey player there. When his dad stopped playing, the family moved to Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Playing Hockey: From Amateurs to Pros

Starting in Amateur Hockey

Dany played minor hockey for the Calgary Buffaloes. In 1997–98, he scored an amazing 91 points in 36 games. This made him the top scorer in his league. He also helped his team win a bronze medal at the 1998 Air Canada Cup. He was named the top scorer and best player of that tournament.

To keep his chance to play college hockey in the United States, he joined the Calgary Canucks in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL). He scored 70 goals and 126 points in 60 games. He was named the best player in both the AJHL and Canadian Junior A hockey.

College Hockey with Wisconsin

After junior hockey, Dany played for the University of Wisconsin Badgers for two years. He was named to the All-Star team in his first year. He also won the WCHA Rookie of the Year award.

In the summer of 2000, the Atlanta Thrashers picked him second overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. After his second year of college, Dany decided to become a professional player.

Becoming a Professional Hockey Player

Atlanta Thrashers (2001–2005)

Dany Heatley started his NHL career with the Thrashers in the 2001–02 season. He led all new players with 67 points and 41 assists. He also scored 26 goals. He won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best rookie.

In the 2002–03 season, Heatley became a big star. He scored 41 goals and 89 points in 77 games. He finished ninth in scoring across the whole league.

In September 2003, Dany was in a serious car accident. His teammate, Dan Snyder, was also in the car and sadly passed away. Dany was seriously injured but recovered. Because of this, his season didn't start until January 2004. He played only 31 games and scored 25 points.

During the 2004–05 NHL lock-out, Heatley played in Switzerland for SC Bern. He scored 24 points in 16 games. Then, he played in Russia for Ak Bars Kazan with his Thrashers teammate Ilya Kovalchuk.

Ottawa Senators (2005–2009)

Before the lock-out ended, Heatley asked to be traded from Atlanta. He wanted a fresh start after the accident. On August 23, 2005, he was traded to the Ottawa Senators. He signed a new contract with them right away.

In his first game for the Senators, he played with Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson. He scored in the first-ever NHL shootout for the Senators. Later that month, he scored four goals in one game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Heatley had an amazing start with Ottawa. He scored points in his first 22 games, setting a new team record. When he played his first game back in Atlanta, the fans booed him.

Heatley as a member of the Ottawa Senators in October 2007

He finished the 2005–06 season with 50 goals and 103 points. This was the first time a Senators player scored 50 goals in a season. His 103 points also tied the team record. Ottawa had a great season, but they lost in the playoffs. Heatley was chosen for the NHL Second All-Star team.

In the 2006–07 season, Heatley scored 50 goals again and had 105 points. This broke the team record for points in a season. He was the first NHL player since 2000 to score 50 goals in two seasons in a row. He was named to the NHL First All-Star team.

Heatley and the Senators made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals that year. They played against the Anaheim Ducks but lost in five games. Heatley, Alfredsson, and Spezza were the top scorers in the playoffs.

Before the 2007–08 season, Heatley signed a new six-year contract with the Senators. He played in 208 games in a row before getting a shoulder injury. He finished the season with 82 points. The Senators lost in the first round of the playoffs.

In the 2008–09 season, Heatley was named an alternate captain. However, his scoring went down, and the Senators missed the playoffs.

Trade Request (2009)

In June 2009, Heatley asked to be traded from the Senators. He was not happy with his role on the team under the new coach. This surprised many people, especially since he had just signed a long contract. Fans and sports writers were upset by his request.

Trading Heatley was difficult because of his large contract. He also had a "no-trade clause" in his contract, which meant he had to agree to any trade. He refused a trade to the Edmonton Oilers, which made fans in both Ottawa and Edmonton even more upset.

San Jose Sharks (2009–2011)

On September 12, 2009, Heatley was traded to the San Jose Sharks. In his first home game with the Sharks, he scored three goals, which is called a hat-trick. He continued to score many points that season. The Sharks made it to the Conference Finals in the 2010 playoffs but lost. It was later revealed that Heatley had been playing with a torn groin muscle.

When Heatley returned to Ottawa to play against the Senators in December 2010, fans booed him. Some fans even threw their Heatley jerseys onto the ice. The Sharks won the game. In the following season, Heatley had fewer points than usual. He was also dealing with injuries during the playoffs, including a broken hand.

Minnesota Wild (2011–2014)

On July 3, 2011, Heatley was traded to the Minnesota Wild. He joined his former teammate Devin Setoguchi there. He had a good season with 53 points, but the Wild missed the playoffs. In February 2012, he scored the fastest goal in Wild history, just 13 seconds into a game.

In the shorter 2012–13 season, Heatley scored 21 points. However, he dislocated his left shoulder in a game in April, which ended his season.

His scoring went down in the 2013–14 season. He scored only 19 points in his first 55 games. He was even a healthy scratch for the first time in his career, meaning he didn't play even though he wasn't injured.

Anaheim Ducks and Florida Panthers (2014–2015)

On July 9, 2014, Heatley signed a one-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks. He played only six games with no points before being sent to the Ducks' minor league team, the Norfolk Admirals. In February 2015, he was traded to the Florida Panthers but did not play any games for them. He played for their minor league team, the San Antonio Rampage.

Playing in Europe

Heatley signed with the German team, the Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers, in September 2015. He helped them reach the playoff semifinals. He played 59 games in the 2015–16 season, scoring 19 goals and 18 assists.

NHL All-Star Games

Dany Heatley was chosen to play in the NHL All-Star Game five times. He played in four of them. In his first All-Star Game in 2003, he scored four goals, tying a record. He also won the All-Star Game MVP award. He played in the All-Star Game again in 2007 and 2009.

Playing for Team Canada

Medal record
Representing  Canada
Ice hockey
Winter Olympics
Gold	2010 Vancouver
World Championships
Gold	2003 Finland
Gold	2004 Czech Republic
Silver	2005 Austria
Silver	2008 Canada
Silver	2009 Switzerland
World Cup
Gold	2004 World Cup of Hockey
World Junior Championships
Bronze	2000 Sweden
Bronze	2001 Russia

Heatley played in two World Junior Championships for Team Canada. He won a bronze medal in both 2000 and 2001.

He made his debut for the senior Team Canada at the 2002 World Championships. The next year, in 2003, he led Team Canada in scoring and won his first gold medal.

In the 2004 World Championships, Heatley was the top scorer in the whole tournament. Canada won another gold medal. A few months later, he helped Canada win the 2004 World Cup.

At the 2005 World Championships, Canada won a silver medal. In December 2005, Heatley was chosen to play in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.

He returned to the World Championships in 2008. He became Team Canada's all-time leading goal-scorer and point-scorer in the World Championships. Canada won a silver medal, and Heatley was named MVP of the tournament.

In December 2009, Heatley was chosen to play for Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics. He scored two goals in the first game. On February 28, 2010, Team Canada beat the United States to win Canada's eighth gold medal in Olympic men's hockey.

After His Playing Career

Dany Heatley was hired by the Philadelphia Flyers as a scout before the 2023-24 season. A scout helps teams find new players.

Personal Life

Citizenship

Dany Heatley has dual citizenship, meaning he is a citizen of both Canada and Germany. This is because his mother is German.

Car Accident (2003)

On September 29, 2003, Dany Heatley was seriously injured in a car accident in Atlanta. He lost control of his car, and it hit a wall. His teammate, Dan Snyder, was also in the car and was critically injured. Sadly, Dan Snyder passed away on October 5, 2003. Dany suffered a broken jaw, a concussion, and knee injuries, but he eventually recovered. The Thrashers team and Dan Snyder's family were very supportive of Dany during this difficult time.

Endorsements

Dany Heatley was chosen to be on the cover of the EA Sports NHL video game NHL 2004. However, after the car accident, the cover was changed to Joe Sakic.

Records and Achievements

Dany Heatley holds several records and has achieved many milestones in his hockey career:

NHL

• Tied the All-Star Game record for most goals in a game (4).
• Set an All-Star Skills Competition record for shooting accuracy (4-for-4).
• Scored the first NHL game-winning shootout goal.

Team Records

• Atlanta Thrashers franchise record for most points by a rookie (67).
• Ottawa Senators franchise record for most goals in a season (50).
• Ottawa Senators franchise record for most points in a season (105).
• Ottawa Senators franchise record for longest point-scoring streak (22 games).
• Tied the Ottawa Senators franchise record for most points in one post-season (22).
• First Ottawa Senator to score 50 goals in a season.
• First Ottawa Senator to score 50 goals in two seasons in a row.

International Records

• Team Canada's all-time leading goal-scorer (42 goals).
• Team Canada's all-time leading point-scorer (69 points).

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

Bold indicates led league

International Play

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2000	Canada	WJC			7	2	2	4	4
2001	Canada	WJC			7	3	2	5	10
2002	Canada	WC	6th		7	2	2	4	2
2003	Canada	WC			9	7	3	10	10
2004	Canada	WC			9	8	3	11	4
2004	Canada	WCH			6	0	2	2	2
2005	Canada	WC			9	3	4	7	16
2006	Canada	OG	7th		6	2	1	3	8
2008	Canada	WC			9	12	8	20	4
2009	Canada	WC			9	6	4	10	8
2010	Canada	OG			7	4	3	7	4
Junior totals					14	5	4	9	14
Senior totals					71	44	30	74	56

NHL All-Star Games

Awards and Achievements