Derek Stepan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Derek Stepan |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Stepan with the Arizona Coyotes in November 2019
|
|||
| Born | June 18, 1990 Hastings, Minnesota, U.S. |
||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 196 lb (89 kg; 14 st 0 lb) | ||
| Position | Center | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | New York Rangers KalPa Arizona Coyotes Ottawa Senators Carolina Hurricanes |
||
| National team |  United States |
||
| NHL Draft | 51st overall, 2008 New York Rangers |
||
| Playing career | 2010–2023 | ||
Derek Kenneth Stepan (born June 18, 1990) is an American former professional ice hockey player. He played as a center for 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for teams like the New York Rangers, Arizona Coyotes, Ottawa Senators, and Carolina Hurricanes. The Rangers picked him in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.
After being drafted, Stepan went to the University of Wisconsin. He played for the Badgers hockey team there. On July 1, 2010, he signed his first professional contract with the Rangers. He decided to start his pro career early. On October 9, 2010, he made history. He was the first Rangers player to score a hat trick in his very first NHL game. Only three other players in NHL history had done this before him.
Contents
Stepan's Hockey Journey
Early Years and College Play
.jpg)
Derek Stepan went to high school at Shattuck-Saint Mary's. He played on the hockey team there. He was a great scorer, getting 81 points in his junior year. In his senior year, he scored an amazing 111 points. After high school, he attended the University of Wisconsin. He played for the Badgers ice hockey team. They competed in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA).
Professional Career Begins (2010–2023)
Playing for the New York Rangers (2010–2017)
On July 1, 2010, Stepan signed his first professional contract. He joined the New York Rangers, skipping his last two years of college. In Fall 2010, he went to the Rangers' training camp. He played well enough to make the team.
He scored a hat trick in his very first NHL game. This happened on October 9, 2010, against the Buffalo Sabres. He was the first rookie in Rangers history to do this. Only a few other players in NHL history have scored three goals in their debut. Stepan was also chosen for the 2011 NHL All-Star roster. He showed off his skills in the NHL SuperSkills competition.
In the 2012–13 season, Stepan was great at scoring when his team was short a player. He tied for the NHL lead in short-handed points. On September 26, 2013, he signed a new two-year contract with the Rangers. On September 24, 2014, he broke his leg during practice. This was a non-contact injury.
On May 13, 2015, Stepan scored a huge goal. It was in overtime of Game 7 against the Washington Capitals. This goal won the series for the Rangers. The Rangers later lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in their next series.
After the 2014–15 season, Stepan became a free agent. The Rangers offered him a contract, but he wanted more money. He asked for a salary arbitration hearing. This is a process where a neutral person helps decide a player's salary. Just before the hearing, Stepan and the Rangers agreed on a six-year contract. This deal kept him with the team until the end of the 2020–21 season.
Time with the Arizona Coyotes (2017–2020)
On June 23, 2017, Stepan was traded to the Arizona Coyotes. Goaltender Antti Raanta also went with him. In return, the Rangers received a draft pick and a defenseman. In his first season with the Coyotes, Stepan played all 82 games. He scored 14 goals and had 42 assists. He was named an alternate captain for the Coyotes.
During the 2018–19 season, Stepan played his 600th NHL game. This happened on October 10, 2018. He was the first player from the 2008 NHL Draft, who wasn't a first-round pick, to reach this milestone.
Playing for the Ottawa Senators (2020–2021)
On December 26, 2020, Stepan was traded again. After three seasons, he left the Coyotes for the Ottawa Senators. The 2020-21 season was different because of the pandemic. Teams mostly played against others in their own division. Stepan found it hard to be away from his family. He played 20 games, scoring 1 goal and 6 points. On February 23, 2021, he injured his shoulder.
On March 2, 2021, it was announced that Stepan needed surgery. This shoulder surgery ended his season. It also meant his time with the Senators was over.
Final Seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes (2021–2023)
Stepan became a free agent again. On July 31, 2021, he signed a one-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. He took on a supporting role with the team. In the 2021-22 season, he scored 9 goals and had 19 points in 58 games.
He was not signed for the next summer. However, he joined the Hurricanes for training camp on a tryout contract. He played well in the pre-season, leading the team in goals. On October 11, 2022, the Hurricanes signed him to another one-year contract. He played 73 games in the 2022-23 season.
Retirement and New Role
On October 3, 2023, Derek Stepan announced he was retiring from professional hockey. He had a long and successful career.
Stepan is now working for the Minnesota Wild team. He is a player development coach. This means he helps younger players improve their skills.
International Hockey Achievements
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's ice hockey | ||
Representing the  United States |
||
| World Junior Championships | ||
| Gold | 2010 Saskatoon | |
At the 2010 IIHF World U20 Championships, Stepan was the captain of the United States team. He was the top scorer in the tournament. He had four goals and ten assists in seven games. He was also chosen for the All-Star Team. He led the United States to win their second gold medal ever. They beat Canada in overtime.
Stepan also played for the United States men's team at the 2011 IIHF World Championship. He scored seven points in seven games. He was chosen as one of the top three players on the U.S. team.
Personal Life
Derek Stepan comes from a hockey family. His father, Brad, was also drafted by the Rangers in 1985. Derek's younger cousin, Zachary, was also drafted into the NHL in 2012. On August 9, 2014, Stepan married his longtime girlfriend, Stephanie Kent. They got married in their home state of Minnesota. Stephanie and Derek have two children. Their first child was born on October 27, 2015. Their second child was born on September 21, 2017.
Career Statistics
Regular Season and Playoff Games
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2006–07 | Shattuck-Saint Mary's | HS-Prep | 63 | 38 | 32 | 70 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Shattuck-Saint Mary's | HS-Prep | 60 | 44 | 67 | 111 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | University of Wisconsin | WCHA | 40 | 9 | 24 | 33 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | University of Wisconsin | WCHA | 41 | 12 | 42 | 54 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | New York Rangers | NHL | 82 | 21 | 24 | 45 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2011–12 | New York Rangers | NHL | 82 | 17 | 34 | 51 | 22 | 20 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 4 | ||
| 2012–13 | KalPa | SM-l | 12 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | New York Rangers | NHL | 48 | 18 | 26 | 44 | 12 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 2013–14 | New York Rangers | NHL | 82 | 17 | 40 | 57 | 18 | 24 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 2 | ||
| 2014–15 | New York Rangers | NHL | 68 | 16 | 39 | 55 | 22 | 19 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 10 | ||
| 2015–16 | New York Rangers | NHL | 72 | 22 | 31 | 53 | 20 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17 | New York Rangers | NHL | 81 | 17 | 38 | 55 | 16 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | ||
| 2017–18 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 82 | 14 | 42 | 56 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 72 | 15 | 20 | 35 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 70 | 10 | 18 | 28 | 16 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||
| 2020–21 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 20 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 58 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 73 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| NHL totals | 890 | 182 | 333 | 515 | 216 | 120 | 20 | 35 | 55 | 32 | ||||
International Games
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | United States | WJC |  |
7 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 4 | |
| 2011 | United States | WC | 8th | 7 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2014 | United States | OG | 4th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2016 | United States | WCH | 7th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 7 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 4 | ||||
| Senior totals | 11 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 2 | ||||
