Derek Stepan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Derek Stepan |
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Stepan with the Arizona Coyotes in November 2019
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| Born | June 18, 1990 Hastings, Minnesota, U.S. |
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| 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 |
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| National team |  United States |
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| NHL Draft | 51st overall, 2008 New York Rangers |
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| Playing career | 2010–2023 | ||
Derek Kenneth Stepan (born June 18, 1990) is a former professional ice hockey player from the United States. 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 second round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.
After being drafted, Stepan went to the University of Wisconsin. There, he played for the Badgers hockey team. On October 9, 2010, he made history by scoring three goals (a hat trick) in his very first NHL game. He was the first player in Rangers history to do this!
Contents
Playing Career
Early Years
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Derek Stepan went to high school at Shattuck-Saint Mary's, where he played on the hockey team. He was a great scorer, getting 81 points in his junior year and 111 points in his senior year. After high school, he went to the University of Wisconsin and played for their ice hockey team.
Professional Career (2010–2023)
New York Rangers (2010–2017)
On July 1, 2010, Stepan signed his first professional contract with the New York Rangers. This meant he left college early to play in the NHL. He quickly made a name for himself. In his very first NHL game on October 9, 2010, he scored a hat trick against the Buffalo Sabres. This was a huge achievement, as he was only the fourth player in NHL history to score three goals in his debut game!
Stepan was even chosen to be part of the 2011 NHL All-Star roster. In the 2012–13 season, he was one of the best players in the NHL for scoring points while his team was playing with fewer players (called short-handed points).
In September 2014, Stepan broke his leg during a Rangers practice. But he recovered and continued to play strongly. On May 13, 2015, he scored a very important goal in overtime during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. This goal helped the Rangers win the series against the Washington Capitals.
After the 2014–15 season, Stepan signed a big six-year contract with the Rangers. This showed how important he was to the team.
Arizona Coyotes (2017–2020)
On June 23, 2017, Stepan was traded to the Arizona Coyotes. He quickly became an important player for them, scoring 14 goals and 42 assists in his first season. He was also named an alternate captain for the Coyotes.
On October 10, 2018, Stepan played in his 600th career NHL game. This was a special milestone because he was the first player drafted in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft (who wasn't a first-round pick) to reach 600 games.
Ottawa Senators (2020–2021)
On December 26, 2020, Stepan was traded again, this time to the Ottawa Senators. He played 20 games for the Senators before he got a serious shoulder injury in February 2021. This injury needed surgery and ended his season, and his time with the Senators.
Carolina Hurricanes (2021–2023)
After his time with the Senators, Stepan signed a one-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on July 31, 2021. He played an important role on the team, scoring 9 goals and 19 points in 58 games during the 2021–22 season.
He continued with the Hurricanes for the 2022–23 season, signing another one-year contract after a strong training camp.
Retirement
On October 3, 2023, Derek Stepan announced that he was retiring from professional hockey after a long and successful career.
International Play
| Medal record | ||
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| Men's ice hockey | ||
Representing the  United States |
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| World Junior Championships | ||
| Gold | 2010 Saskatoon | |
Derek Stepan also played for the United States on the international stage. At the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, he was the captain of the U.S. team. He was the top scorer in the tournament with 14 points (4 goals and 10 assists) in seven games. He led the U.S. team to win their second-ever gold medal, beating Canada in overtime.
He also played for the U.S. men's team at the 2011 IIHF World Championship and the 2014 Winter Olympics.
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 by the Nashville Predators.
On August 9, 2014, Derek married his longtime girlfriend, Stephanie Kent, in their home state of Minnesota. They have two children, born in 2015 and 2017.
Career Statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| 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
| 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 | ||||
