Joel Edmundson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joel Edmundson
Edmundson with the St. Louis Blues in 2017
Born	(1993-06-28) June 28, 1993 (age 32) Brandon, Manitoba, Canada
Height	6 ft 5 in (196 cm)
Weight	225 lb (102 kg; 16 st 1 lb)
Position	Defence
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Los Angeles Kings St. Louis Blues Carolina Hurricanes Montreal Canadiens Washington Capitals Toronto Maple Leafs
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	46th overall, 2011 St. Louis Blues
Playing career	2013–present

Joel Edmundson, born on June 28, 1993, is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He plays as a defenceman for the Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was picked by the St. Louis Blues in the 2011 NHL Draft. Joel won the famous Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019. He has also played for other NHL teams like the Carolina Hurricanes, Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals, and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Early Life

Joel Edmundson was born in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. His parents are Bob and Lois Edmundson. He started playing ice hockey when he was just two years old. His older brother, Jesse, inspired him to play.

Playing Career

Amateur Hockey Years

Growing up in Manitoba, Joel and his brother played junior hockey. They were part of their hometown team, the Brandon Wheat Kings. During the 2008–09 and 2009–10 seasons, Joel played 85 games. He scored 58 points for the team.

He played alongside Micheal Ferland, who later became an NHL player. Joel's father, Bob, even helped Ferland financially. This allowed Ferland to play hockey with the team.

Joel also played one game for the Dauphin Kings in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. This was before he was drafted by the Moose Jaw Warriors in the 2008 Western Hockey League (WHL) Bantam Draft.

In his first WHL season, Joel played 71 games for the Warriors. He scored 20 points and had 95 penalty minutes. Penalty minutes are given when a player breaks a rule. He was first ranked 69th by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. But his strong season moved him up to 33rd before the 2011 NHL Draft.

His assistant coach, Mike Vandenberghe, praised Joel's progress. He said Joel had the size and potential to be a good defensive player. Joel was drafted 46th overall by the St. Louis Blues. He hurt his ankle at their summer training camp. He missed a month but returned to play on October 27, 2011.

Joel was chosen for Team WHL in the CHL Canada/Russia Series. He replaced Griffin Reinhart. Joel and the Warriors finished first in their division. They reached the WHL Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. He ended the season with 23 points in 56 games.

Because of an NHL lockout, Joel could not attend the Blues' 2012 Training Camp. He returned to the WHL for his last junior season. He was named an alternate captain. On December 6, 2012, Joel was traded to the Kamloops Blazers.

While with the Blazers, Joel signed a three-year contract with the Blues. This ended his junior career. He received the team's Most Dedicated award. The Blazers made it to the 2013 WHL Playoffs. They lost in the Conference Finals. Joel was then invited to the Blues' training camp.

Professional Career

St. Louis Blues

Joel started his professional career with the Chicago Wolves. This team is linked to the Blues in the American Hockey League (AHL). He scored his first professional goal on November 13, 2013. It was a game-winning goal against the Iowa Wild.

Joel and the Wolves won their division. They made it to the 2014 Calder Cup playoffs. They lost in the second round. Joel was sent back to the Wolves for the 2014–15 season. He played 30 games and scored 12 points.

After two seasons with the Wolves, Joel joined the St. Louis Blues for the 2015–16 NHL season. He made his NHL debut on October 8, 2015, with fellow rookie Colton Parayko. They played against the Edmonton Oilers.

Joel moved between the AHL and NHL during the season. He played 23 games with the Blues. He scored his first NHL goal on March 25, 2016. This helped the Blues secure a spot in the playoffs. He finished the season with nine points in 66 games. He also set a team record for hits by a rookie with 162. On April 8, 2016, he signed a two-year contract with the Blues.

Edmundson during the 2019 Stanley Cup parade

Joel was on the Blues' opening night roster for the 2016–17 NHL season. He got an upper-body injury and was placed on injured reserve. This means he couldn't play for a while. He returned on December 5, missing 12 games. He ended the season with 16 points in 69 games.

For the 2017–18 NHL season, Joel was again on the Blues' opening roster. He had more injuries during this season. On February 9, 2018, he broke his right forearm. He missed 13 games. Joel returned on March 15, 2018, and scored a goal. He finished the season with a career-high 17 points in 69 games. He often played with Alex Pietrangelo or Colton Parayko.

In 2018, Joel helped out at Micheal Ferland's Hockey School. He was a guest instructor. On July 24, 2018, Joel signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Blues. He started the 2018–19 NHL season with a groin injury. He returned on October 11. He then got another lower-body injury on March 12, 2019.

Joel helped the Blues reach the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals. They played against the Boston Bruins. He played in five of the seven games. The Blues won their first-ever Stanley Cup! Joel brought the Cup to his hometown of Brandon, Manitoba. He visited his training gym and a cancer center. He signed a new one-year contract with the Blues after this success.

Carolina Hurricanes

On September 24, 2019, Joel was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes. This trade also involved Dominik Bokk and a draft pick. In return, the Blues received Justin Faulk and a draft pick. Joel found out about the trade at noon and was in Carolina the next morning.

After 17 games without a point, Joel scored his first goal for the Hurricanes. He also had two assists in an 8–2 win. By January 19, 2020, he had 12 points, which was more than his previous season. Two months later, he reached 19 points, setting a new personal best.

Montreal Canadiens

On September 12, 2020, Joel was traded to the Montreal Canadiens. He was about to become a free agent. On September 16, he signed a four-year, $14 million contract with the Canadiens. He shared that his father was a huge fan of the team.

Joel quickly became an important part of the Canadiens' defense. He often played with Jeff Petry during the 2020-21 Montreal Canadiens season. The Canadiens had a great playoff run. Joel played in his second 2021 Stanley Cup Finals. However, the Canadiens lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

At the start of the 2021-22 Montreal Canadiens season, Joel had a back injury. This kept him from skating with the team. His recovery took a long time because of setbacks and time away to care for his father. He did not need surgery and returned to practice in February 2022. Joel played his first game back on March 12, 2022.

Before the 2022-23 NHL season, Joel was considered for team captain. Instead, he was named an alternate captain, and Nick Suzuki became captain. Days later, Joel and Suzuki bumped into each other during practice. Joel's back injury got worse. The team was rebuilding, so there was talk of trading Joel. But he got injured again before the trade deadline.

Washington Capitals

On July 1, 2023, Joel was traded by the Canadiens to the Washington Capitals. The Capitals gave up two draft picks for him.

Toronto Maple Leafs

On March 7, 2024, Joel was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs sent two draft picks to the Capitals.

Los Angeles Kings

On July 1, 2024, Joel left the Maple Leafs as a free agent. He signed a four-year, $15.4 million contract with the Los Angeles Kings.

International Play

Joel has played for Canada's senior team. He was chosen for the 2018 IIHF World Championship. He missed the first game due to a groin injury. On May 6, 2018, he scored three points in Canada's 10–0 win over South Korea. Canada finished fourth in the tournament.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and Honours