Patrick Sharp facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Patrick Sharp
Sharp in January 2020
Born	(1981-12-27) December 27, 1981 (age 43) Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	194 lb (88 kg; 13 st 12 lb)
Position	Left Wing
Shot	Right
Played for	Philadelphia Flyers Chicago Blackhawks Dallas Stars
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	95th overall, 2001 Philadelphia Flyers
Playing career	2002–2018

Patrick Sharp (born December 27, 1981) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played for 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was a member of three Stanley Cup winning teams with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Sharp also won an Olympic Gold medal with the Canadian national team in 2014. After retiring as a player, he worked as a TV analyst for hockey games. In 2023, he joined the Philadelphia Flyers as a special adviser.

Playing Career

Starting in Junior and College Hockey

Patrick Sharp started playing hockey in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He played for the Thunder Bay Kings and then for the Thunder Bay Flyers in the United States Hockey League (USHL).

After that, he played college hockey at the University of Vermont. The Philadelphia Flyers chose him in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 95th player picked overall.

Playing for the Philadelphia Flyers

Sharp in June 2005. He won the Calder Cup with the Philadelphia Phantoms.

Sharp signed a contract with the Flyers in 2002. He played his first NHL game in the 2002–03 season. Most of that season, he played for the Philadelphia Phantoms, the Flyers' minor league team.

He split his time between the Flyers and Phantoms in the 2003–04 season. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Sharp played the whole season with the Phantoms. He helped them win the Calder Cup, which is the championship for the American Hockey League (AHL).

Joining the Chicago Blackhawks

In December 2005, the Flyers traded Sharp to the Chicago Blackhawks. He quickly became an important player for the Blackhawks. In the 2007–08 season, he scored a career-high 36 goals.

In 2008, Sharp was named an alternate captain for the Blackhawks. He helped the team reach the playoffs in 2009 for the first time in many years. They made it to the Western Conference Finals that year.

On June 9, 2010, Sharp won his first Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks. They defeated his former team, the Philadelphia Flyers, in the finals. He scored 11 goals and had 11 assists during that playoff run.

In 2011, Sharp was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the NHL All-Star Game. He signed a new five-year contract with Chicago in 2011.

Sharp with the Chicago Blackhawks in February 2012

During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Sharp stayed in Chicago. When the season started again in January 2013, he helped the Blackhawks win the Presidents' Trophy for having the best regular season record.

The Blackhawks then went on to win their second Stanley Cup in four seasons. They beat the Boston Bruins in the 2013 finals. Sharp led the Blackhawks in goals during those playoffs with 10 goals.

On his 32nd birthday in 2013, Sharp scored his third career hat-trick (three goals in one game). He scored another hat-trick just four games later. In January 2014, he was chosen to play for the Canadian Olympic team.

Sharp had a career-high 78 points (34 goals, 44 assists) in the 2013–14 season. The Blackhawks made another deep playoff run but lost to the Los Angeles Kings.

In the 2014–15 season, Sharp won his third Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks. They defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in the finals.

Time with the Dallas Stars

On July 10, 2015, Sharp was traded to the Dallas Stars. This trade happened because of salary cap rules in the NHL. In his first game against his old team, the Blackhawks, he scored a goal and had an assist.

In the 2015–16 season, Sharp scored 20 goals and had 35 assists for the Stars. The Stars finished as one of the top teams in the Western Conference. They won their first playoff series but then lost in the second round.

The 2016–17 season was tough for Sharp due to injuries. The Stars also missed the playoffs that year.

Returning to Chicago and Retirement

On July 1, 2017, Sharp signed a one-year contract to return to the Chicago Blackhawks. He took a pay cut to come back to the team he loved.

The Blackhawks honored Sharp in their final home game of the 2017–18 season. Sharp announced that he would retire after that game. He said he was ready for the next step in his life. He finished his last season with 10 goals and 11 assists.

Post-Retirement Life

After retiring from playing hockey in 2018, Patrick Sharp joined NBC Sports Chicago as a studio analyst. He talked about hockey games on TV. He later became a full-time analyst for NBC Sports.

In 2021, Sharp moved to TNT as an analyst for their NHL coverage. In 2022, the Blackhawks announced that Sharp would become the team's TV color analyst. This means he helps explain the game during broadcasts.

Sharp also joined the coaching staff for the University of Vermont men's ice hockey team in the Fall of 2021.

Personal Life

Sharp joins First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama at the White House in March 2011 to promote her Let's Move! initiative.

Patrick Sharp was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. His parents are Ian and Ruth Ann Sharp. He moved several times as a child, living in Calgary and then Thunder Bay. He spent the rest of his childhood in Thunder Bay.

He went to public schools in Calgary, Ottawa, and Thunder Bay. Later, he moved to Burlington, Vermont, in the United States, to attend the University of Vermont. His parents still live in Thunder Bay.

Sharp married his longtime girlfriend, Abby, in July 2010. They met when he was in college. Their wedding was in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. His Blackhawks teammate, Patrick Kane, was there. Patrick and Abby have two daughters. Their first daughter was born in December 2011, and their second daughter was born in October 2013.

Awards and Honours

International Medals

Medal record
Representing Canada
Ice hockey
Olympic Games
Gold	2014 Sochi
World Championships
Silver	2008 Canada

See also

In Spanish: Patrick Sharp para niños