Tyler Arnason facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tyler Arnason
Arnason with Espoo Blues in 2011
Born	(1979-03-16) March 16, 1979 (age 46) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	204 lb (93 kg; 14 st 8 lb)
Position	Center
Shot	Left
Played for	Chicago Blackhawks Brynäs IF Ottawa Senators Colorado Avalanche Dinamo Riga EHC Biel Espoo Blues
National team	United States
NHL Draft	183rd overall, 1998 Chicago Blackhawks
Playing career	2001–2012

Tyler Lawrence Arnason (born March 16, 1979) is an American former professional ice hockey player. He played as a center in the National Hockey League (NHL). Tyler played for teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators, and the Colorado Avalanche.

About Tyler Arnason

Tyler Arnason is the son of Chuck Arnason, who was also a professional hockey player. Tyler was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This happened when his father played for the Oklahoma City Stars. Because of this, Tyler is the first player in NHL history to be born in Oklahoma.

After his father stopped playing, Tyler and his family moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He went to St. John's-Ravenscourt School and finished in 1997. Tyler has citizenship in both the United States and Canada. His sister, Aubrey Arnason, is a Canadian actress and writer.

Tyler's Hockey Journey

College Hockey Years

Tyler Arnason played college hockey at St. Cloud State University. He was part of the men's hockey team. In three years, he played 118 games and scored 136 points. In 2001, he helped St. Cloud win the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) title.

Starting in the NHL

Tyler Arnason at AHL All-Star Classic 2002

The Chicago Blackhawks picked Tyler in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. He was chosen in the seventh round, as the 183rd player overall. In his first professional season, Tyler started with the Blackhawks. However, he spent most of that year with their minor league team, the Norfolk Admirals. The Admirals are part of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Tyler played very well in the AHL. He was chosen for the AHL All-Star Classic as part of the "PlanetUSA" team. He also won the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as the best rookie in the league. He was also named to the AHL All-Rookie team.

Playing for the Blackhawks

In the 2002–03 season, Tyler played his first full year in the NHL. He was named NHL Rookie of the Month in October. He also played in the NHL Youngstars Game and was named to the NHL All-Rookie team. During this season, Tyler scored his first career NHL hat trick. He scored all three goals for Chicago in a 3–3 tie against the San Jose Sharks on December 28.

His best season was in 2003–04, when he scored 55 points. While playing for Chicago, he was part of a famous line called "ABC." This line included him and two other young forwards, Mark Bell and Kyle Calder. Tyler signed a new one-year contract with the Blackhawks on August 11, 2005.

Moving to Other Teams

By the 2005–06 NHL season, some people felt Tyler had not reached his full potential. He had 13 goals and 41 points in 60 games with the Blackhawks. On March 9, 2006, he was traded to the Ottawa Senators. The Senators wanted him to be a key player on their second line. In 19 games with Ottawa, he had four assists but no goals. He did not play in the playoffs. The Senators decided not to keep him, so he became a free agent.

Arnason during his time in Colorado.

On July 1, 2006, Tyler signed a one-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche. His father had played for the Rockies, which was a team before the Avalanche. This made Tyler the first son of a former Rockies player to play for the Avalanche. Tyler played well again in the 2006–07 season, scoring 49 points. Because of this, the Avalanche gave him a two-year contract extension on June 22, 2007. In his second season with the Avalanche, he scored 10 goals and 31 points in 70 games. In his third and final season in Colorado, he had 5 goals and 21 points in 70 games.

Later Career and Retirement

On July 3, 2009, Tyler signed a one-year contract with the New York Rangers. He was assigned to their minor league team, the Hartford Wolf Pack, in the AHL. On November 10, 2009, he decided he did not want to play in the AHL. He was released from his contract and signed with Dinamo Riga in Europe, which is part of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He found it hard to adjust and scored only 11 points in 26 games. Riga did not renew his contract.

Tyler returned to North America as a free agent. He tried out for the Florida Panthers for the 2010–11 season. He was released by the Panthers before the season started. He then considered joining the Manitoba Moose, an AHL team near his home. However, he decided not to report to their camp on September 27, 2010.

Tyler then went back to Europe. He signed a temporary contract with EHC Biel in Switzerland on October 14, 2010. He scored 10 points in 9 games. Then he moved to EHC Visp on November 11, 2010. A week later, he left Visp after playing only one game. On January 31, 2011, Tyler joined the Finnish team, Espoo Blues. After 8 games, he asked to be released to return to the United States on February 28, 2011.

On October 7, 2011, Tyler was named to the Texas Stars roster for the 2011–12 AHL season. After playing seven games with the Stars, Tyler chose to be released from his try-out on October 29. He then ended his professional hockey career.

Playing for Team USA

Tyler Arnason played for Team USA in the 2007 IIHF World Championship. He scored a goal in Team USA's last game against Finland. Finland won the game 5–4. Team USA finished fifth in the tournament.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and Honors

See also

In Spanish: Tyler Arnason para niños

• List of family relations in the NHL