Wyatt Kalynuk
Wyatt Kalynuk (born April 14, 1997) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing for the Rockford IceHogs in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the seventh round, 196th overall, by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. He previously played for the Wisconsin Badgers in the NCAA.[1]
| Wyatt Kalynuk | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
April 14, 1997 Brandon, Manitoba, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team (P) Cur. team |
Chicago Blackhawks Rockford IceHogs (AHL) | ||
| NHL Draft |
196th overall, 2017 Philadelphia Flyers | ||
| Playing career | 2020–present | ||
Early life
Kalynuk was born on April 14, 1997 in Brandon, Manitoba,[2] and was raised in nearby Virden by parents Leanne and Randy Kalynuk.[3] He began playing minor ice hockey with the Virden Minor Hockey Association, and would practice for hours per day at an outdoor rink outside Virden Junior High School.[3][4] Kalynuk says that, while many of his youth hockey teammates aspired to play in the National Hockey League (NHL), he "was just thinking about playing the game for fun".[5] His minor hockey career continued with the Southwest Cougars of the Manitoba U-18 'AAA' Hockey League. In one season with the U18 AAA Cougars, Kalynuk scored one goal and 17 points in 43 games.[3]
Playing career
Amateur
Kalynuk was given an opportunity to begin playing for the Western Hockey League when he turned 16, but he was physically smaller than most of the other players, so he decided to spend one season playing junior ice hockey in Manitoba.[6] He spent the 2013–14 hockey season with the Virden Oil Capitals of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL). He was the youngest member on the team that year, playing on a defensive pair with Brad Reichardt. Kalynuk scored seven points in his first 25 games as a member of the Oil Capitals, and scored his first junior hockey goal on November 23, 2013, in a 7-0 victory over the OCN Blizzard.[7] At the conclusion of the season, Kalynuk was named to the MJHL's All-Rookie Team.[8]
Professional
Kalynuk made his NHL debut on March 7, 2021, in a 6-3 loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning.[9] His first NHL goal also happened to be the game-winning goal, coming late in the second period of a 4-3 victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 10, 2021.[10]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2013–14 | Virden Oil Capitals | MJHL | 56 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 2014–15 | Lincoln Stars | USHL | 55 | 0 | 15 | 15 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Bloomington Thunder | USHL | 59 | 3 | 21 | 24 | 16 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | ||
| 2016–17 | Bloomington Thunder | USHL | 60 | 6 | 25 | 31 | 82 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | U. of Wisconsin | B1G | 37 | 3 | 22 | 25 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | U. of Wisconsin | B1G | 37 | 9 | 16 | 25 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | U. of Wisconsin | B1G | 36 | 7 | 21 | 28 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Rockford IceHogs | AHL | 8 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 21 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 21 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| MJHL | ||
| All-Rookie Team | 2014 | |
| USHL | ||
| Third All-Star Team | 2017 | |
| College | ||
| B1G All-Rookie Team | 2018 | |
| B1G Honorable Mention All-Star Team | 2018 | |
| B1G Second All-Star Team | 2019 | |
| B1G First All-Star Team | 2020 | |
| B1G Sportsmanship Award | 2020 | |
References
- Pope, Ben (February 7, 2021). "Blackhawks' Wyatt Kalynuk excels in AHL debut, makes case for NHL opportunity". Chicago Sun-Times.
- "Wyatt Kalynuk Stats and News". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- Wark, Robin (March 12, 2021). "Kalynuk's journey - outdoor rink to NHL debugt with Blackhawks". Virden Empire-Advance. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- Wark, Robin (June 19, 2020). "Kalynuk to go pro after great career with Badgers". Virden Empire-Advance. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- Brooks, Carter (May 11, 2021). "Virden's Wyatt Kalynuk Follows 'Different Route' to NHL Debut". Game On. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- Hall, Jordan (July 13, 2018). "Have Flyers found late-round gem they covet in Wyatt Kalynuk?". NBC Sports Philadelphia. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- Henderson, Rob (November 26, 2013). "Virden rookie turning heads". The Brandon Sun. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- Bergson, Perry (July 23, 2020). "Kalynuk set to turn pro after signing with Chicago". The Brandon Sun. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- Baum, Carter (March 7, 2021). "THREE THINGS: Tough Ending, Leading Janmark and Kalynuk Debut". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Chicago Blackhawks. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
- "Wyatt Kalynuk's first NHL goal lifts Blackhawks". National Post. Reuters. April 10, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database