Matt Duchene

Duchene grew up playing minor hockey for the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA)'s Central Ontario Wolves (based in Lindsay) of the Eastern AAA League. He also spent his early hockey years playing for his hometown Haliburton Huskies before moving up to the AAA level. In 2006, Duchene verbally stated he was interested in college hockey in the United States and verbally committed to playing in the NCAA. However, after the 2006–07 season with the Wolves, Duchene was selected by the Ontario Hockey League (OHL)'s Brampton Battalion in the first round of the 2007 OHL Priority Selection.

Duchene played major junior in the OHL with the Brampton Battalion in 2007–08, scoring 30 goals and 50 points in his rookie campaign. The following season, 2008–09, he improved to 79 points in 57 games, then added 26 points in the playoffs, helping the Battalion to the J. Ross Robertson Cup Finals, where they were defeated by eventual 2009 Memorial Cup champions, the Windsor Spitfires. During his time with the Battalion, Duchene attended Turner Fenton Secondary School.[1]

Entering the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Duchene was ranked second overall among North American skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau, behind John Tavares.[2] Swedish defenceman Victor Hedman was also considered a strong candidate with Tavares for the first overall selection. Duchene's well-rounded, two-way game, however, garnered him attention for the top pick as well.[3] After Tavares and Hedman were picked first and second respectively, Duchene was selected third overall by the Colorado Avalanche. Growing up as an Avalanche fan,[4] Duchene quickly became a fan favourite after video footage showed him pumping his fist after Hedman was selected second overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning, effectively sealing his fate as an Avalanche draftee.[5] Having played alongside Vancouver Canucks prospect Cody Hodgson, who had been selected tenth overall the previous year, Duchene sought draft advice from him over the course of the season.[3] While playing in junior, Duchene drew comparisons to such NHLers as Steve Yzerman and Joe Sakic, as well as Mike Richards.[6]

Duchene notched his first career NHL point in his Avalanche debut on 1 October 2009, against the San Jose Sharks with an assist on a powerplay goal by defenceman John-Michael Liles.[7] Duchene's first goal came later that month on 17 October against Chris Osgood in a 4–3 shootout win over the Detroit Red Wings.[8] It was announced the next day that Duchene would spend the entire season with the Avalanche instead of being reassigned to junior.[9]

On 30 November 2009, Duchene compiled his first two-goal NHL game in a 3–0 shutout victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning.[10] The next game, against the Florida Panthers on 2 December 2009, Duchene tallied his second two-goal game and first three-point game of his career,[11] scoring twice against Florida's Scott Clemmensen and assisting on a goal by Chris Stewart in a 6–5 shootout loss.[12] It marked the first time that an 18-year-old recorded back-to-back two-goal games in the NHL since Radek Dvořák did so with Florida in November 1995.[11] Duchene was subsequently selected as the NHL Rookie of the Month for December 2009 after scoring 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points in 14 games.[11]

Duchene with the Avalanche in 2011.

On 6 April 2010, the Avalanche had the opportunity to clinch a Stanley Cup playoff berth with a victory against the Vancouver Canucks. Tied 3–3 after overtime, Duchene scored the game-winning shootout goal against Roberto Luongo to send the Avalanche into the playoffs for the first time since 2008.[13] Duchene finished his rookie NHL season third on the Avalanche in scoring with 55 points, and second in goals with 24.[14] Among NHL rookies, he finished first in points, ahead of John Tavares by one, and tied with Tavares for first in goals.[15] Duchene added three assists in six playoff games as the Avalanche were eliminated by the San Jose Sharks in the opening round. After completion of the season, he was selected to the NHL All-Rookie Team and placed third in Calder Memorial Trophy voting, the award given to the NHL's top rookie of the year.[16]

The following season, in 2010–11, Duchene recorded his first five-minute major for fighting, against opponent Vladimír Sobotka of the St. Louis Blues on 15 November 2010. Several months later, Duchene was chosen to participate in his first NHL All-Star Game. During the contest, he became the first player in All-Star Game history to be awarded a penalty shot when Washington Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin tossed his stick toward Duchene on a breakaway. However, Duchene's attempt was turned away by Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers.[17] Soon thereafter, Duchene recorded his 100th career NHL point on 26 January 2011, with a goal against Phoenix Coyotes goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov in a 5–2 loss. The goal made him the youngest player in franchise history (including the Quebec Nordiques era) to record the milestone, beating Duchene's boyhood idol, Joe Sakic. Duchene finished the season with 67 points and became the youngest player in Avalanche history to lead the team in scoring.

On 4 November 2011, Duchene tallied his first career hat-trick in a 7–6 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars. The game also marked Duchene's first career four-point game. Having missed only three games in his previous two seasons combined, his third season in the NHL would see only 58 games, tried by left-knee, and later right-ankle, injuries. After the 2011–12 season, Duchene confirmed to The Denver Post that after his ankle injury, he played the remaining games of the season hurt in a desperate bid for the 2011 playoffs that ended for the Avs after the team's 81st game.[18] He finished his season scoring 28 points with 14 goals.

Duchene in 2013.

On 23 June 2012, Duchene, as a restricted free agent, agreed to a two-year contract with the Avalanche worth $7 million.[19] However, with the 2012–13 NHL lock-out in effect, Duchene signed an initial two-month contract with Frölunda HC of the Elitserien on 2 October 2012.[20] He made his debut on 14 October in a 4–3 win against Modo Hockey, where he contributed with two assists.[21] Nearing the completion of his contract with Frölunda, it was announced that Duchene's contract would not be extended, and in his final game in Sweden, he scored the game-winning goal in a 3–1 victory over Linköpings HC. He was given a standing ovation after the game and finished with four goals and 14 points in 19 games.[22] The following day, on 9 December 2012, Duchene continued to remain in Europe to sign a one-month contract, with the option for the remainder of the lock-out, with HC Ambrì-Piotta of the Swiss National League A.[23] He appeared in four games, scoring five points over the next month with Ambrì, whose roster was limited by a Spengler Cup selection. After a tentative agreement to end the NHL lock-out was reached, Duchene was farewelled by Ambrì fans on 7 January 2013.[24]

On 18 July 2013, Duchene signed a new five-year, $30 million contract with Colorado.[25]

The 2013–14 season saw Duchene leading a resurgent Avalanche team to a Central Division title. He went on to lead the team in assists, points and tied Ryan O'Reilly in game-winning goals, with six. On 31 March 2014, the Avalanche announced that Duchene would likely miss four weeks with a knee injury after colliding with teammate Jamie McGinn during a game against the San Jose Sharks.[26] Duchene missed the Avalanche's first five 2014 playoff games as a result of the injury, but came back to play Games 6 and 7, registering three assists. However, the Avalanche lost the Western Conference Quarterfinal series in seven games to the Minnesota Wild.

On 13 October 2016, the Avalanche announced that Duchene would serve as an alternate captain for the 2016–17 season.[27]

During the 2017–18 season, despite an earlier trade request and prolonged media speculation, Duchene began the season with the Avalanche. On 5 November 2017, while appearing in his 14th game of the season, against the New York Islanders, Duchene was pulled from the ice and traded mid-game to the Ottawa Senators as the Avalanche made a three-team trade with Ottawa and the Nashville Predators. The trade saw the Avalanche acquire Samuel Girard, Vladislav Kamenev and a second-round draft pick in 2018 from the Predators, as well as Andrew Hammond, Shane Bowers and first- and third-round picks in 2018 from the Senators; the Predators acquired Kyle Turris from the Senators.[28][29] In 68 games for the Senators, Duchene recorded 23 goals and 26 assists.

Duchene entered the 2018–19 season in the final year of his contract. In 50 games for the Senators, he scored 27 goals and 31 assists.

On 29 October 2018, Duchene was one of multiple Senators players caught on tape in an Uber disparaging their then-assistant coach, Martin Raymond. The Uber driver sold the video to a local newspaper, which published it on 5 November. The video quickly went viral, causing a minor scandal.[30] Upon the video's release, Duchene, along with the other players involved, issued a statement apologizing for the comments.[31]

On 22 February 2019, Duchene was traded (along with Julius Bergman) to the Columbus Blue Jackets for prospects Vitalii Abramov, Jonathan Davidsson, and conditional first-round draft picks in 2019 and 2020.[32] Just two days later, Columbus acquired Duchene's former Senators teammate, Ryan Dzingel.[33] Duchene finished the season with 4 goals and 8 assists in 23 games.

The Blue Jackets qualified for the 2019 playoffs as the Eastern Conference's final wildcard team, upsetting the top-seeded Tampa Bay Lightning in four games[34] before falling to the Boston Bruins in the next round.[35] Duchene finished the playoffs with five goals and five assists in ten games.

On 1 July 2019, Duchene signed a seven-year, $56-million contract with the Nashville Predators, worth an annual average of $8 million.[36]