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Kevin Christopher Bieksa (born on June 16, 1981) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). After playing junior hockey in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OPJHL), Bieksa was awarded a scholarship to Bowling Green University, where he spent four years with the Bowling Green Falcons. While enrolled in university, Bieksa was selected 151st overall by the Canucks in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft and joined their minor league affiliate, the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League (AHL), upon graduating. Known as a physical defenceman, he joined the Canucks as a regular member of the team in 2005–06.
[edit] Playing career[edit] Junior and universityBieksa began a three-year Junior A career with the Burlington Cougars of the OJHL in 1997–98. He recorded 37 points over 48 games in his second season with the Cougars and 33 points in his third. In 2000–01, Bieksa joined the Bowling Green Falcons of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). After a 13-point regular season in 35 games as a freshman, he helped the Falcons become the lowest seeded team in league history (ninth) to advance to the CCHA semi-finals.[1] He scored his team's lone goal in a 2–1 defeat to the Michigan State Spartans before the Falcons were eliminated.[1] In the 2001 off-season, Bieksa was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks with the 151st pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He returned to Bowling Green to complete his four-year college career after being drafted, recording 15 points in 2001–02. Bieksa was named an alternate captain to D'Arcy McCovney prior to his third season[2][3] and subsequently improved to a college career-high eight goals and 25 points in 2002–03. Bieksa was given his first of two consecutive honourable mentions as a CCHA All-Academic, was chosen by Falcons fans as the recipient of the W. G. Grinder's Grinder Award and was a co-recipient of the team's Jim Ruehl Award as the best defensive player with Jordan Sigalet.[3] Playing in his fourth and final college season in 2003–04, he scored seven goals and 22 points in 38 games, while leading his team in shots on goal.[4] He earned an honourable mention to the All-CCHA Team and received the Falcons' Howard Brown Award as the coaches' selection for best player.[3] [edit] Manitoba MooseBieksa signed an amateur tryout contract with the Canucks' AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, on March 24, 2004.[5] He appeared in four games with the Moose to close out the 2003–04 season, notching two assists. He remained with the Moose in 2004–05 and scored his first professional goal on the powerplay in a 3–2 shootout victory against the Cleveland Barons on November 11, 2004.[6] Bieksa finished his first full professional season with 12 goals and 39 points in 80 games. He was chosen as the AHL Rookie of the Month for March after recording two goals, 11 points and a plus-11 rating in 13 games[7] and was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team after his first full professional season.[8] His 39 points broke Kirill Koltsov's team mark of 32 for points by a defenceman, set the previous season.[9] Canucks assistant general manager Steve Tambellini lauded Bieksa for his quick adjustment and development from college hockey to the AHL.[9] Bieksa entered the Canucks' 2005–06 training camp as a projected competitor to be the team's sixth defenceman.[10] However, three days into prospects camp,[11] he suffered a high ankle sprain after colliding into the boards with another defenceman.[10] He was re-assigned to the Moose on October 3, 2005,[12] and missed the first month and a half of the 2005–06 AHL season.[13] While sidelined, Bieksa was named an alternate captain to Mike Keane by Moose coach Alain Vigneault on October 29.[14] He made his return to the lineup on November 11 against the Rochester Americans.[13] In his second game back, he notched two goals and an assist on November 15 against the Grand Rapids Griffins in a 6–5 shootout loss.[13] [edit] Vancouver Canucks  With 16 points through 20 games with the Moose,[15] Bieksa was called up by the Canucks and played his first NHL game on December 19, 2005, against the Los Angeles Kings.[16] He was called for a roughing penalty 10 seconds into his first shift and played 10 minutes and 45 seconds total in a 4–3 shootout loss to the Kings.[17] The following month, he notched his first NHL point, an assist to Markus Naslund, in a 3–2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on January 5, 2006.[18] Bieksa finished the season with six assists in 39 games for the Canucks, averaging 16 minutes of ice-time per game,[19] while also returning to the Moose for three games. On August 17, 2006, he was re-signed by the Canucks to a two-year, one-way, $1.05 million contract.[20][11] Switching his jersey number from 25 to 3 in 2006–07, he scored his first NHL goal on October 13, 2006, against Vesa Toskala in a loss to the San Jose Sharks.[21] Bieksa rapidly developed into one of the Canucks' top blueliners and finished the season leading all team defencemen in assists, points and penalty minutes,[22] while also tallying a career-high 12 goals. He was regularly given a shutdown role against opposing teams' top forwards[23][24] and was awarded the team's Babe Pratt Trophy as best defenceman. Bieksa went on to go pointless over nine games in his first Stanley Cup playoffs in 2007. He suffered two stomach oblique muscle tears during Game 6 of the opening round against the Dallas Stars, sidelining him for five games, before the Canucks were eliminated by the Anaheim Ducks in the second round.[24] The Canucks acknowledged Bieksa's breakout season, signing him to a three-year, $11.25 million contract extension, effective 2008–09, on July 9, 2007.[25] A relative unknown in his first couple of seasons in the NHL,[26] his last name, which is pronounced phonetically (Bee-ek-sa), was frequently mispronounced by sports newscasters and hockey broadcasters such as Bob Cole and Harry Neale of Hockey Night in Canada. It has even been misspelled on scoreboards.[27][26] A month into the 2007–08 season, Bieksa suffered a severe calf laceration in a game against the Nashville Predators on November 1, 2007. After battling with Vern Fiddler against the boards, Fiddler's skate slashed Bieksa across the back of his right calf. Bieksa was helped to the bench, leaving a trail of blood behind him on the ice.[28] He was assigned to the Moose for a one-game conditioning stint, before returning to the Canucks after missing 47 games.[29] Bieksa managed 12 points in 34 games. Injury troubles continued early in 2008–09, as just two games into the season, Bieksa injured his knee while attempting to hit Wayne Primeau in an October 11, 2008 game against the Calgary Flames;[30] he was out of the lineup for a week.[31] On November 4, he was re-injured after taking a puck off his skate against the Nashville Predators. Bieksa played through the injury for two games before learning that he had suffered a bone fracture in his left foot.[32] He returned after missing six games against the Calgary Flames.[33] Despite missing 10 games in total, Bieksa established a career-high 32 assist and 43 points, first among team defencemen.[34] Bieksa suffered the second serious cut to his leg in three seasons in 2009–10. During a game against the Phoenix Coyotes on December 29, 2009, he delivered a check to opposing forward Petr Prucha, whose skate cut into his left leg, above the ankle.[35] [edit] Off the iceKevin Bieksa and his wife, Katie, have one son, Cole Walter, born October 24, 2007,[36] and one daughter, Reese, born October 7, 2009.[37] [edit] Career statistics[edit] Regular season and playoffs
[edit] Awards[edit] CCHA
[edit] Bowling Green Falcons team awards
[edit] AHL
[edit] Vancouver Canucks team awards
[edit] References
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