Cody Hodgson

Cody Hodgson (born February 18, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently playing for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL).

During his major junior career with the Brampton Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Hodgson has received First Team All-Star honours, won the Red Tilson Trophy, William Hanley Trophy and CHL Player of the Year Award in 2009. He has been named to two OHL All-Star Games, holding the record for most goals and points in a single game.

Hodgson has represented Canada at two International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF)—sanctioned events, winning gold and leading tournament scoring at both—the 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships and 2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. In 2007, he won a gold medal with Ontario at the Canada Games. He also represented Canada at the 2007 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, finishing fourth.

Early life
Hodgson was born in Toronto, Ontario, to Marie and Chris Hodgson. His father is the president of the Ontario Mining Association and a former Ontario provincial Progressive Conservative cabinet minister in Premier Mike Harris's government, while his mother is the executive director of a day care. He has an older brother, Clayton, who attends Brock University, and two sisters, Charlotte and Caroline, who play organized hockey. Hodgson grew up in Haliburton with his family until they moved to Markham, Ontario, in 1998.

Hodgson began playing organized hockey at age four in Haliburton, Ontario. Playing for the OMHA's Haliburton Huskies Tyke rep team, he was linemates with Matt Duchene. The two went on to become childhood friends and played together with the Battalion, as well as other minor league teams. His family was also friends with Jeff Skinner's family growing up. Hodgson played peewee and minor bantam hockey with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens of the Greater Toronto Hockey League, captaining a team that included Alex Pietrangelo. He advanced to the bantam ranks with the Markham Waxers of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association in 2004-05 and the Midget club in 2005-06. Hodgson also played in two games with the Markham Waxers Jr.A. club in 2005–06. He recorded a 51-point campaign over 31 games that season with the Waxers Midgets. Hodgson played on the Waxers for several years alongside Steven Stamkos and Michael Del Zotto.

He attended Buttonville Public School and Unionville High School in Markham, the latter of which he helped win numerous hockey tournaments. Following his draft by the Vancouver Canucks, Hodgson was accepted into the business program at York University for the 2008 fall semester. However, due to missing classes from his commitments to the Canucks' training camp and a subsequent university staff strike, he placed his academics on hiatus.

In December 2009, Hodgson was chosen to be the city of Markham's official torchbearer for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The torch passed through Markham on its way to Vancouver on December 17, 2009, on day 49 of the cross-country relay.

Brampton Battalion
Hodgson was drafted 17th overall by the Brampton Battalion in the 2006 OHL Priority Selection. The following season, Hodgson joined the Battalion and led the team in rookie scoring with 23 goals and 46 points in 2006–07. He added four points in four playoff games as the Battalion were eliminated by the Barrie Colts in the first round.

In his second season with Brampton, Hodgson improved to 85 points in 68 games, second in team-scoring, behind centre John Hughes. He was chosen to the Eastern Conference squad in the 2008 OHL All-Star Classic and scored one goal. Hodgson added five goals in five playoff games, as Brampton was eliminated in the opening round for the second straight season by Barrie.

Heading into the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Hodgson was ranked ninth among North American skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. He went on to be chosen 10th overall by the Vancouver Canucks. Scouting reports and former coaches emphasized Hodgson's hockey sense and character, while Canucks General Manager Mike Gillis cited his leadership as a strong factor in drafting him. After the 2007–08 season, OHL coaches had voted him the smartest player in the Eastern Conference. As his skating was considered a weakness, he spent the subsequent off-season training to improve it.

Hodgson was expected to compete for a roster spot on the Canucks immediately after being drafted. He was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract worth the rookie maximum of $2.625 million on October 5, 2008. However, the next day, he was sent back to Brampton for the 2008–09 season.

Upon his return, Hodgson was named the ninth captain in Battalion team history. He succeeded forward Thomas Stajan, who served as captain for the start of the season while Hodgson was competed in the NHL pre-season. Stajan, himself, had replaced defenceman John de Gray, who had turned professional.

Chosen to represent the OHL in the 2008 ADT Canada-Russia Challenge in November, Hodgson recorded a hat trick and added an assist in the first of two games against Russia; he was chosen as game MVP. He went on to complete the month of November with 27 points in 13 games to be named OHL Player of the Month. Hodgson had also been chosen as the OHL Player of the Week for the week ending on November 9 after scoring nine points in three games. After a second Player of the Week recognition, scoring seven points in three games for the week ending February 1, 2009, Hodgson participated in the 2009 OHL All-Star Classic. Joined by teammates Matt Duchene, Evgeny Grachev and Thomas McCollum for the Eastern Conference, Hodgson received player of the game honours after a five-point effort in an 11–6 win. He recorded a hat trick, along with Western Conference representative Justin DiBenedetto, to tie Scott Barney, who first scored three goals in 1999, for the OHL All-Star Game record. Hodgson's five points also tied the All-Star Game record for most points (shared by five others). He recorded another record later in the month with a 23-game point-scoring streak, registering 17 goals, 23 assists and 40 points in that span. The streak was both a Battalion club record and OHL season-high.

Hodgson finished the season with 43 goals and 92 points in 53 games, fourth in league scoring. The annual OHL coaches poll distinguished Hodgson as the smartest player (for the second consecutive season), the hardest worker, the best on faceoffs and the best penalty killer. In addition to OHL First All-Star Team honours, he was awarded both the William Hanley Trophy as the league's most sportsmanlike player and the Red Tilson Trophy as OHL player of the year. The media voted Hodgson ahead of forward John Tavares and goaltender Mike Murphy for the Tilson award. He was then distinguished over fellow major junior league MVP's Brett Sonne of the Western Hockey League (WHL) and Nicola Riopel of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) as the CHL Player of the Year.

Early in the subsequent playoff season, Hodgson received his second OHL Player of the Month recognition for March (26 points in 11 games). He helped the Battalion advance to the OHL Finals, where they lost the J. Ross Robertson Cup to the Windsor Spitfires. He led his team with 31 points in the post-season.

Following the Battalion's playoff elimination, Hodgson was assigned to the Canucks' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Manitoba Moose for their 2009 playoff run. Making his professional debut with the Moose in Game 1 of the semifinals against the Houston Aeros, he notched an assist on the game's first goal for his first professional point. He followed up with his first professional goal the next night, a wrist shot against Aeros goaltender Nolan Schaefer, in a 5–2 victory. While Hodgson started on the fourth line for the Moose, he quickly moved his way up to the second line with fellow Canucks first-round pick Michael Grabner. Advancing past the Aeros, Moose head coach Scott Arniel chose not to play Hodgson in Game 4 of the Calder Cup Finals against the Hershey Bears. Arniel explained the decision was attributed to fatigue on Hodgson's part from a lengthy season in the juniors (including the 2009 World Juniors and a lengthy OHL playoff-run). He returned the next game to help the Moose stave off elimination with a goal in a 3–2 Game 5 victory. Manitoba went on to lose the Calder Cup in Game 6 by a 4–1 score. Hodgson's assisted on the Moose's lone tally by Mario Bliznak.

Preparing for the Canucks' training camp for the 2009–10 season, Hodgson injured his back while working out in the summer. The injury, which was misdiagnosed as a bulging disc in his lower back, caused him to miss two months of summer training. After being cleared to play by Canucks team doctors on September 11, 2009, and a back specialist in Toronto, Hodgson was again expected to secure a roster spot during training camp. After struggling in six pre-season games, he was returned to the Brampton Battalion on September 29, in the final round of cuts.

Hodgson subsequently sought a third opinion regarding his back at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. In response, Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault publicly speculated whether Hodgson was simply having a hard time being cut and was trying to "roll the [blame] in another direction." Despite having been cleared earlier to play in the pre-season by two sets of doctors, the Cleveland Clinic judged him unfit to play for a month. Previously undetected nerve damage in one leg was also revealed. Due to Hodgson's misdiagnosis, which was not corrected until a year later, subsequent treatment and rehabilitation was designed for a bulging disc, which further aggravated his real injury – a muscle strain.

After missing the first 50 games of the 2009–10 OHL season, Hodgson returned to the Battalion lineup on February 4, 2010, recording two assists in a 4–2 win against the Erie Otters. Following his return, he declared he would no longer be training in the off-season with the Canucks' director of player development, Dave Gagner, under whose supervision he suffered his back injury. Combined with the Canucks doctor's initial misdiagnosis and Vigneault's disparaging comments regarding Hodgson following the NHL pre-season, there was speculation in the media of a possible conflict between Hodgson and the Canucks organization. General manager Mike Gillis dismissed such speculation.

Eight days after his OHL return, Hodgson suffered another injury, breaking a toe on his right foot while blocking a shot against the Sudbury Wolves. Initial X-rays came up negative and he continued playing for nine more games before a second X-ray revealed a hairline fracture in one his right metatarsal bones. Missing the Battalion's final five regular season games, he finished the campaign with eight goals and 20 points over 13 contests. Despite missing the majority of the season, he was voted as the smartest player in the Eastern Conference for the third consecutive year in the OHL coaches poll.

Hodgson returned to the Brampton lineup for the opening game of the 2010 playoffs, scoring the game-winning goal against the Kingston Frontenacs. In Game 5 of the series, he scored his 20th career playoff goal in the OHL, surpassing Wojtek Wolski for the all-time lead among Battalion players. The Battalion eliminated the Frontenacs in seven games, before being ousted in four games by Barrie in the second round. Hodgson completed the post-season with 10 points in 11 games, second in team-scoring to Sean Jones. He admitted publicly after the playoffs that his health "was never 100 percent" during the 2009–10 season.

The Battalion's playoff elimination marked the end of Hodgson's four-year OHL career. He left Brampton ranked second on the club's all-time scoring list behind Wojtek Wolski in regular season goals (114), assists (129), points (243), powerplay goals (46) and shorthanded goals (7), while ranking first in game-winning goals (23). In playoff games, he left as the all-time leader in goals (20), assists (30) and points (50).

Following his 2009–10 OHL season, it was expected Hodgson would join the Manitoba Moose for a second consecutive AHL playoff season. However, after being assessed by Canucks team doctors, his broken toe was judged to have not yet fully healed and he was not cleared for AHL assignment. Hodgson additionally believed that he had re-injured his back while colliding head-first into the boards during Game 7 of the opening playoff round. He underwent an MRI in the off-season, which uncovered the misdiagnosed bulging disc to be a muscle strain instead. With the Canucks' consent, he trained in the off-season with former NHL player Gary Roberts.

Vancouver Canucks
After challenging for a Canucks' roster spot once again during the team's 2010 training camp, he was assigned to the Manitoba Moose. He scored his first regular season AHL goal against goaltender Peter Delmas of the Hamilton Bulldogs on October 22, 2010. With the score tied 3–3 after overtime, Hodgson added a shootout goal to help the Moose win the game. Later in December 2010, Hodgson suffered a broken orbital bone after he was high-sticked by Lee Sweatt during a team practice. Eight days after returning to the Moose lineup, Hodgson earned his first NHL call-up to Vancouver.

Hodgson made his NHL debut on February 1, 2011, in a 4–1 win against the Dallas Stars. Centring the fourth line and playing on the second powerplay unit, he registered two shots in over nine minutes of ice time. The following day, he scored his first NHL goal against Ilya Bryzgalov in a 6–0 win against the Phoenix Coyotes. In his third game, he recorded his first career NHL assist on a goal by Christian Ehrhoff against the Chicago Blackhawks; Vancouver won 4–3. After appearing in his first five NHL games, Hodgson was returned to the Moose on February 11. Team management explained to the media his call-up was a means to introduce him to NHL play and that they were more comfortable having him continue developing in the AHL with first-line minutes and a bigger role with the Moose. However, with the team's fourth-line centre role unfilled (Vigneault had been using natural winger Tanner Glass in that position), he was called back to Vancouver within 10 days. Hodgson played three more games for the Canucks before the team acquired fourth-line centre Maxim Lapierre from the Anaheim Ducks at the trade deadline on February 28. He was subsequently sent back down to Manitoba. He completed his professional rookie season with 30 points in 52 AHL games – ranking fifth in Moose scoring – and 2 points in 8 NHL games.

At the end of the regular season, Hodgson was called up to the Canucks for the 2011 playoffs. He registered his first NHL playoff point in Game 2 of the opening round against the Chicago Blackhawks, assisting on a goal by defenceman Alex Edler in a 4–3 win. Hodgson drew in and out of the lineup throughout the post-season, appearing in 12 of the Canucks' 25-game playoff run, which ended in a Game 7 loss to the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Finals.

During the off-season, Canucks centre Ryan Kesler underwent hip surgery, sidelining him for the start of the 2011–12 campaign. Hodgson competed with the newly-acquired Andrew Ebbett to temporarily replace Kesler on the second line and emerged with the position out of training camp. After wearing 39 on his jersey the previous season as a rookie, Hodgson switched to 9, a number historically associated with high-profile players. He had previously spoken to team trainers regarding the number, but decided "it's something you have to earn, make the team first."

International play
Hodgson first competed internationally for Canada at the 2007 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in Hodonín, Czech Republic and Piešťany, Slovakia. Although favoured to win the tournament, Canada finished in fourth place. He scored two goals in the 5–4 bronze medal game loss to Russia. In total, Hodgson contributed a team-high five points in four games, tied with Steven Stamkos. Hodgson also represented Ontario later that year at the 2007 Canada Winter Games, winning gold over Manitoba 6–4 in the gold medal game.

Hodgson next represented Canada at the 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships in Kazan, Russia. Playing in the quarter-finals against Finland, Hodgson was named player of the game after scoring the game winning goal in a 2–1 victory. Hodgson finished with a tournament-high 12 points in seven games, leading Canada as team captain to its second IIHF World U18 gold medal with an 8–0 victory over tournament host Russia. He was chosen as one of Canada's three top players by tournament coaches, along with forward Jordan Eberle and goaltender Jake Allen.

In his third year of junior, Hodgson was selected to compete in the 2009 World Junior Championships with Team Canada in Ottawa. He was chosen as an alternate captain to defenceman Thomas Hickey. In the second round-robin game against Kazakhstan, Hodgson accumulated six points (two goals and four assists), coming within one point of the single-game Canadian record held by Mike Cammalleri and Dave Andreychuk. The following round-robin game against the United States, he scored the game winning goal in a 7–4 win to lead Team Canada to first place in their pool and a bye to the semi-finals. Facing Sweden in the final game, Hodgson scored two goals – one on the powerplay and an empty-netter – and one assist to overtake John Tavares as the tournament leading scorer with five goals and 11 assists for 16 points in six games. Team Canada defeated Sweden 5–1 to capture the gold medal while Hodgson was named to the Tournament All-Star Team. Returning from the tournament, Hodgson was asked to drop the ceremonial faceoff for a Toronto Maple Leafs game against the Florida Panthers on January 6, 2009.

Leading up to the 2010 World Junior Championships in Saskatchewan, Hodgson was named to Team Canada's selection camp roster on December 2, 2009, despite not yet playing in an OHL game during the 2009–10 season due to a back injury. However, he notified Hockey Canada five days later that his back was not yet ready and that he would not participate in the selection camp.

Records

 * OHL All-Star Classic record; most goals, single-game - 3 in 2009 (tied with Justin DiBenedetto, 2009; and Scott Barney, 1999)
 * OHL All-Star Classic record; most points, single-game - 5 in 2009 (tied with five others)
 * Brampton Battalion franchise record; point-scoring streak - 23 games in 2008–09 (17 goals, 23 assists, 40 points)
 * Brampton Battalion franchise record; most game-winning goals, all-time - 23
 * Brampton Battalion franchise record; most playoff goals, all-time - 20
 * Brampton Battalion franchise record; most playoff assists, all-time - 30
 * Brampton Battalion franchise record; most playoff points, all-time - 50