Danny DeKeyser

Daniel Christopher DeKeyser (born March 7, 1990) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman, who is currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Amateur
DeKeyser grew up playing minor hockey in the Detroit area and played his Midget U18 hockey with the Compuware AAA program from 2006–2008 before signing with the Trail Smoke Eaters of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) for the 2008–09 season, where he recorded eight goals and 17 assists in 58 games. He was named the Trail Smoke Eaters' Defenseman of the Year. During the 2009–10 season, DeKeyser played for the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League (USHL), where he recorded one goal and ten assists in 41 games. Following the 2009–10 season, DeKeyser committed to play college ice hockey for the Western Michigan Broncos.

During the 2010–11 season, DeKeyser appeared in 42 games, where he recorded five goals and 12 assists. He was named to the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) All-Rookie team, and named to the CCHA All-Tournament Team for tallying two assists and helping shut down Michigan’s high-powered offense during the CCHA Semfinals and Finals. DeKeyser ranked second on the team in plus-minus with a +12 rating, and led the team in blocked shots with 54. DeKeyser recorded his first collegiate goal on October 8, 2010, in a game against Canisius.

During the 2011–12 season, DeKeyser appeared in 41 games, where he recorded five goals and 12 assists. He was named to the Second Team All-American, Second Team All-CCHA, CCHA Best Defensive Defenseman, and CCHA All-Tournament Team. He became just the second Bronco player in program history to be named CCHA Best Defensive Defenseman.

During the 2012–13 season, DeKeyser appeared in 35 games, where he recorded two goals and 13 assists. He was named to the First Team All-CCHA, and became the first Bronco to be named CCHA Best Defensive Defenseman twice after winning it in consecutive seasons. In three seasons with the Broncos, DeKeyser racked up 12 goals and 37 assists in 118 games.

Professional
After three years with Western Michigan, DeKeyser was being pursued by multiple teams around the NHL. Eventually, he decided to play for his hometown team and signed a two-year contract with the Red Wings on March 29, 2013. He began playing for Detroit one week later, and recorded his first NHL point against Nashville on April 14, 2013, assisting on a Henrik Zetterberg goal. DeKeyser appeared in 11 regular-season and two postseason games for the Red Wings during the 2012–13 season. Following the conclusion of Detroit's postseason run in 2013, he joined the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL) during the 2013 Calder Cup playoffs, where he recorded one assist in six games, and helped the team capture their first-ever Calder Cup championship.

On November 4, 2013, DeKeyser scored his first career NHL goal in a game against the Winnipeg Jets. During the 2013–14 season, DeKeyser recorded four goals and 19 assists, and a plus-10 rating in 65 games. DeKeyser ranked among the NHL's top rookie blueliners in points (8th), plus-minus (T4th) and ice time (2nd). He also placed third among all rookies, and second on Detroit overall, with 116 blocked shots. On September 16, 2014, the Detroit Red Wings signed DeKeyser to a two-year, $4.375 million contract. DeKeyser was named the 2014 Detroit Red Wings - Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association (DSBA) Rookie of the Year and will receive his award in a pre-game ceremony November 9, 2014 at Joe Louis Arena.

International play
DeKeyser represented the United States at the 2014 IIHF World Championship, where he finished the tournament with two assists in eight games.

Personal life
DeKeyser, a native of Macomb, Michigan, is the son of Michael and Linda DeKeyser. He was a communications major at Western Michigan and graduated from De La Salle Collegiate High School.

Awards and honours

 * Named "Detroit Red Wings Rookie of the Year" in 2014 by the Detroit Sports Broadcasters' Association.