Dustin Penner

Dustin Penner (born September 28, 1982) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings and Washington Capitals. Undrafted by any NHL team, in 2004, Penner signed with Anaheim after playing college hockey at the University of Maine in the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). Penner won the Stanley Cup in his first full season with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007, before adding a second Stanley Cup in his first full season with Los Angeles in 2012.

Dustin Penner
Penner with the Edmonton Oilers in 2010
Born (1982-09-28) September 28, 1982
Winkler, Manitoba, Canada
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 247 lb (112 kg; 17 st 9 lb)
Position Left wing
Shot Left
Played for Anaheim Ducks
Edmonton Oilers
Los Angeles Kings
Washington Capitals
NHL Draft Undrafted
Playing career 2005–2014

Playing career

Minors and collegiate

Growing up in Winkler, Manitoba, Penner played for his high school hockey team, the Garden Valley Collegiate Zodiacs, alongside future Washington Capitals teammate Eric Fehr. After high school, he was cut by many minor hockey teams,[1] including his local junior club three times.[2]

With little hope of ever playing hockey professionally,[2] Penner agreed to play with Minot State University-Bottineau, now known as Dakota College at Bottineau, but immediately broke his femur, ending his first year with the club. The next year, in the 2001–02 season, he became a very important player for Bottineau, scoring 20 goals with 13 assists in 23 games, also earning the Most Determined Player Award for his improvement and stellar play after recovering from his injury.[3]

Penner then went to an evaluation camp at Saskatoon. He played well there, scoring an average of three points per game. He was scouted by Grant Standbrook, the assistant coach for the University of Maine's Black Bears ice hockey team,[4] and was offered a scholarship, which he accepted.[2] Although he did not initially join the team, in the 2003–04 season, he helped lead the Black Bears and to the NCAA Championship game, scoring the game-winning goal in the semi-finals against Boston College. Maine then lost the championship title game to the University of Denver 1–0.[5]

Anaheim Ducks

Having been undrafted by any NHL team, on May 12, 2004, Penner signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He was assigned to the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, Anaheim's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. He recorded 28 points in his professional rookie season with Cincinnati, then took a major step the next season as he was moved to the Portland Pirates, which became the Mighty Ducks' AHL affiliate in 2005–06. He scored 39 goals and 84 points in 57 games with Portland while also making his NHL debut, appearing in 19 games with the Mighty Ducks that season. He was originally called up on November 23, 2005, being sent back and forth from the minors.[6] During the Mighty Ducks' 2006 Stanley Cup playoff run, Penner scored 9 points in 13 games until Anaheim was eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Finals.

Penner earned a full-time roster spot with the Ducks in 2006–07 and broke out with 29 goals and 45 points playing with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry on a unit dubbed the "Kid Line".[7] Penner's goal total was the second-highest on the team, only trailing superstar Teemu Selänne. He also set the Ducks' franchise rookie record for most points (surpassed by Bobby Ryan in 2008–09).[8] During the Ducks' 2007 Stanley Cup run, Penner scored the game-winner in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarter-finals against the Minnesota Wild[9] and Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Ottawa Senators.[10] In Game 5, Penner and the Ducks defeated the Senators 6–2 to win the 2007 Stanley Cup. Penner became the first former Maine Black Bear to win the Stanley Cup as a player.[11]

Penner in 2007.

Edmonton Oilers

After winning the Stanley Cup with the Ducks, Penner's entry-level contract expired and he became a restricted free agent in the off-season. With the Ducks dealing with salary cap issues and the signing of Todd Bertuzzi, Edmonton Oilers general manager Kevin Lowe jumped at the opportunity and signed Penner to a five-year, $21.25 million offer sheet. Lowe was criticized by the media and Ducks general manager Brian Burke.[12] After seven days had passed, the Ducks were ultimately unwilling to match the offer and Penner became an Oiler. To date, Penner is the most recent player to change teams via an offer sheet.[13]

In his first season with the Oilers, Penner scored a team-high 23 goals and improved to 47 points. He then began the 2008–09 season with a slow start and was publicly criticized by head coach Craig MacTavish for a lack of fitness and competitiveness after being made a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game.[1]

Penner was confirmed to be a part of a planned summertime 2009 blockbuster trade that would see Andrew Cogliano, Ladislav Šmíd and himself dealt to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for disgruntled All-Star forward Dany Heatley. Ultimately, Heatley exercised the no-trade clause contained in his contract and the trade could not be finalized (shortly after, Heatley accepted a trade to the San Jose Sharks).

Penner got off to a strong start in 2009–10 season and was fourth in NHL scoring with 11 goals and 11 assists after 18 games played. On October 22, for the first time in his career, he scored five points (two goals and three assists), in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. His linemates for that game were Aleš Hemský (one goal and four assists) and Sam Gagner (one goal and two assists). At season's end, the Oilers had finished last overall in the NHL, but Penner had recorded career-highs in goals (32) and points (63).

Los Angeles Kings

On February 28, 2011, Penner was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Colten Teubert, a first-round draft pick in 2011 (Oscar Klefbom) and a conditional third-round pick in the 2012 (Daniil Zharkov).[14]

On January 7, 2012, Penner experienced back spasms while attempting to eat what he described as "delicious pancakes". The injury caused him to miss a game and become the subject of pancake-related jokes among fans.[15]

On May 22, 2012, Penner scored the winning goal in overtime in Game 5 against the Phoenix Coyotes to advance the Kings to the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals. On June 11, 2012, Penner won his second Stanley Cup after the Kings defeated the New Jersey Devils 6–1 in Game 6.

Penner is only the 21st NHL player to play for both sides of the "Freeway Face-Off" between the Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings, and the only one to win the Stanley Cup with both teams.

On July 1, 2012, Penner signed a one-year, $3.25 million contract extension with Los Angeles.[16]

Return to Anaheim

On July 16, 2013, as a free agent, Penner returned to the Anaheim Ducks after signing a one-year, $2 million contract with the team.[17] During the 2013–14 season, he rebounded offensively with the Ducks, reuniting with former line-mates Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry.

Trade to Washington

On March 4, 2014, approach the NHL trade deadline date and having scored a respectable 13 goals and 32 points with Anaheim in 49 games, Penner was traded to the Washington Capitals in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick.[18]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
1997–98 Garden Valley Collegiate HS-MB —0110 —————
1998–99 Garden Valley Collegiate HS-MB ————— —————
1999–00 Garden Valley Collegiate HS-MB —341953— —————
2000–01 MSU-Bottineau NJCAA ————— —————
2001–02 MSU-Bottineau NJCAA 2320123252 —————
2003–04 Maine Black Bears HE 4311122352 —————
2004–05 Cincinnati Mighty Ducks AHL 7710182882 923513
2005–06 Portland Pirates AHL 5739458468 54370
2005–06 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim NHL 1943714 1336912
2006–07 Anaheim Ducks NHL 8229164558 213582
2007–08 Edmonton Oilers NHL 8223244745 —————
2008–09 Edmonton Oilers NHL 7817203761 —————
2009–10 Edmonton Oilers NHL 8232316338 —————
2010–11 Edmonton Oilers NHL 6221183945 —————
2010–11 Los Angeles Kings NHL 192462 61124
2011–12 Los Angeles Kings NHL 657101743 20381132
2012–13 Los Angeles Kings NHL 332121418 183258
2013–14 Anaheim Ducks NHL 4913193228 —————
2013–14 Washington Capitals NHL 181232 —————
NHL totals 589151159310354 7813223558

Awards and honors
Award Year
College
All-NCAA All-Tournament Team 2004 [19]
Jack Semler Award (Most Improved) 2004
NHL
Stanley Cup (Anaheim Ducks) 2007
Stanley Cup (Los Angeles Kings) 2012

Transactions

References
  1. "MacT-ing off on Penner". Edmonton Journal. 2008-11-17. Archived from the original on 2009-05-05. Retrieved 2008-11-17.
  2. "Viewpoint: Winkler's Dustin Penner comes full circle". CBC. 2008-02-07. Retrieved 2008-11-17.
  3. "Calder Corner: Dustin Penner - Hockey's Future". Hockeysfuture.com. 2006-10-16. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  4. "Dustin Penner - Cinderella Story - Hockey Forum - Hockey Fan Forums - NHL Boards". Hockey Forum. 2006-12-24. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  5. "Denver claims national title and no. 1 spot in final". Retrieved 2009-05-14.
  6. "Hockey Hall of Fame - Stanley Cup Journals: 16". Hhof.com. 2005-11-23. Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  7. "Ryan Getzlaf Q&A". CBC. Archived from the original on December 9, 2008. Retrieved December 29, 2008.
  8. Dillman, Lisa (2009-03-23). "Ducks' third straight win move them closer to playoff spot". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
  9. "Young Ducks linemates Getzlaf, Perry and Penner know how to produce goals". The Press Enterprise. 2007-03-12. Retrieved 2008-11-17.
  10. "For all the Ducks faults, they're playing like champs". ESPN. 2007-06-04. Retrieved 2008-11-17.
  11. "Dustin Penner Wins Stanley Cup With Ducks - MAINE OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE". Goblackbears.cstv.com. 2007-06-07. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  12. "Anaheim's GM Brian Burke lashes out". Edmonton Sun. 2007-07-28. Archived from the original on 2008-10-13. Retrieved 2008-11-17.
  13. Harris, Beth (2007-08-03). "Ducks let Penner move on". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2007-08-10.
  14. NHL.com (2011-02-28). "Kings acquire Penner for prospect, picks". NHL.com. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
  15. Rich Hammond (2012-01-08). "Dustin Penner, the missing link?". lakingsinsider.com. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
  16. "Kings retain Dustin Penner". ESPN.com. July 2, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  17. "Ducks sign Free Agent Penner". The Sports Network. 2013-07-16. Archived from the original on 2013-07-19. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  18. "Ducks trade veteran forward Penner to Capitals". The Sports Network. 2014-03-04. Retrieved 2014-03-04.
  19. "NCAA Frozen Four Records" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
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