Alex DeBrincat

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Alex DeBrincat
Alex DeBrincat - Erie Otters.JPG
DeBrincat with the Erie Otters in 2015
Born (1997-12-18) December 18, 1997 (age 24)
Farmington Hills, Michigan, U.S.
Height 5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Weight 165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb)
Position Right wing / Left wing
Shoots Right
NHL team Chicago Blackhawks
National team  United States
NHL Draft 39th overall, 2016
Chicago Blackhawks
Playing career 2017–present

Alexander DeBrincat (born December 18, 1997) is an American professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "the Cat", he was selected by the Blackhawks with the 39th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career[]

High school[]

DeBrincat played AAA hockey for Lake Forest Academy in Lake Forest, Illinois. He left high school when he was 15 to begin his junior hockey career.[1]

Junior[]

DeBrincat signed with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League as a free agent on April 29, 2014, and joined the club for the 2014–15 season.

He appeared in his first career OHL game on September 24, 2014, and scored his first goal against of the Saginaw Spirit in a 7–1 win. On November 7, DeBrincat scored his first career hat trick in a 5–2 win over the Sarnia Sting. In his final regular season game on March 22, DeBrincat scored a goal and added five assists for a six-point game as the Otters defeated the Niagara IceDogs 8–7. DeBrincat finished the season with 51 goals and 104 points in 68 games, and led all OHL rookies in goals, assists and points. In the post-season, he had nine goals and 16 points in 20 games, as the Otters lost to the Oshawa Generals in the J. Ross Robertson Cup finals. DeBrincat won the Emms Family Award, which is awarded to the OHL Rookie of the Year, and was named the CHL Rookie of the Year.[2][3] DeBrincat also was named to the OHL First All-Rookie Team, and the OHL Second All-Star Team.

In 2015 he was named the OHL Player of the Month for March after he tallied 16 goals, seven assists and 23 points in 12 games.[4] He also became the first Otters player to record back-to-back 50-goal seasons and record five hat-tricks in a season.[5]

In the 2016–17 season, DeBrincat led the OHL with a high of 65 goals along with 62 assists and a plus-minus rating of plus-60. In May 2017, he was named the 2016–17 recipient of the Red Tilson Trophy which is awarded to the most outstanding player in the OHL.[6]

Professional[]

After three seasons with the Otters, DeBrincat made the Blackhawks roster out of training camp at the start of the 2017–18 season. He made his NHL debut on October 5, 2017, in a 10–1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. On October 10, DeBrincat scored his first NHL goal in a game against the Montreal Canadiens on goaltender Carey Price.[7]

On November 27, DeBrincat recorded his first NHL hat trick against the Anaheim Ducks making him the second youngest Blackhawks player to score a hat trick, just behind Jeremy Roenick by four days.[8][9] He scored his second hat trick of the season on January 25, 2018, against the Detroit Red Wings to clinch a 5–1 win in his home state of Michigan.[10] By doing so, he became the youngest Blackhawks player to record two regular season hat tricks in one season, as well as the first rookie to do so since Steve Larmer in the 1982–83 NHL season.[11] DeBrincat recorded his third career hat trick on March 18, 2018, against the St. Louis Blues.[12] With his third hat trick in his rookie season, DeBrincat set a new Blackhawks rookie record and tied Tony Granato for most hat tricks by a U.S born rookie in a season.[12] The following day, DeBrincat became the youngest Blackhawks player to be awarded the Blackhawks Player of the Year Award.[13] He concluded his debut season with 52 points, including a team-high 28 goals.[14]

DeBrincat surpassed his career high in goals, assists, and points during the 2018–19 season. He primarily skated on the Blackhawks' second line alongside with his longtime friend and former Otters' teammate, Dylan Strome, whom the Blackhawks acquired in November.[15] On February 18, 2019, DeBrincat recorded his fourth career hat trick and two assists in an 8–7 win against the Ottawa Senators. This was the first five-point night in his career.[16]

On October 3, 2019, the Blackhawks signed DeBrincat to a three-year, $19.2 million contract extension.[17] DeBrincat tallied only 45 points on 18 goals and 27 assists during the 2019–20 season, which was condensed to 70 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[18] He registered two goals and four assists in nine games during the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs.[19]

DeBrincat rebounded during the condensed 2020–21 NHL season by registering 32 goals and 24 assists in 52 games.[20] He led the Blackhawks in goals and finished third overall in goal scoring in the NHL for the season.[20] DeBrincat also scored his 100th career goal on March 5, 2021.[21]

DeBrincat recorded a Gordie Howe hat trick on November 17 against the Seattle Kraken after tallying a goal, assist, and fight.[22]

International play[]

Medal record
Representing  United States
Ice hockey
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Denmark
World Junior Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Finland

DeBrincat was named to Team USA in the 2016 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Helsinki, Finland. He was injured in a game against Sweden but recovered quick enough to net a vital goal against the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals. He ended the tournament with 1 goal in 5 games to help Team USA clinch Bronze.[23]

After the conclusion of his rookie season with the Blackhawks, DeBrincat was named to the Team USA roster to compete at the 2018 IIHF World Championship.[24] He contributed with 9 point in 10 games to help the United States claim the bronze medal in Denmark.

DeBrincat returned to the World Championship the following year, as he was named to Team USA roster to compete at the 2019 IIHF World Championship, held in Bratislava and Kosice, Slovakia.[25]

Personal life[]

DeBrincat attended Harrison High School in Farmington Hills, Michigan for one season before transferring to Lake Forest Academy, a school known for its athletics. He has an older brother named Andrew who played hockey for Lake Forest Academy for two seasons before graduating in 2012.[26]

His father, David is Maltese and his mother, Tracey is Canadian.[27] DeBrincat married Lyndsey Bice on July 31, 2021.[28]

Career statistics[]

Regular season and playoffs[]

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2013–14 Lake Forest Academy MPHL 13 16 12 28 16 3 4 2 6 0
2013–14 Lake Forest Academy USHS 50 54 57 111 28 — — — — —
2014–15 Erie Otters OHL 68 51 53 104 73 20 9 7 16 26
2015–16 Erie Otters OHL 60 51 50 101 28 13 8 11 19 13
2016–17 Erie Otters OHL 63 65 62 127 49 18 13 25 38 10
2017–18 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 82 28 24 52 6 — — — — —
2018–19 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 82 41 35 76 15 — — — — —
2019–20 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 70 18 27 45 15 9 2 4 6 9
2020–21 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 52 32 24 56 12 — — — — —
NHL totals 286 119 110 229 48 9 2 4 6 9

International[]

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2016 United States WJC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 5 1 0 1 25
2018 United States WC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 10 1 8 9 0
2019 United States WC 7th 8 7 2 9 4
Junior totals 5 1 0 1 25
Senior totals 18 8 10 18 4

Awards and honors[]

Award Year
MPHL
Malloy Division All-Star 2014 [29]
MPHL Most Goals 2014 [30]
OHL
Rookie of the Month: September, October, March 2015 [31]
First All-Rookie Team 2015 [32]
Emms Family Award 2015 [33]
Second All-Star Team 2015 [34]
CHL Rookie of the Year 2015 [35]
CHL Top Prospects Game 2016 [36]
Third All-Star Team 2016 [37]
First All-Star Team 2017 [38]
Red Tilson Trophy 2017 [39]
Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy 2017 [40]
Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy 2017 [41]
Memorial Cup All-Star Team 2017 [42]

References[]

  1. ^ Lazerus, Mark (October 26, 2017). "Teenager Alex DeBrincat makes his way in the grown-up world of the NHL". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  2. ^ "DeBrincat named OHL Rookie of the Year". ontariohockeyleague.com. April 8, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  3. ^ Caples, Michael (May 30, 2015). "Alex DeBrincat named Canadian Hockey League's rookie of the year". mihockey.com. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  4. ^ "DeBrincat Named Player of the Month". ottershockey.com. November 5, 2015.
  5. ^ "DeBrincat first in Otters history with back-to-back 50-goal seasons". ontariohockeyleague.com. March 18, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  6. ^ "Blackhawks prospect DeBrincat wins Red Tilson Trophy". National Hockey League. May 1, 2017. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  7. ^ "Alex DeBrincat notches first NHL goal as Blackhawks defeat Canadiens 3-1". Chicago Tribune. October 10, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
  8. ^ Lazerus, Mark (November 27, 2017). "Cat trick: DeBrincat scores three goals as Blackhawks destroy Ducks". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on November 28, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  9. ^ Hine, Chris (November 27, 2017). "Alex DeBrincat nets hat trick as Blackhawks top Ducks 7-3". Chicago Tribune. Chicago. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  10. ^ Hogg, Dave (January 25, 2018). "DeBrincat's hat trick propels Blackhawks past Red Wings". NHL.com. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  11. ^ Skrbina, Paul (January 26, 2018). "Alex DeBrincat's real job is putting pucks in the net — and he's back doing it". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  12. ^ a b Roumeliotis, Charlie (March 18, 2018). "Blues defeat Blackhawks in overtime, gain in wild card". NHL.com. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  13. ^ Siegel, Austin (March 19, 2018). "DeBrincat becomes youngest Blackhawks Player of the Year Award winner". NHL.com. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  14. ^ Roumeliotis, Charlie (May 14, 2018). "Setting and predicting five early prop bets for Blackhawks in 2018-19". NBC Sports. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
  15. ^ Greenfield, Jimmy (February 8, 2019). "'It's chemistry': Longtime pals Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat rekindle magic with the Blackhawks". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
  16. ^ "DeBrincat's five points lead Blackhawks to wild win over Sens". TSN.ca. February 18, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  17. ^ "DeBrincat agrees to three-year contract extension with Blackhawks". National Hockey League. October 3, 2019. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  18. ^ Reese, Bob (November 20, 2020). "Chicago Blackhawks fantasy preview for 2020-21". NHL.com. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  19. ^ Myers, Tracey (August 19, 2020). "Kane believes Blackhawks can grow from Western First Round loss". NHL.com. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  20. ^ a b Pope, Ben (May 15, 2021). "Blackhawks 2021 player evaluations: Who met expectations? Who fell short?". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  21. ^ Thompson, Phil (March 6, 2021). "3 takeaways from the Chicago Blackhawks' 4-3 shootout win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, including Malcolm Subban's starring role and a tribute to Brent Seabrook". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  22. ^ Bentley, Coleman (November 18, 2021). "Alex DeBrincat just reminded us that the Gordie Howe hat trick is the most badass thing in sports". Golf Digest. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  23. ^ McMahon, Mike (January 3, 2016). "DeBrincat Returns to World Junior Lineup". teamusa.usahockey.com. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  24. ^ Pascarella, Leah (April 28, 2018). "BLOG: Four Blackhawks named to U.S. National Team". NHL.com. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  25. ^ "DeBrincat joins Kane on Team USA's roster". Chicago Blackhawks. April 23, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  26. ^ Narang, Bob (July 5, 2016). "Blackhawks draft former Lake Forest Academy hockey star Alex DeBrincat". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  27. ^ "Verdict: Prolific DeBrincat brushes off defenders, doubters".
  28. ^ Thompson, Phil (May 11, 2021). "7 things Chicago Blackhawks players shared before starting their offseason, including Patrick Kane's injury 'issue,' missing Jonathan Toews and Alex DeBrincat's wedding". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  29. ^ "AWARDS - MPHL MALLOY DIVISION ALL-STAR". eliteprospects.com.
  30. ^ "CAREER HIGHLIGHTS". eliteprospects.com.
  31. ^ "DeBrincat Named Rookie of the Month". ottershockey.com. March 26, 2015.
  32. ^ "Zacha & Chychrun named to OHL All-Rookie first team". sarniasting.com. April 8, 2015.
  33. ^ "Alex DeBrincat – Emms Family Award". ontariohockeyleague.com. June 10, 2015.
  34. ^ "OHL Announces 2015-16 All-Star Teams". ontariohockeyleague.com. June 2, 2016.
  35. ^ "Alex DeBrincat Named OHL Rookie of the Year". ottershockey.com. April 8, 2015.
  36. ^ "2016 BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game Rosters". chl.ca. January 7, 2016.
  37. ^ Dean Plunkett (June 4, 2016). "OHL All-Star Teams Announced". The Hockey Writers.
  38. ^ "OHL Announces 2016-17 All-Star Teams". ottershockey.com. May 17, 2017.
  39. ^ "Blackhawks prospect DeBrincat wins Red Tilson Trophy". NHL.com. May 5, 2017.
  40. ^ "Otters' DeBrincat captures 2016-17 OHL Scoring Title". ottershockey.com. March 23, 2017.
  41. ^ "Otters' DeBrincat captures 2016-17 OHL Scoring Title". ottershockey.com. March 23, 2017.
  42. ^ "2017 Mastercard Memorial Cup Awards & All-Stars". mastercardmemorialcup.ca. May 28, 2017.

External links[]

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