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Ryan McDonagh

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Ryan McDonagh
McDonagh with the New York Rangers in October 2011
Born (1989-06-13) June 13, 1989 (age 35)
Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 213 lb (97 kg; 15 st 3 lb)
Position Defense
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams		 Tampa Bay Lightning
New York Rangers
Barys Astana
Nashville Predators
National team  United States
NHL draft 12th overall, 2007
Montreal Canadiens
Playing career 2010–present

Ryan Patrick McDonagh (born June 13, 1989) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman and alternate captain for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). Drafted in the first round, 12th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens in 2007, he played college hockey for the Badgers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He also played for the New York Rangers, for whom he served as team captain from October 2014 until being traded to the Lightning in 2018. McDonagh won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021, before spending two seasons with the Nashville Predators.

McDonagh also competes internationally for the United States and was a member of the men's ice hockey team at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Playing career

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Amateur

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McDonagh with the Badgers in February 2010

McDonagh attended Cretin-Derham Hall High School in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where as a junior he helped lead his team to the school's first state hockey championship. The following season, he was awarded the 2007 Minnesota Mr. Hockey award, which is given annually to the top senior high school hockey player in the state.[1]

McDonagh was then drafted in the first round, 12th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens on June 22, 2007, in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. He also won a silver medal with the United States at the 2007 IIHF World U18 Championships.[2][3]

Two years later, McDonagh represented the Americans at the 2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.[4]

On June 30, 2009, McDonagh was traded (along with Chris Higgins, Pavel Valentenko and Doug Janik) to the New York Rangers in exchange for Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt and Michael Busto.[5]

Professional

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New York Rangers (2011–2018)

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On July 6, 2010, McDonagh signed an entry-level contract with the Rangers, forgoing his senior season at Wisconsin and joining childhood friend and former Wisconsin teammate Derek Stepan in New York.[6][7]

McDonagh in March 2011 slow to get up following an elbow to the head delivered by Penguins' Matt Cooke. Cooke was later suspended for 17 games.

After beginning the 2010–11 season with the Rangers' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, he was promoted to the Rangers on January 3, 2011.[8] He played his first career NHL game on January 7, 2011, against the Dallas Stars.[9][10] He then earned his first NHL point on an assist of a Brandon Prust goal against the Carolina Hurricanes on January 20.[11][12] On March 20, McDonagh was the victim of an elbow to the head from Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke, who was subsequently suspended for the remainder of the regular season and the first round of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs.[13]

On April 9, 2011, McDonagh scored the game-winning goal, the first of his career, against the New Jersey Devils, earning the Rangers the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.[14]

McDonagh with the Rangers in March 2013.

As a result of the 2012–13 NHL lockout, McDonagh signed a contract with Barys Astana of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He became the first American NHL player to join the KHL as a result of the lockout.[15]

On July 8, 2013, McDonagh signed a new six-year, $28.2 million contract with New York.[16] He led all Rangers defensemen with 43 points in the 2013–14 season as the Rangers finished fifth in the Eastern Conference.[17] The team defeated the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens en route to the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals against the Los Angeles Kings, where the Rangers lost the series 4–1. During the playoffs, McDonagh was tied for the lead amongst defensemen in assists (13) and ranked second in points (17). For his season's efforts, McDonagh was named Rangers' MVP and the recipient of the Players' Player Award, given to the Ranger "who best exemplifies what it means to be a team player". He became just the second Rangers defenseman to hold both awards after Brian Leetch did so in the 2002–03 season.[18]

On October 6, 2014, McDonagh was named the 27th captain in Rangers history, filling the vacancy left by Ryan Callahan the previous season,[19] and the first defenseman since Brian Leetch in 1997 to be named captain. Martin St. Louis, Marc Staal, Dan Girardi and Derek Stepan were named his alternates. McDonagh became the fourth-youngest Ranger captain and 11th defenseman to hold the honor. In his first season as captain, he led his team to the Presidents' Trophy and were ultimately eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games.[20] On May 30, 2015, it was revealed that McDonagh had played the final three games of the series with a broken foot.[21]

McDonagh continued his strong play and leadership into the 2015–16 season, his second as team captain. However, during a February 6, 2016, game against the Philadelphia Flyers, McDonagh suffered a concussion after getting punched by Flyers' forward Wayne Simmonds after McDonagh cross-checked Simmonds.[22] McDonagh missed eight games as a result, including a February 14 rematch between the two teams, during which Rangers' rookie defenseman Dylan McIlrath fought Simmonds.[23] Still feeling the effects of the concussion, McDonagh was scratched for two games of the Rangers first round playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, which the Rangers ultimately lost in five games as the Penguins eventually went on to win the Stanley Cup.

Tampa Bay Lightning (2018–2022)

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On February 26, 2018, McDonagh was traded (along with J. T. Miller) to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Libor Hájek, Brett Howden, Vladislav Namestnikov, a first-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, and a conditional second-round pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.[24] The trade followed weeks of trade rumors fueled by a team letter to Rangers fans on February 8, 2018, announcing a rebuild. On April 18, 2018, McDonagh played in his 100th career NHL playoff game.[25]

On June 1, 2018, Ryan McDonagh signed a seven-year, $47.25 million contract extension with the Lightning. During the 2018–19 season, McDonagh would enjoy the best offensive season of his career, playing all 82 games and scoring 9 goals and 46 points during his first full-season in Tampa Bay, finishing 8th in Norris Trophy voting. However, McDonagh was held pointless in Tampa Bay's first-round upset loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

In the 2019–20 season, McDonagh embraced his role, along with his defensive partner Erik Černák, as Tampa Bay's shutdown defensive pairing. During the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, McDonagh would return to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2014, while he was a member of the Rangers. This time, the Lightning emerged victorious, winning McDonagh his first Stanley Cup championship.

McDonagh continued his role as one of Tampa Bay's shutdown defenders in the COVID-delayed 2020–21 season. On June 8, 2021, McDonagh played in his 150th Stanley Cup playoff game against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Lightning would go on to repeat as champions in 2021, winning McDonagh his second-consecutive championship. McDonagh led all skaters in plus–minus at +18 during the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Nashville Predators (2022–2024)

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On July 3, 2022, McDonagh was traded to the Nashville Predators in exchange for defenseman Philippe Myers and forward Grant Mismash.[26]

Return to Tampa Bay (2024–present)

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After two seasons in Nashville, McDonagh was re-acquired by the Lightning on May 21, 2024, in exchange for a second-round pick in 2025 and a seventh-round pick in 2024.[27]

Personal life

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On July 19, 2013, McDonagh married long-time girlfriend Kaylee Keys at Our Lady of Victory Chapel in his hometown of Saint Paul, Minnesota.[28] Former National Football League quarterback Steve Walsh is his uncle.[29]

After being drafted, McDonagh attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison for three seasons, playing with their ice hockey team, before foregoing his final year to turn pro with the Rangers. In January 2021, McDonagh re-enrolled with the school, taking online classes to complete his final 18 credits and graduate with a degree in Personal Finance.[30] McDonagh studies on days he does not have NHL games and revealed he had always planned to return to school to graduate but core courses were not available remotely while he played professionally, and was able to attend again after courses he was interested in were migrated online during the school's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Wisconsin.[30]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2004–05 Cretin-Derham Hall High School HS-MN 28 12 18 30 — — — — —
2005–06 Cretin-Derham Hall High School HS-MN 31 12 28 40 24 — — — — —
2006–07 Cretin-Derham Hall High School HS-MN 23 10 23 33 44 — — — — —
2007–08 University of Wisconsin WCHA 40 5 7 12 42 — — — — —
2008–09 University of Wisconsin WCHA 36 5 11 16 59 — — — — —
2009–10 University of Wisconsin WCHA 43 4 14 18 65 — — — — —
2010–11 Hartford Wolf Pack/CT Whale AHL 38 1 7 8 12 — — — — —
2010–11 New York Rangers NHL 40 1 8 9 14 5 0 0 0 4
2011–12 New York Rangers NHL 82 7 25 32 44 20 0 4 4 11
2012–13 Barys Astana KHL 10 0 3 3 6 — — — — —
2012–13 New York Rangers NHL 47 4 15 19 22 12 1 3 4 6
2013–14 New York Rangers NHL 77 14 29 43 36 25 4 13 17 8
2014–15 New York Rangers NHL 71 8 25 33 26 19 3 6 9 8
2015–16 New York Rangers NHL 73 9 25 34 22 3 0 0 0 0
2016–17 New York Rangers NHL 77 6 36 42 37 12 2 5 7 12
2017–18 New York Rangers NHL 49 2 24 26 20 — — — — —
2017–18 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 14 2 1 3 0 17 0 5 5 6
2018–19 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 82 9 37 46 34 4 0 0 0 2
2019–20 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 50 1 11 12 19 22 1 4 5 10
2020–21 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 50 4 8 12 14 23 0 8 8 14
2021–22 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 71 4 22 26 16 23 1 4 5 14
2022–23 Nashville Predators NHL 71 2 18 20 22 — — — — —
2023–24 Nashville Predators NHL 74 3 29 32 31 6 0 1 1 6
NHL totals 928 76 313 389 357 191 12 53 65 101
Medal record
Representing the  United States
Ice hockey
World U18 Championships
Silver medal – second place 2007 Finland

International

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Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2007 United States U18 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 7 0 3 3 4
2009 United States WJC 5th 6 0 3 3 2
2011 United States WC 8th 7 0 1 1 2
2014 United States OG 4th 6 1 1 2 0
2016 United States WCH 7th 3 2 0 2 0
Junior totals 13 0 6 6 6
Senior totals 16 3 2 5 2

Awards and honors

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Award Year
USHS
Minnesota Mr. Hockey 2007
College
All-WCHA Rookie Team 2007–08 [31]
All-WCHA Academic Team 2008–09, 2009–10
All-WCHA Second Team 2009–10 [31]
NHL
NHL All-Star Game 2016, 2017
Stanley Cup champion 2020, 2021 [32]

References

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  1. ^ Minnesota Wild. "Cretin-Derham Hall's Ryan McDonagh Named Mr. Hockey". Minnesota Wild. Archived from the original on July 5, 2009. Retrieved April 20, 2007.
  2. ^ "U.S. Roster for IIHF World Under-18 Championship Named". March 30, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  3. ^ "2007 USA Player Statistics by Team" (PDF). IIHF. Retrieved May 13, 2011.
  4. ^ "2009 USA Player Statistics by Team" (PDF). IIHF. Retrieved May 13, 2011.
  5. ^ "Montreal Canadiens acquire Scott Gomez from New York Rangers". ESPN. June 30, 2009. Retrieved July 1, 2009.
  6. ^ "McDonagh truly a happy camper". New York Rangers. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
  7. ^ "McDonagh turning pro with Rangers". New York Rangers. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
  8. ^ "McDonagh getting first shot at NHL". National Hockey League. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
  9. ^ "Rangers vs. Stars". Yahoo!. Retrieved January 7, 2011.
  10. ^ "Rangers never say die in win at Dallas". New York Rangers. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
  11. ^ "Rangers Ward-ed off by a hot goalie". newyorkrangers.com. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
  12. ^ "Carolina 4, NY Rangers 1". Yahoo!. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
  13. ^ NHL suspends Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Matt Cooke for blindside hit on Rangers' Ryan McDonagh
  14. ^ "Devils 2-5 Rangers (Apr 9, 2011) Final Score".
  15. ^ "Ranger McDonagh First American in KHL Lockout Switch". RIA Novosti. October 11, 2012. Retrieved October 13, 2012.
  16. ^ "Ryan McDonagh re-signs with NY Rangers, inks six-year, $28.2 million deal". Daily News. New York. July 8, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
  17. ^ "Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh out 3-4 weeks". National Hockey League. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
  18. ^ "Ryan McDonagh Named 2013-14 Team MVP & Winner Of Players' Player Award". National Hockey League. April 11, 2014. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  19. ^ "McDonagh named captain of the New York Rangers". The Globe and Mail. October 7, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
  20. ^ "New York Rangers eliminated by Tampa Bay Lightning". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  21. ^ "Rangers captain McDonagh had broken foot". National Hockey League. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  22. ^ "Ryan McDonagh out with concussion following punch from Wayne Simmonds". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. February 8, 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  23. ^ Peters, Chris (February 15, 2016). "WATCH: Rangers, Flyers open game with two fights in first minute". cbssports.com. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  24. ^ "Lightning acquire D Ryan McDonagh, F J.T. Miller from New York Rangers". National Hockey League. February 26, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  25. ^ Satriano, David (April 18, 2018). "Lightning add to series lead with Game 4 win against Devils". National Hockey League. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  26. ^ "McDonagh traded to Predators by Lightning". nhl.com. July 3, 2022.
  27. ^ "McDonagh traded back to Lightning by Predators for two selections in NHL Draft". NHL.com. May 21, 2024. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  28. ^ "New York Rangers Hockey Player Marries High School Sweetheart in Minneapolis". Style Me Pretty.
  29. ^ Botta, Christopher (February 4, 2012). "Rangers' Super Sunday Will Kick Off With a Game Before That Other Game". The New York Times. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
  30. ^ a b Encina, Eduardo (February 3, 2021). "Rangers' Super Sunday Will Kick Off With a Game Before That Other Game". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  31. ^ a b National Hockey League (2010). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book/2011. Triumph Books. p. 316. ISBN 978-1-60078-422-4.
  32. ^ "Lightning win Stanley Cup by smothering Stars in Game 6". NBC Sports. September 28, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ryan McDonagh.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Minnesota Mr. Hockey
2006–07 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Montreal Canadiens first-round draft pick
2007 		Succeeded by
Sporting positions
Preceded by New York Rangers captain
2014–18 		Succeeded by
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