From Cradle to Cup will be a series running throughout July 2013
looking back at players on the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks roster for their
Stanley Cup-winning campaign. Part 18 talks about award-winning defenseman Duncan Keith.
Duncan Keith was born on July 16th, 1983 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He first played with the Penticton Predators at age fifteen in the British Columbia Minor Hockey League during the 1998-1999 season, scoring fifty-one goals and fifty-seven assists in only forty-four games. He was promoted to the regular British Columbia Hockey League to play with Penticton in 1999-2000, scoring nine goals and twenty-seven assists in fifty-nine games. He improved in the following season, 2000-2001, to a line of eighteen goals and sixty-four assists in sixty games, followed by four goals and six assists in nine playoff games. Keith elected to play college hockey in 2001-2002, and was recruited to play at Michigan State with the Spartans. In his first season there, he had three goals and twelve assists in forty-one games. Keith was drafted in the second round of the NHL Entry Draft in 2002 as a selection by the Chicago Blackhawks. He only played fifteen games in his sophomore season, with three goals and six assists before electing to return to Canada to play in Major Junior hockey. He played his junior hockey with the Kelowna Rockets in the Western Hockey League, and in 2002-2003, he had eleven goals and thirty-five assists in thirty-seven games. In the playoffs, he supplied another three goals and eleven assists in nineteen games to help guide the Rockets into the Memorial Cup. Here, Keith only managed one goal in four games, and the Rockets were unable to win the Memorial Cup. In 2003-2004, the Blackhawks assigned Keith to their American Hockey League affiliate at the time, the Norfolk Admirals, and he played to a line of seven goals and eighteen assists in seventy-five games. He also had one goal and one assist in eight playoff games. Keith remained with the Admirals in 2004-2005 as the NHL cancelled the season, and he posted similar statistics including nine goals and seventeen assists in seventy-nine games. He went pointless in six postseason games. Keith finally arrived in the NHL in 2005-2006, and appeared in eighty-one games, with nine goals and twelve assists as a modest contribution from the blue line. Keith blossomed to a bigger role in 2006-2007, scoring at a pace of two goals and twenty-nine assists while playing all eighty-two regular season games for the first time in his career. Keith continued to develop well in 2007-2008, playing again in all eighty-two games and scoring twelve goals and twenty assists, earning him a mid-season All-Star Game nomination. He also represented Canada in the World Championships in 2008, registering two assists in nine games as Canada took the silver medal. Keith was named an alternate captain prior to the 2008-2009 season and responded to the honor by playing in his NHL career-low seventy-seven games for a full season, but upping his point totals to eight goals and thirty-six assists. The 2009-2010 season proved to be busy for Keith, as he played a full eighty-two game season for the third time in four years with the Blackhawks, notching fourteen goals and fifty-five assists. He also played in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, passing six assists in seven games to help Canada secure the gold medal. Then, in the playoffs, Keith played in all twenty-two games and supplied two goals and fifteen assists to play a premier role in helping the Blackhawks secure the Stanley Cup. In addition to the gold medal and Stanley Cup, Keith was named an NHL First Team All-Star and received the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league's best defenseman in his starmaking season. Keith had previously been financially rewarded during the season, receiving a massive thirteen year worth $72 million at age twenty-six, essentially meaning he would be a career Blackhawk. The 2010-2011 season did not go as smoothly for Keith, as he saw his point production drop to seven goals and thirty-eight assists in the full eighty-two games, his fourth full season. In the playoffs, he managed four goals and two assists in seven games. Despite the downturn in production, he was named to the mid-season All-Star Game for the second time in his career. Keith lost time in 2011-2012 due to injury and suspension, playing in only seventy-four games and recording four goals and thirty-six assists. Five of his eight missed games came on a suspension received near the end of the season on a hit to the head of Daniel Sedin, deemed reckless and dangerous. Keith did not play overseas during the 2012 lockout, and played in forty-seven of forty-eight games during the truncated 2013 season, with point totals reaching three goals and twenty-four assists. He served a one-game suspension in the Western Conference Finals for a high stick on Jeff Carter, and in the other twenty-two games produced two goals and eleven assists while providing solid defense to help guide the Blackhawks to their second Stanley Cup in four years. Keith still has nine years left on his contract, which is very good for both him and the team as he continues to be one of the best defensemen in the league.
Duncan Keith was born on July 16th, 1983 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He first played with the Penticton Predators at age fifteen in the British Columbia Minor Hockey League during the 1998-1999 season, scoring fifty-one goals and fifty-seven assists in only forty-four games. He was promoted to the regular British Columbia Hockey League to play with Penticton in 1999-2000, scoring nine goals and twenty-seven assists in fifty-nine games. He improved in the following season, 2000-2001, to a line of eighteen goals and sixty-four assists in sixty games, followed by four goals and six assists in nine playoff games. Keith elected to play college hockey in 2001-2002, and was recruited to play at Michigan State with the Spartans. In his first season there, he had three goals and twelve assists in forty-one games. Keith was drafted in the second round of the NHL Entry Draft in 2002 as a selection by the Chicago Blackhawks. He only played fifteen games in his sophomore season, with three goals and six assists before electing to return to Canada to play in Major Junior hockey. He played his junior hockey with the Kelowna Rockets in the Western Hockey League, and in 2002-2003, he had eleven goals and thirty-five assists in thirty-seven games. In the playoffs, he supplied another three goals and eleven assists in nineteen games to help guide the Rockets into the Memorial Cup. Here, Keith only managed one goal in four games, and the Rockets were unable to win the Memorial Cup. In 2003-2004, the Blackhawks assigned Keith to their American Hockey League affiliate at the time, the Norfolk Admirals, and he played to a line of seven goals and eighteen assists in seventy-five games. He also had one goal and one assist in eight playoff games. Keith remained with the Admirals in 2004-2005 as the NHL cancelled the season, and he posted similar statistics including nine goals and seventeen assists in seventy-nine games. He went pointless in six postseason games. Keith finally arrived in the NHL in 2005-2006, and appeared in eighty-one games, with nine goals and twelve assists as a modest contribution from the blue line. Keith blossomed to a bigger role in 2006-2007, scoring at a pace of two goals and twenty-nine assists while playing all eighty-two regular season games for the first time in his career. Keith continued to develop well in 2007-2008, playing again in all eighty-two games and scoring twelve goals and twenty assists, earning him a mid-season All-Star Game nomination. He also represented Canada in the World Championships in 2008, registering two assists in nine games as Canada took the silver medal. Keith was named an alternate captain prior to the 2008-2009 season and responded to the honor by playing in his NHL career-low seventy-seven games for a full season, but upping his point totals to eight goals and thirty-six assists. The 2009-2010 season proved to be busy for Keith, as he played a full eighty-two game season for the third time in four years with the Blackhawks, notching fourteen goals and fifty-five assists. He also played in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, passing six assists in seven games to help Canada secure the gold medal. Then, in the playoffs, Keith played in all twenty-two games and supplied two goals and fifteen assists to play a premier role in helping the Blackhawks secure the Stanley Cup. In addition to the gold medal and Stanley Cup, Keith was named an NHL First Team All-Star and received the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league's best defenseman in his starmaking season. Keith had previously been financially rewarded during the season, receiving a massive thirteen year worth $72 million at age twenty-six, essentially meaning he would be a career Blackhawk. The 2010-2011 season did not go as smoothly for Keith, as he saw his point production drop to seven goals and thirty-eight assists in the full eighty-two games, his fourth full season. In the playoffs, he managed four goals and two assists in seven games. Despite the downturn in production, he was named to the mid-season All-Star Game for the second time in his career. Keith lost time in 2011-2012 due to injury and suspension, playing in only seventy-four games and recording four goals and thirty-six assists. Five of his eight missed games came on a suspension received near the end of the season on a hit to the head of Daniel Sedin, deemed reckless and dangerous. Keith did not play overseas during the 2012 lockout, and played in forty-seven of forty-eight games during the truncated 2013 season, with point totals reaching three goals and twenty-four assists. He served a one-game suspension in the Western Conference Finals for a high stick on Jeff Carter, and in the other twenty-two games produced two goals and eleven assists while providing solid defense to help guide the Blackhawks to their second Stanley Cup in four years. Keith still has nine years left on his contract, which is very good for both him and the team as he continues to be one of the best defensemen in the league.
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