Chris Pronger

Christopher Robert Pronger (born October 10, 1974 in Dryden, Ontario, Canada) is a professional hockey player for the Anaheim Ducks. He has received many awards during his career in the NHL, and is considered one of the top defensemen in the league due to his offensive and defensive skills.

Playing career

After two outstanding seasons with the Peterborough Petes of the OHL, Pronger was selected second overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. He made his debut in the 1993-94 NHL season, playing 81 games for the Whalers and earning a spot on the NHL All-Rookie Team. However, Pronger was arrested for drunk driving, involved in a barroom brawl, and was considered by some to be immature and awkward. After a second season in Hartford, he was traded to the St. Louis Blues for star forward Brendan Shanahan on July 27, 1995.

In the early years of his St. Louis career, Pronger played under coach and general manager Mike Keenan. Keenan's guidance is often cited as a factor in Pronger's maturation.

In his third season with St. Louis, at age 23, Pronger was again named to the All-Star team. He also played for the Canadian Olympic team in Nagano. In 1999 Pronger recorded a career-high 62 points and a +52 rating. For his efforts, he won the Norris Trophy, the Hart Trophy, and was named to the All-Star team.

Pronger notched 47 points the next season, but appeared in only 51 games due to injury problems. In February 2002, he won a gold medal with the Canadian Olympic Team in the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. That same year in the NHL, he had another fine season and played in the All-Star Game once again. But injuries became a problem again in 2002-03, limiting him to just five games played. Pronger bounced back with another quality season in 2003-04. Following the 2004-05 NHL lockout and imposition of the NHL salary cap, the Blues traded Pronger to the Edmonton Oilers for defensemen Eric Brewer, Jeff Woywitka and Doug Lynch. While the Blues needed to clear cap space, the Oilers were able to sign Pronger to a five-year, $31.25 million contract.

Pronger was selected to play for Team Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics, marking his third consecutive Olympic Games. He was also one of the best players in the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs, leading the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final. On June 5, 2006, in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes, Pronger became the first player in NHL history to score a penalty shot goal in a Stanley Cup Final game. While the Oilers lost in seven games, the season was an unqualified success, with Pronger scoring a team-leading 21 points in 24 games.

On June 23, 2006, Pronger requested a trade through his agent, Pat Morris, from the Edmonton Oilers. Edmonton GM Kevin Lowe said that the request was due to personal reasons ^{while media outlets ^*} reported that Pronger's wife, Lauren, is not happy in Edmonton. The news came as a shock, as Pronger was widely seen as an integral part of the Oilers' Stanley Cup run. The trade request was harshly received by Edmontonians, and immediately prompted local fans to draw comparisons between Pronger and former hometown hero Mike Comrie, who was traded in December 2003 after several months of failed contract negotiations with the team. Many Edmonton fans have voiced their disappointment through the media and the Internet, having thought that the Oilers' time of trading away their best players was over with the onset of the salary cap. On July 3, 2006, Pronger was traded to the Anaheim Ducks for forward Joffrey Lupul, top defensive prospect Ladislav Smid, Anaheim's 2007 first-round draft pick, a conditional first-round draft pick, and Anaheim's 2008 second-round draft pick.

Pronger and his wife Lauren have two sons, Jack and George.

Awards

OHL First All-Star Team - 1993
Max Kaminsky Trophy - 1993
CHL Plus/Minus Award - 1993
CHL Best Defenseman - 1993
NHL All-Rookie Team - 1994
Bud Light Plus/Minus Award - 1998, 2000
NHL Second All-Star Team - 1998, 2004
Played in NHL All-Star Game - 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004
NHL First All-Star Team - 2000
James Norris Memorial Trophy - 2000
Hart Trophy - 2000

Records

First player to score on a penalty shot during a Stanley Cup Final game (2006 Game 1 at Carolina, opposing goaltender Cam Ward)

Career statistics

			Regular season					Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1991-92	Peterborough Petes	OHL	63	17	45	62	90	10	1	8	9	28
1992-93	Peterborough Petes	OHL	61	15	62	77	108	21	15	25	40	51
1993-94	Hartford Whalers	NHL	81	5	25	30	113	--	--	--	--	--
1994-95	Hartford Whalers	NHL	43	5	9	14	54	--	--	--	--	--
1995-96	St. Louis Blues	NHL	78	7	18	25	110	13	1	5	6	16
1996-97	St. Louis Blues	NHL	79	11	24	35	143	6	1	1	2	22
1997-98	St. Louis Blues	NHL	81	9	27	36	180	10	1	9	10	26
1998-99	St. Louis Blues	NHL	67	13	33	46	113	13	1	4	5	28
1999-00	St. Louis Blues	NHL	79	14	48	62	92	7	3	4	7	32
2000-01	St. Louis Blues	NHL	51	9	39	47	75	15	1	7	8	32
2001-02	St. Louis Blues	NHL	78	7	40	47	120	9	1	7	8	24
2002-03	St. Louis Blues	NHL	5	1	3	4	10	7	1	3	4	14
2003-04	St. Louis Blues	NHL	80	14	40	54	88	5	0	1	1	16
2005-06	Edmonton Oilers	NHL	80	12	44	56	74	22	5	16	21	26
NHL totals			802	106	350	456	1172	107	15	57	72	236

Statistics as of June 16, 2006

International play

Played for Canada in:

International statistics

Year	Team	Event	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1992	Canada	WJC	7	1	3	4	6
1997	Canada	WC	9	0	2	2	10
1998	Canada	Oly	6	0	0	0	4
2002	Canada	Oly	6	0	1	1	2
2006	Canada	Oly	6	1	2	3	16
Senior int'l totals			27	1	5	6	32

External links

Chris Pronger's statistics at tsn.ca
"Captain Crunch's Time Has Come", The Toronto Sun, February 1, 1998.

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