| Kyle Okposo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | April 16, 1988 St. Paul, Minnesota |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 212 lb (96 kg; 15 st 2 lb) |
| Position | Right Wing |
| Shoots | Right |
| NHL team Former teams |
Buffalo Sabres New York Islanders |
| National team |  United States
|
| NHL Draft | 7th overall, 2006 New York Islanders |
| Playing career | 2007–present |
Kyle Okposo (born Kyle Henry Erovre Okposo on April 16, 1988) is an American professional ice hockey right winger and captain of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Kyle was drafted seventh overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders following a season in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Des Moines Buccaneers in which he was named the most valuable player of the USHL playoffs and the league's top rookie. Kyle helped the Buccaneers to a Clark Cup victory.
Playing Career[]
During his freshman season at University of Minnesota, Kyle was placed at the center position, even though he is a natural winger. Throughout most of the season this became his most common position due to the abundance of wingers on the team.
In January of 2007, Kyle played for the U.S. National Junior Team in the 2007 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship. On June 7, 2007, he announced he would be returning to the University of Minnesota for the 2007–08 season.
Kyle played the 2007–08 season for the University of Minnesota ice hockey team until December 19, 2007.
On that morning, Kyle notified his teammates at the university of his decision to leave the team. Soon after, both the Gophers and the New York Islanders announced officially that he decided to leave college after the completion of his current semester and would then begin his professional hockey career.
Kyle's decision to leave school was considered controversial by some. As a response to questioning, Islanders general manager Garth Snow told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "Quite frankly, we weren't happy with the program. They have a responsibility to coach, to make Kyle a better player, and they were not doing that."
Coach Don Lucia then claimed that the Islanders put him "in a very difficult position." In his response to Snow's comments, Lucia emphasized the importance of obtaining a degree, "We have had numerous players sign and play in the NHL, but just as important many more move on to have successful careers after graduating from the University of Minnesota. We have always and will continue to work to ensure our players reach their potential on the ice and in the classroom."
Kyle signed an entry-level contract with the Islanders and was assigned to their top minor league affiliate, the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
On March 18, 2008, Kyle made his NHL debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and netted his first career NHL goal on March 21, 2008 against the New Jersey Devils, a game winner scored on the powerplay against Martin Brodeur. He also scored in his final game of the season in a game against the New York Rangers.
On September 17, 2009, Kyle suffered a mild concussion after a check to the head by Dion Phaneuf. He returned to the Islanders' lineup for their opening game on October 3, 2009.
On May 25, 2011, Kyle signed a five-year, $14 million contract with the New York Islanders.
Career Statistics[]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2005-06 | Des Moines Buccaneers | USHL | 50 | 27 | 31 | 58 | 56 | 11 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 8 | ||
| 2006–07 | University of Minnesota | WCHA | 33 | 17 | 20 | 37 | 30 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 2007–08 | University of Minnesota | WCHA | 18 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Bridgeport Sound Tigers | AHL | 35 | 9 | 19 | 28 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | New York Islanders | NHL | 9 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | New York Islanders | NHL | 65 | 18 | 21 | 39 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Bridgeport Sound Tigers | AHL | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2009–10 | New York Islanders | NHL | 80 | 19 | 33 | 52 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | New York Islanders | NHL | 38 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | New York Islanders | NHL | 79 | 24 | 21 | 45 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | New York Islanders | NHL | 48 | 4 | 20 | 24 | 38 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | ||
| NHL totals | 319 | 72 | 113 | 185 | 196 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | ||||
International Statistics[]
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Competitor for United States
| ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| World Junior Championships | ||
| Bronze | 2007 Mora | |
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | United States | WHC17 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| 2007 | United States | WJC | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2008 | United States | WJC | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 |
| 2009 | United States | WC | 9 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| 2010 | United States | WC | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 2012 | United States | WC | 8 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Junior int'l totals | 18 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 6 | ||
| Senior int'l totals | 23 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 10 | ||
Awards & Achievements[]
- USHL Rookie of the Year - 2006
- USHL Clark Cup Playoffs MVP - 2006
- USHL First All-Star Team - 2006
- USHL All-Rookie Team - 2006
Personal Life[]
Kyle was born to a Nigerian father and an American mother. His father immigrated to the United States as a teenager and eventually earned a Ph.D. His family currently resides in Minnesota where he grew up.
On January 6, 2014, Kyle and his wife Danielle welcomed a daughter named Elliana.