Tyler Kennedy | |
---|---|
Born | July 15, 1986 Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada |
Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
Weight | 183 lb (83 kg; 13 st 1 lb) |
Position | Centre/right wing |
Shoots | Right |
NHL team Former teams |
San Jose Sharks Pittsburgh Penguins |
NHL Draft | 99th overall, 2004 Pittsburgh Penguins |
Playing career | 2007–present |
Tyler Kennedy (born on July 15, 1986) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Playing Career[]
Tyler was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 4th round (99th overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
After being drafted, he played two seasons with Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL. He began playing for the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in AHL.
On October 27, 2007, Tyler played his first game in the NHL in a game versus the Montreal Canadiens.
On November 3, 2007, he scored his first NHL goal against the New York Islanders.
Tyler is most commonly known among Penguin fans for his energy and effort on the ice, making hits and going hard along the boards. He is also known for scoring at sharp and inopportune angles.
He was named to the NHL's YoungStars Team in 2008 along with his teammate Kris Letang.
Tyler was unable to compete in the game due to mononucleosis. In September of 2008, the Penguins signed an agreement with him through the 2010–11 season.
In the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals, he had a goal in Game 4 and added a game-winning goal in Game 6.
The Penguins would go on to defeat the Detroit Red Wings in seven games to win the Stanley Cup.
He is currently ranked 43rd overall in points during the playoffs for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
After winning the Cup, Tyler appeared on KDKA news with Kris Letang. The boys did the weather as well as talked about the Cup DVD.
Although to this point, Tyler has had a low profile in terms of hockey fame, he attracted some notoriety when Pittsburgh fans and ultimately the public address announcer at Mellon Arena would chant his name in the style of former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) wrestler Mr. Kennedy (Ken Anderson).
Beginning in the Stanley Cup Finals against the Detroit Red Wings, the arena played a video made by "Mr. Kennedy" mimicking his WWE persona in which he announced Tyler's goals by shouting, "And that's a goal by Tylerrrrrrrrrr Kennedyyyyyyyyyyy!" and then briefly disappearing from camera view before reappearing and growling "Kennedyyyyyyyy!" as the camera zoomed in.
This video continued to be used by the Penguins whenever Kennedy scored a goal until he was traded in 2013. A signed Tyler Kennedy jersey can also be seen in a series of Internet skits produced by Anderson in 2009.
Tyler scored the first Pittsburgh Penguins goal at the Consol Energy Center in a 3-2 loss to cross-state rivals the Philadelphia Flyers.
In the 2011 off-season, he was re-signed by the Penguins although his signing caused some controversy when it was reported that Pittsburgh may have deterred Penguin legend Jaromir Jagr by signing Tyler. Jagr later signed with the Flyers.
Early in the 2011-2012 season, Tyler was sidelined by a concussion. On June 30, 2013, he was traded to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 2nd round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
Career Statistics[]
Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
2002–03 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | 61 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 33 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2003–04 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | 63 | 16 | 26 | 42 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2004–05 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | 61 | 21 | 36 | 57 | 37 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | ||
2005–06 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | 64 | 22 | 48 | 70 | 60 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
2006–07 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 40 | 12 | 25 | 37 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2007–08 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 10 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
2007–08 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 55 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 35 | 20 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 13 | ||
2008–09 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 67 | 15 | 20 | 35 | 30 | 24 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 4 | ||
2009–10 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 64 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 31 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
2010–11 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 80 | 21 | 24 | 45 | 37 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||
2011–12 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 60 | 11 | 22 | 33 | 29 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 | ||
2012–13 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 46 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 19 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | ||
NHL totals | 372 | 76 | 92 | 168 | 181 | 76 | 12 | 15 | 27 | 25 | ||||
AHL totals | 50 | 17 | 29 | 46 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
OHL totals | 249 | 64 | 120 | 184 | 158 | 16 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 6 |