Chris Kunitz

Chris Kunitz
Kunitz with the Tampa Bay Lightning in May 2018
Born	(1979-09-26) September 26, 1979 Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	188 lb (85 kg; 13 st 6 lb)
Position	Left wing
Shot	Left
Played for	Anaheim Ducks Atlanta Thrashers Pittsburgh Penguins Tampa Bay Lightning Chicago Blackhawks
National team	Canada
NHL draft	Undrafted
Playing career	2003–2019
Medal record Representing Canada Men's ice hockey Winter Olympics 2014 Sochi World Championships 2008 Canada

Christopher Kunitz (born September 26, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Anaheim Ducks (where he won his first Stanley Cup in 2007), Atlanta Thrashers, the Pittsburgh Penguins (where he won his second, third and fourth Stanley Cup in 2009, 2016 and 2017), Tampa Bay Lightning and Chicago Blackhawks.

Internationally, Kunitz won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Playing career

College and junior

Kunitz played Junior A in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) with the Melville Millionaires for two seasons before joining the NCAA college ranks with the Ferris State Bulldogs in 1999–00. After a 79-point campaign in his senior year, he was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award in 2003 (given to Peter Sejna), the same year Ferris State made it to the Division I Regional Finals, just missing out on the Frozen Four. He was part of the first Ferris State team to make an NCAA Tournament appearance (now joined by the 2011–2012, 2013–14, 2015-16 squads).

Professional

Anaheim Ducks, brief stint in Atlanta and return to Anaheim

Kunitz was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on April 1, 2003. He split his professional rookie season between Anaheim and their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks. After spending the 2004–05 NHL lock-out with Cincinnati, he was picked up on waivers by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2005–06. Two weeks later, however, he was re-claimed off waivers by the Ducks and went on to play 67 games with them, scoring 19 goals and adding 22 assists for 41 points, surpassing Paul Kariya's club record 39-point rookie season in 1994–95 (Kunitz still qualified as a first-year player because he did not play the minimum required games with Anaheim in 2003–04 to register as his NHL rookie season; the record was broken the following season by Dustin Penner's 45 points).

Kunitz at the lip of Roberto Luongo's crease in September 2006

In the 2006–07 NHL season, Kunitz improved to 25 goals and 60 points. He went on to help the Ducks advance through the playoffs, past the Minnesota Wild, Vancouver Canucks, and Detroit Red Wings, en route to a Finals victory against the Ottawa Senators to capture both his and the franchise's first Stanley Cup championship. Kunitz had been injured during the semi-finals against the Red Wings, but returned late in the Stanley Cup Finals against Ottawa to help clinch the championship in game five.

Kunitz in June 2017. He hoisted the Stanley Cup for the fourth time in 2017.

The next season, in 2007–08, Kunitz was named one of the team's alternate captains, his first time with the Ducks and his professional career. In regards to Kunitz' new position, Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle explained, "Rob Niedermayer was an alternate last year and did a fine job, and we thought it was important to involve our younger players in the leadership role. Chris Kunitz fit that role."." Kunitz's production dipped to 50 points that season.

Pittsburgh Penguins

In the midst of another slow season in 2008–09, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins along with prospect Eric Tangradi for defenceman Ryan Whitney. The move was also precipitated by a need for secondary scoring on the Penguins behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. During the 2009 playoffs, he recorded 1 goal and 13 assists as the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup in a rematch of the previous year's Stanley Cup Finals against the Detroit Red Wings, giving Kunitz his second championship in three years.

On November 6, 2010, Kunitz played his 400th career game and recorded a goal in that game against the Phoenix Coyotes. On March 15, 2016, he played his 800th career game and recorded a goal against the New York Islanders. In the 2016 Playoffs, he recorded 4 goals and 8 assists for 12 points, as the Penguins went to defeat the San Jose Sharks in six games in 2016. It would be Kunitz's third Stanley Cup of his career, his second with the Pens. Since 2010, he has been a regular member of the Penguins' top lines with Evgeni Malkin and/or Sidney Crosby. On May 25, 2017, Kunitz sent the Penguins to the Stanley Cup Finals with a double overtime game winner in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals versus the Ottawa Senators. This would later become Kunitz's last career playoff goal. He became the oldest player to score a game 7 playoff series winning goal at the age 37. The Penguins faced off against the Nashville Predators in the 2017 Finals, defeating them in six games to successfully defend the Stanley Cup, with Kunitz assisting on the series-winning goal. This marked Kunitz's fourth Stanley Cup of his career, and his third as a member of the Penguins.

Tampa Bay Lightning

On July 1, 2017, Kunitz left the Penguins as a free agent and signed a one-year, $2 million, contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning announced through its social media account that Kunitz would wear the #14. Kunitz had previously worn the number with the Penguins and the Ducks. Kunitz recorded 13 goals and 29 points during the season, but just one assist in the playoffs as the Lightning lost in the Eastern Conference Final to the eventual champion Washington Capitals in 7 games.

Chicago Blackhawks

Kunitz with the Blackhawks in January 2019

On July 1, 2018, Kunitz signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. He played 56 games and had 5 goals and 10 points.

On July 30, 2019, Kunitz announced his retirement from professional hockey after 15 seasons. He joined the Blackhawks' organization as a player development adviser as well as the coaching staff of their American League affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs.

International play

Kunitz made his international hockey debut for Team Canada at the 2008 World Hockey Championships. He contributed 7 points in 9 games, helping Canada to a silver medal. On January 7, 2014, he was named to the 2014 Canadian Olympic Hockey Team.

Personal life

Kunitz attended Michael A. Riffel High School in northwest Regina, graduating in 1997. Ten years after his graduation, he brought the Stanley Cup back to Riffel in July 2007 when he had his day with the trophy. He also took the Stanley Cup back to his college town (Big Rapids, Michigan) on the same day. On August 11, 2009, Kunitz brought the trophy back to Regina and had a larger celebration in the city's downtown. Kunitz admitted that during his first visit, he had a low-key celebration at Riffel as a result of teammate Ryan Getzlaf's profile.

Kunitz married Chicago-native Maureen Pfeiffer in July 2008. The couple reside with their three children in Chicago. Kunitz and his family lived in the Bridgeville area of Pittsburgh during his tenure with the Penguins.

Kunitz earned a degree in marketing and business from Ferris State University.

Career statistics

Kunitz with Sidney Crosby receiving the Prince of Wales Trophy in 2017. Kunitz scored the series winning goal in the second overtime of game seven to send the Penguins to the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals.

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1996–97	Yorkton Mallers AAA	SMHL		64	38	38	76	233		—	—	—	—	—
1997–98	Melville Millionaires	SJHL		60	30	27	57	151		—	—	—	—	—
1998–99	Melville Millionaires	SJHL		63	57	32	89	222		4	4	1	5	19
1999–2000	Ferris State Bulldogs	CCHA		38	20	9	29	70		—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	Ferris State Bulldogs	CCHA		37	16	13	29	81		—	—	—	—	—
2001–02	Ferris State Bulldogs	CCHA		35	28	10	38	68		—	—	—	—	—
2002–03	Ferris State Bulldogs	CCHA		42	35	44	79	56		—	—	—	—	—
2003–04	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL		21	0	6	6	12		—	—	—	—	—
2003–04	Cincinnati Mighty Ducks	AHL		59	19	25	44	101		9	3	2	5	24
2004–05	Cincinnati Mighty Ducks	AHL		54	22	17	39	71		12	1	7	8	20
2005–06	Atlanta Thrashers	NHL		2	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL		67	19	22	41	69		16	3	5	8	8
2005–06	Portland Pirates	AHL		5	0	4	4	12		—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	Anaheim Ducks	NHL		81	25	35	60	81		13	1	5	6	19
2007–08	Anaheim Ducks	NHL		82	21	29	50	80		6	0	2	2	8
2008–09	Anaheim Ducks	NHL		62	16	19	35	55		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		20	7	11	18	16		24	1	13	14	19
2009–10	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		50	13	19	32	39		13	4	7	11	8
2010–11	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		66	23	25	48	47		6	1	0	1	6
2011–12	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		82	26	35	61	49		6	2	4	6	8
2012–13	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		48	22	30	52	39		15	5	5	10	6
2013–14	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		78	35	33	68	66		13	3	5	8	16
2014–15	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		74	17	23	40	56		5	1	2	3	8
2015–16	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		80	17	23	40	41		24	4	8	12	15
2016–17	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		71	9	20	29	36		20	2	9	11	27
2017–18	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL		82	13	16	29	35		17	0	1	1	16
2018–19	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL		56	5	5	10	23		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				1,022	268	351	619	746		178	27	66	93	164

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2008	Canada	WC			9	2	5	7	4
2014	Canada	OG			6	1	0	1	6
Senior totals					15	3	5	8	10

Awards and honours

Awards	Year
College
All-CCHA First Team	2001–02
All-CCHA First Team	2002–03
AHCA West First-Team All-American	2002–03
CCHA All-Tournament Team	2003
NHL
Stanley Cup champion	2007, 2009, 2016, 2017
First All-Star Team	2013

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database