Danny DeKeyser

Daniel Christopher DeKeyser (born March 7, 1990) is an American former professional hockey defenseman and current Detroit Red Wings studio analyst. He played as an alternate captain for the Detroit Red Wings in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Playing career Amateur As a youth, DeKeyser played in the 2003 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Detroit Little Caesars minor ice hockey team. He later played midget hockey with the Compuware AAA program from 2006 to 2008, before signing with the Trail Smoke Eaters of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) for the 2008–09 season, where he recorded eight goals and 17 assists in 58 games. For his efforts, he was named the Trail Smoke Eaters' Defenseman of the Year. During the 2009–10 season, DeKeyser played for the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League (USHL), where he recorded one goal and ten assists in 41 games.

Professional After three years with Western Michigan, DeKeyser was being pursued by multiple teams around the NHL. Eventually, he decided to play for his hometown team and signed a two-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings on March 29, 2013. He began playing for Detroit one week later and recorded his first NHL point against the Nashville Predators on April 14, 2013, assisting on a Henrik Zetterberg goal. DeKeyser appeared in 11 regular season and two post-season games for the Red Wings during the 2012–13 season. Following the conclusion of Detroit's Stanley Cup playoff run in 2013, he joined the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL) during the 2013 Calder Cup playoffs, where he recorded one assist in six games and helped the team capture their first-ever Calder Cup championship.

On November 4, 2013, DeKeyser scored his first career NHL goal in a game against the Winnipeg Jets. During the 2013–14 season, DeKeyser recorded four goals and 19 assists, as well as a +10 rating, in 65 games. He ranked among the NHL's top rookie blueliners in points (eighth), plus-minus (tied for fourth) and ice time (second). He also placed third among all rookies, and second on Detroit overall, with 116 blocked shots. On September 16, 2014, the Red Wings signed DeKeyser to a two-year, $4.375 million contract extension. DeKeyser was named the 2014 Detroit Red Wings–Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association (DSBA) Rookie of the Year, receiving the award in a pre-game ceremony on November 9, 2014, at Joe Louis Arena.

On July 26, 2016, the Red Wings signed DeKeyser to a six-year, $30 million contract.

As a free agent following the conclusion of the season and his six-year deal with the Red Wings, DeKeyser went un-signed over the summer. On September 10, 2022, DeKeyser agreed to a professional tryout to join the Vancouver Canucks training camp. After attending camp and participating in the pre-season, DeKeyser was unable to earn a contract offer from the Canucks and was released from his tryout. To begin the 2022–23 season, DeKeyser opted to continue his career in the AHL, agreeing to a professional tryout contract with the Toronto Marlies, the primary affiliate to the Toronto Maple Leafs, on October 19, 2022. He registered 1 goal in 3 appearances with the Marlies, before suffering an injury and was later released from his PTO on November 8, 2022.

International play DeKeyser represented the United States at the 2014 IIHF World Championship, where he recorded two assists in eight games. DeKeyser again represented the United States at the 2017 IIHF World Championship, where he recorded no points in eight games.

Personal life DeKeyser, a native of Macomb, Michigan, is the son of Michael and Linda DeKeyser. and Beurmann gave birth to their first child in February 2018.

DeKeyser was a communication major at Western Michigan University and graduated from De La Salle Collegiate High School.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs

International Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM 2014 United States WC 6th 8 0 2 2 16 2017 United States WC 5th 8 0 0 0 6 Senior totals 16 0 2 2 22

Awards and honors Award Year College All-CCHA Rookie Team 2010–11 CCHA All-Tournament Team 2011, 2012 All-CCHA Second Team 2011–12 AHCA West Second-Team All-American 2011–12 All-CCHA First Team 2012–13