Kyle Quincey - Playing Career

Playing Career

Quincey grew up in the Caledon, Ontario area playing most of his minor hockey for the Halton Hurricanes AAA program of the OMHA. He was drafted in the third round (47th overall) of the 2001 OHL Priority Selection by the London Knights.

Quincey was drafted 132nd overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft after finishing his first Major junior hockey season with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League in 2002–03. At the beginning of the 2003–04 season in early October, Quincey was traded from the London Knights to the Mississauga IceDogs in a blockbuster deal for star Rob Schremp. Quincey helped the IceDogs to the OHL final in 2004 before the IceDogs were swept in four games by the Guelph Storm.

Developing as a offensively able defensive defenceman, Kyle was named in the OHL second All-Star Team in the 2004–05 season after finishing with 46 points in 59 games. Selected as the Eastern Conferences Best Defensive Defenceman he also placed third in voting for the OHL's top defenceman award the Max Kaminsky Trophy.

On July 28, 2005, Kyle was signed by the Detroit Red Wings to a three-year entry level contract. He was assigned to the Wings' American Hockey League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, to begin his first professional season in 2005–06. He finished the season fifth among rookie defenceman in the AHL with seven goals and 33 points in 70 games while also making his NHL debut with Detroit against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on November 25, 2005.

Qunicey was again assigned to the Griffins the following season. As a late call-up he scored his first NHL goal in the last game of the Red Wings' 2006–07 regular season in a 7–2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on April 7, 2007. He scored in the second period against Patrick Lalime which turned out to be the final Red Wing goal of the regular season. After injuries to defencemen Niklas Kronwall and Mathieu Schneider, Quincey was thrust into play just as the playoffs had begun. He first played in game six, an overtime victory for Detroit against the Calgary Flames that enabled the Wings to move on to the second round against the San Jose Sharks. The Red Wings eventually lost to the Anaheim Ducks in six games in the Conference final.

Slated to make the Detroit roster after an impressive 13-game playoff performance, Kyle suffered a setback after suffering a broken hand in training camp resulting in missing the entire 2007–08 pre-season. Quincey returned and played the majority of the year with Grand Rapids scoring 20 points in 66 games. He was used as an call-up from the Griffins in February to play six games for Detroit in the regular season. During the 2008 playoffs, he was on the practice roster for the whole playoffs as the Red Wings captured the Stanley Cup. Although the Red Wings included him on the Stanley Cup winning picture, he was not awarded a Stanley Cup ring and did not qualify to be inscribed on the Stanley Cup.

Going in to the 2008–09 season Quincey was re-signed to a two-year contract with the Red Wings on September 9, 2008. Unable to crack the talent-laden Red Wings and due to salary cap compliance issues, Kyle was placed and claimed off waivers on October 13, 2008, by the Los Angeles Kings. Posting an assist in his Kings debut against the Carolina Hurricanes on October 17, 2008, he quickly became an important part of a young Kings defensive corps, especially early in the season due to the injury of Jack Johnson, playing on the power play and penalty killing units. He finished his breakthrough season leading the Kings defence in scoring with 34 assists and 38 points in 72 games before finally succumbing to a herniated disc on April 1, 2009.

On July 3, 2009, Quincey was traded, along with defenceman Tom Preissing and a fifth-round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for left winger Ryan Smyth. In the 2009–10 season he made his Avalanche debut on opening night in a 5–2 victory over the San Jose Sharks on October 1, 2009. Quincey joined Todd Gill to become just the second player to play on the Avalanche after previously appearing for the rival Detroit Red Wings. Kyle again quickly established himself within the re-building Avalanche defence to lead the team in average ice time and record a career high of six goals for 29 points in 79 games. On July 2, 2010, he was signed by the Avalanche to a two-year contract.

In July and August 2011, Kyle Quincey captained Canada in an three-game exhibition series against USA in New Zealand.

On February 21, 2012, in the last year of his contract with the Avalanche, Quincey was traded by Colorado to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Steve Downie. Moments later, Tampa Bay traded him to the Detroit Red Wings for a 2012 first-round pick and minor league player Sebastien Piche. Marking his progression in returning to his original draft team in which his initially left on a waiver, Quincey appeared in all 18 games and the Red Wings first round defeat to the Predators to end the 2011–12 season.

As a restricted free agent on July 18, 2012, Quincey re-signed with the Red Wings on a two-year contract. With the NHL lockout cancelling the start of the 2012–13 season, Quincey who still resided in Denver, Colorado from his tenure with the Avalanche, signed with the inaugural Denver Cutthroats of the Central Hockey League under the influence of former Kings team-mate and now Cutthroats head coach Derek Armstrong on October 12, 2012. With the intention to give back to the community, Quincey posted 11 points in 12 games with the Cutthroats before ending his tenure with the team on November 19, 2012.