Kevin Bieksa
Encyclopedia
Kevin Christopher Bieksa (born June 16, 1981) is a Canadian
professional ice hockey
defenceman
who currently plays for the Vancouver Canucks
of the National Hockey League
(NHL), serving as an alternate captain for the Canucks during away games
. After a three-year career in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OPJHL) with the Burlington Cougars
, Bieksa was awarded a scholarship to Bowling Green State University
. He was a one-time All-CCHA honourable mention during his four-year tenure with the Falcons
of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association
(CCHA). He graduated from the university with a bachelor's degree
in finance
and was a two-time CCHA All-Academic honourable mention in 2003 and 2004. Following his freshman year, Bieksa was selected 151st overall by the Canucks in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft
and joined their minor league affiliate, the Manitoba Moose
of the American Hockey League
(AHL), upon graduating. He earned AHL All-Rookie Team honours in his first and only full season with the Moose, before joining the Canucks as a regular member in 2005–06. He is known as a physical and aggressive defenceman.
career with the Burlington Cougars
of the OJHL in 1997–98. He recorded 37 points over 48 games in his second season with the Cougars and 33 points in his third. Bieksa was drafted into the major junior Ontario Hockey League
(OHL) by the Mississauga IceDogs
, but opted to play college hockey
in the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) instead.
In 2000–01, Bieksa joined the Bowling Green Falcons
of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association
(CCHA). After a 13-point regular season in 35 games as a freshman, he helped the Falcons become the lowest seeded team in league history (ninth) to advance to the CCHA semi-finals. He scored his team's lone goal in a 2–1 defeat to the Michigan State Spartans
before the Falcons were eliminated.
In the 2001 off-season, Bieksa was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks
with the 151st pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft
. He returned to Bowling Green to complete his four-year college career after being drafted, recording 15 points in 2001–02. Bieksa was named an alternate captain to D'Arcy McCovney prior to his third season and subsequently improved to a college career-high eight goals and 25 points in 2002–03. Bieksa was chosen by Falcons fans as the recipient of the W. G. Grinder's Grinder Award and was a co-recipient of the team's Jim Ruehl Award as the best defensive player with Jordan Sigalet
. He was also given his first of two consecutive honourable mentions as a CCHA All-Academic.
Playing in his fourth and final college season in 2003–04, he scored seven goals and 22 points in 38 games, while leading his team in shots on goal. He earned an honourable mention to the All-CCHA Team and received the Falcons' Howard Brown Award as the coaches' selection for best player.
(AHL) affiliate, on March 24, 2004. During his tryout, he was involved in an off-ice incident with teammate Fedor Fedorov. According to then-Canucks general manager Brian Burke, several Moose players had gone out together when Bieksa accidentally spilled Fedorov's beer. While Bieksa apologized and offered to buy him another beer, Fedorov challenged him to a fight outside of the establishment, resulting in Bieksa knocking him down with one punch. In recounting the story, Burke has recalled wanting to sign him the next day upon hearing of the incident. Bieksa went on to appear in four games with the Moose to close out the 2003–04 season
, notching two assists. He remained with the Moose in 2004–05
and scored his first professional goal on the powerplay in a 3–2 shootout victory against the Cleveland Barons
on November 11, 2004. Bieksa finished his first full professional season with 12 goals and 39 points in 80 games. He was chosen as the AHL Rookie of the Month for March after recording two goals, 11 points and a plus-11 rating in 13 games and was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team after his first full professional season. His 39 points broke Kirill Koltsov
's team mark of 32 for points by a defenceman, set the previous season. Canucks assistant general manager Steve Tambellini
lauded Bieksa for his quick adjustment and development from college hockey to the AHL.
Bieksa entered the Canucks' 2005–06 training camp as a projected competitor to be the team's sixth defenceman. However, three days into prospects camp, he suffered a high ankle sprain after colliding into the boards with another defenceman. He was re-assigned to the Moose on October 3, 2005, and missed the first month and a half of the 2005–06 AHL season
. While sidelined, Bieksa was named an alternate captain to Mike Keane
by Moose coach Alain Vigneault on October 29. He made his return to the lineup on November 11 against the Rochester Americans
. In his second game back, he notched two goals and an assist on November 15 against the Grand Rapids Griffins
in a 6–5 shootout loss.
. He was called for a roughing penalty 10 seconds into his first shift and played 10 minutes and 45 seconds total in a 4–3 shootout loss to the Kings. The following month, he notched his first NHL point, an assist to Markus Naslund
, in a 3–2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks
on January 5, 2006. He remained with the Canucks until near the end of the season, as he was re-assigned to the Moose on April 8 to make room for the return of Ed Jovanovski
from injury. Bieksa finished the season with six assists in 39 games for the Canucks, averaging 16 minutes of ice-time per game. On August 17, 2006, he was re-signed by the Canucks to a two-year, one-way, $1.05 million contract.
Early in the 2006–07 season, he scored his first NHL goal on October 13, 2006, against Vesa Toskala
in a loss to the San Jose Sharks
. Bieksa rapidly developed into one of the Canucks' top blueliners and finished the season leading all team defencemen with 30 assists, 42 points and 134 penalty minutes, while also tallying a career-high 12 goals. Paired with stay-at-home defenceman Willie Mitchell, he was also regularly given a shutdown role against opposing teams' top forwards. At the end of his first full NHL season, he was awarded the Canucks' Babe Pratt Trophy
as best defenceman and Fred J. Hume Award
as the unsung hero. Bieksa went pointless over nine games in his first Stanley Cup playoffs in 2007
. He suffered two stomach oblique muscle tears during Game 6 of the opening round against the Dallas Stars
, sidelining him for five games, before the Canucks were eliminated by the Anaheim Ducks
in the second round.
The Canucks acknowledged Bieksa's breakout season, signing him to a three-year, $11.25 million contract extension, on July 9, 2007. The first year of the deal, in 2008–09
, saw Bieksa make $4.25 million, while the remaining two years were set at $3.5 million. He had one more season left on his original contract at $550,000.
A relative unknown in his first couple of seasons in the NHL, his last name, which is pronounced phonetically (Bee-ek-sa), was frequently mispronounced by sports newscasters and hockey broadcasters such as Bob Cole
and Harry Neale
of Hockey Night in Canada
. It has even been misspelled on scoreboards.
A month into the 2007–08 season, Bieksa suffered a severe calf laceration in a game against the Nashville Predators
on November 1, 2007. After battling with forward Vern Fiddler against the boards, Fiddler's skate slashed Bieksa across the back of his right calf. Bieksa was helped to the bench, leaving a trail of blood behind him on the ice. Although originally expected to miss two months, he ended up missing more than half the season with 47 games. Before returning to the lineup, he was assigned to the Moose for a one-game conditioning stint. Bieksa managed 12 points in 34 games with a team-worst minus-11 rating.
He continued rehabilitating his calf in the off-season, after the Canucks failed to qualify for the playoffs, admitting that his leg had not fully recovered upon his return. However, injury troubles continued early in 2008–09
, as just two games into the season, Bieksa injured his knee while attempting to hit Wayne Primeau
in an October 11, 2008 game against the Calgary Flames
; he was out of the lineup for a week. On November 4, he was re-injured after taking a puck off his skate against the Nashville Predators. Bieksa played through the injury for two games before learning that he had suffered a bone fracture in his left foot. He returned to the lineup after missing seven games. Despite missing 10 games in total, Bieksa established a career-high 32 assists and 43 points, first among team defencemen.
Without a no-trade clause in his contract with the Canucks and seen as an emerging offensive defencemen throughout the NHL, Bieksa was routinely the subject of trade rumours. In the 2009 off-season, one such trade rumour was central in a feud between general managers Mike Gillis
of Vancouver and Brian Burke of Toronto. On a Leafs TV
documentary on the 2009 NHL Entry Draft
that aired in September 2009, a segment involves Burke speculating that the Canucks had offered Bieksa to the Tampa Bay Lightning
in a package that included forward Alexandre Burrows
and a first-round draft-choice in exchange for Tampa Bay's second-overall selection. The documentary was immediately pulled from airing again and the Maple Leafs received a warning from the league.
Bieksa suffered the second serious cut to his leg in three seasons in 2009–10
. During a game against the Phoenix Coyotes
on December 29, 2009, he bodychecked opposing forward Petr Prucha
, whose skate cut into his left leg, above the ankle. It was revealed six days later that Bieksa sustained severed tendons in his ankle. He was sidelined for three-and-a-half months, missing 27 games. The injury marked the second time in three years that he missed significant time due to a skate cut on his leg. As a result, he was limited to 55 games, notching three goals and 22 points. On the last game of the regular season, he scored his first two-goal game in the NHL in a 7–3 win against the Calgary Flames on April 10, 2010. Playing the sixth-seeded Los Angeles Kings
in the opening round of the 2010 playoffs
, Bieksa scored his first NHL post-season goal in the series' sixth and deciding game. His goal against Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick
tied the score at 2–2 in the third period, en route to a 4–2 Canucks win. The Canucks were then eliminated by the Chicago Blackhawks the following round for the second consecutive year. Bieksa finished the playoffs with three goals and eight points in 12 games to lead team defencemen in scoring.
Following the defensive acquisitions of Keith Ballard
and Dan Hamhuis
in the off-season, Bieksa was once again involved in trade rumours. Despite being several million dollars over the salary cap
, general manager Mike Gillis asserted after signing Hamhuis that the Canucks were "keeping Bieksa." Regardless, in order to get under the salary cap, Bieksa seemed the strongest candidate to be traded. He was among six defencemen with a salary over $3 million, was set to become an unrestricted free agent after the subsequent season, had seemingly fallen out of favour with head coach Alain Vigneault and did not have a no-trade clause in his contract. On a July 2010 airing of The Sports Network
's Off the Record
, Bieksa conceded that he expected to be shopped around by the Canucks, stating "I can put two and two together. The Province
newspaper at one time reported that up to 10 teams were in talks with Vancouver for acquiring Bieksa. The situation changed later in July after Canucks defenceman Sami Salo
suffered a torn achilles tendon
while playing floorball
in his native Finland; the injury put the Canucks back under the salary cap and speculation about a Bieksa trade quieted.
During the 2010–11 season
, Bieksa's offensive production decreased, but he was lauded by the media and head coach Vigneault for improving his defensive game. He had often been criticized in the past for making high-risk plays that resulted in scoring chances for the opposing team, but his play improved to become more responsible in the defensive zone. In February 2011, he suffered a fractured bone in his foot. Playing in a game against the Minnesota Wild
, Bieksa sustained the injury while blocking a shot. While he finished the game and initial x-rays came back negative, a subsequent CT-scan revealed the fracture. He became the sixth Canucks defenceman injured at the time. After missing 15 games, he returned to the lineup in late-March. Playing on a shutdown defensive pairing with Dan Hamhuis, his season-ending +32 plus-minus established a personal best by 31 points (his previous career-high was a +1 in 2006–07) and ranked second in the league, one point behind Boston Bruins
defenceman Zdeno Chara
. Complementing his strong defensive play, he recorded 6 goals and 22 points in 66 games.
With the Canucks winning the Presidents' Trophy
for the first time in franchise history, the team entered the 2011 playoffs
as the first seed in the West. After helping Vancouver advance past the Blackhawks and Predators in the first two rounds, Bieksa scored a double-overtime
winner in Game 5 of the third round against the San Jose Sharks to send the Canucks to the Stanley Cup Finals
for the first time since 1994
. The goal came after fellow Canucks defenceman Alex Edler's dump-in had bounced off a stanchion
along the boards. With Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi
unaware of the puck's location, Bieksa took a slapshot from the blueline to win the game. Facing the Boston Bruins in the Finals, the Canucks were defeating in seven games. Bieksa finished the playoffs with 10 points over 25 games. His 5 goals led all playoff defencemen, while his average ice time of 25 minutes and 40 seconds per game was first among Canucks players. It was revealed after the Canucks' elimination that several players had been playing with injuries, including Bieksa, who had suffered a bruised medial collateral ligament
.
Having played the final year of his existing contract, he addressed his pending unrestricted free agency by telling the media he was ready to re-sign for less than market value in order to remain with the Canucks. Shortly thereafter, on June 27, 2011, Bieksa signed a five-year, $23 million contract extension. The deal comes with a no-trade clause and was reported to be front-loaded, with Bieksa making $7 million in his first year, followed by $4.5 million, $5 million, $4 million and $2.5 million annual salaries.
. Offensively, he regularly jumps into the rush and has led the Canucks in defensive scoring in 2006–07 and 2008–09. His play is characterized by aggressive and competitive components. He also earned a reputation as a fighter
early in his career in the AHL.
, on June 16, 1981, to Al and Angela Bieksa. He has two brothers. His father works in the Ontario Federation of Labour
and coached his three sons during minor hockey. Bieksa began playing minor hockey in Grimsby before joining AAA teams from Stoney Creek, Ontario
. After attending Blessed Trinity Secondary School in his hometown, he graduated from Bowling Green State University
in 2004 with a bachelor's degree
in finance
and a 3.42 grade point average
.
Bieksa and his wife, Katie, have one son, Cole Walter, born October 24, 2007, and one daughter, Reese, born October 7, 2009. They have a home in Smithville, Ontario
, close to Bieksa's hometown of Grimsby, Ontario
.
During Bieksa tenure with both the Manitoba Moose and Vancouver Canucks, he became close friends with teammate Rick Rypien
, who committed suicide in August 2011 after years of clinical depression
. Bieksa was the first Canucks teammate that Rypien confided in regarding his mental health; when Rypien took his first personal leave of absence from the Canucks in the 2008–09 NHL season, Bieksa took him into his home to live with his family. Having a close relationship with Rypien, Bieksa was involved in many of the ceremonies following his death. He was a pall bearer for Rypien's casket at his funeral in Alberta
and he later presented Rypien's family with one of the forward's game-worn Canucks jerseys during the team's pre-game ceremony in Rypien's honour in October 2011.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
defenceman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
who currently plays for the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL), serving as an alternate captain for the Canucks during away games
Road (sports)
Road game , more commonly known as an away game, is a reference to all cities and stadia/arenas/fields/venues where an athletic team plays games for which it is not the host. Most professional teams represent cities or towns and amateur sports teams often represent academic institutions...
. After a three-year career in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OPJHL) with the Burlington Cougars
Burlington Cougars
The Burlington Cougars are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Burlington, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of Central Division Hockey.-History:Founded in the early 1950s, the Burlington Mohawks found their footing in the Central Junior B Hockey League...
, Bieksa was awarded a scholarship to Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...
. He was a one-time All-CCHA honourable mention during his four-year tenure with the Falcons
Bowling Green Falcons men's ice hockey
The Bowling Green Falcons ice hockey team is the ice hockey team that represents Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. The school's team competes in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. The Falcons last played in the NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament in 1990...
of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association
Central Collegiate Hockey Association
The Central Collegiate Hockey Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey college athletic conference that operates mostly in Michigan and Ohio, although it also has members in Alaska and Indiana. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. It holds its championship...
(CCHA). He graduated from the university with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
and was a two-time CCHA All-Academic honourable mention in 2003 and 2004. Following his freshman year, Bieksa was selected 151st overall by the Canucks in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft
2001 NHL Entry Draft
The 2001 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 23–24, 2001 at the National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, Florida.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:...
and joined their minor league affiliate, the Manitoba Moose
Manitoba Moose
The Manitoba Moose were a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba that played in the International Hockey League from 1996 to 2001 and American Hockey League from 2001 to 2011. The team moved to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in 2011 to become the St...
of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
(AHL), upon graduating. He earned AHL All-Rookie Team honours in his first and only full season with the Moose, before joining the Canucks as a regular member in 2005–06. He is known as a physical and aggressive defenceman.
Minor hockey
Bieksa grew up in Grimsby playing minor hockey for the local Jr. Kings program of the OMHA's Niagara District BB-E league before graduating to the Stoney Creek Warriors of the OMHA South Central AAA League. He played part of the 1997-98 season with the Stoney Creek Warriors of the OHA Golden Horseshoe Jr.B. and the Jr.A. Burlington Cougars before being drafted by Don Cherry and the Mississauga Ice Dogs in the 19th round of the 1998 OHL Draft. Bieksa wasn't signed by the Ice Dogs and pursued an NCAA scholarship three years later.Junior and university
Bieksa began a three-year Junior AJunior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
career with the Burlington Cougars
Burlington Cougars
The Burlington Cougars are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Burlington, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of Central Division Hockey.-History:Founded in the early 1950s, the Burlington Mohawks found their footing in the Central Junior B Hockey League...
of the OJHL in 1997–98. He recorded 37 points over 48 games in his second season with the Cougars and 33 points in his third. Bieksa was drafted into the major junior Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
(OHL) by the Mississauga IceDogs
Mississauga IceDogs
The Mississauga IceDogs are a former junior ice hockey team in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Ontario Hockey League from 1998 to 2007. A sale relocated the team to St...
, but opted to play college hockey
College hockey
College hockey refers to ice hockey played between colleges with their teams composed of enrolled students. College hockey is played in Canada and the United States, though leagues outside of North America exist....
in the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) instead.
In 2000–01, Bieksa joined the Bowling Green Falcons
Bowling Green Falcons men's ice hockey
The Bowling Green Falcons ice hockey team is the ice hockey team that represents Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. The school's team competes in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. The Falcons last played in the NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament in 1990...
of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association
Central Collegiate Hockey Association
The Central Collegiate Hockey Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey college athletic conference that operates mostly in Michigan and Ohio, although it also has members in Alaska and Indiana. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. It holds its championship...
(CCHA). After a 13-point regular season in 35 games as a freshman, he helped the Falcons become the lowest seeded team in league history (ninth) to advance to the CCHA semi-finals. He scored his team's lone goal in a 2–1 defeat to the Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State Spartans men's ice hockey
The Michigan State Spartans men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team that represents Michigan State University . The team plays at the Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, Michigan, on the MSU campus. The current head coach is Tom Anastos, who took over coaching duties on March 23, 2011,...
before the Falcons were eliminated.
In the 2001 off-season, Bieksa was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
with the 151st pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft
2001 NHL Entry Draft
The 2001 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 23–24, 2001 at the National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, Florida.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:...
. He returned to Bowling Green to complete his four-year college career after being drafted, recording 15 points in 2001–02. Bieksa was named an alternate captain to D'Arcy McCovney prior to his third season and subsequently improved to a college career-high eight goals and 25 points in 2002–03. Bieksa was chosen by Falcons fans as the recipient of the W. G. Grinder's Grinder Award and was a co-recipient of the team's Jim Ruehl Award as the best defensive player with Jordan Sigalet
Jordan Sigalet
Jordan Marvin Sigalet is a retired Canadian ice hockey goaltender.-Career:Sigalet ended the 2003 NCAA hockey season by playing his team's last game while feeling numbness across his entire body...
. He was also given his first of two consecutive honourable mentions as a CCHA All-Academic.
Playing in his fourth and final college season in 2003–04, he scored seven goals and 22 points in 38 games, while leading his team in shots on goal. He earned an honourable mention to the All-CCHA Team and received the Falcons' Howard Brown Award as the coaches' selection for best player.
Manitoba Moose
Following his college career, Bieksa signed an amateur tryout contract with the Manitoba Moose, the Canucks' American Hockey LeagueAmerican Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
(AHL) affiliate, on March 24, 2004. During his tryout, he was involved in an off-ice incident with teammate Fedor Fedorov. According to then-Canucks general manager Brian Burke, several Moose players had gone out together when Bieksa accidentally spilled Fedorov's beer. While Bieksa apologized and offered to buy him another beer, Fedorov challenged him to a fight outside of the establishment, resulting in Bieksa knocking him down with one punch. In recounting the story, Burke has recalled wanting to sign him the next day upon hearing of the incident. Bieksa went on to appear in four games with the Moose to close out the 2003–04 season
2003–04 AHL season
The 2003–04 AHL season was the 68th season of the American Hockey League. The league introduces the Willie Marshall Award in honour the career points leader in the AHL, and awards it to the annual top goal scorer....
, notching two assists. He remained with the Moose in 2004–05
2004–05 AHL season
The 2004–05 AHL season was the 69th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished first overall in the regular season...
and scored his first professional goal on the powerplay in a 3–2 shootout victory against the Cleveland Barons
Cleveland Barons (2001-2006)
The Cleveland Barons was a professional hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Cleveland, Ohio, USA at the Gund Arena between 2001 and 2006....
on November 11, 2004. Bieksa finished his first full professional season with 12 goals and 39 points in 80 games. He was chosen as the AHL Rookie of the Month for March after recording two goals, 11 points and a plus-11 rating in 13 games and was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team after his first full professional season. His 39 points broke Kirill Koltsov
Kirill Koltsov
Kirill Koltsov is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Kontinental Hockey League . He was selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2nd round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.-References:Koltsov is very skillful offensive defenseman...
's team mark of 32 for points by a defenceman, set the previous season. Canucks assistant general manager Steve Tambellini
Steve Tambellini
Steven Anthony Tambellini is a former NHL player and is currently the general manager for the Edmonton Oilers hockey franchise in Edmonton, Alberta.-Playing career:...
lauded Bieksa for his quick adjustment and development from college hockey to the AHL.
Bieksa entered the Canucks' 2005–06 training camp as a projected competitor to be the team's sixth defenceman. However, three days into prospects camp, he suffered a high ankle sprain after colliding into the boards with another defenceman. He was re-assigned to the Moose on October 3, 2005, and missed the first month and a half of the 2005–06 AHL season
2005–06 AHL season
The 2005–06 AHL season was the 70th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup, defeating the Milwaukee Admirals in the finals....
. While sidelined, Bieksa was named an alternate captain to Mike Keane
Mike Keane
Michael John Keane is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger. Undrafted, Keane played over 1100 games in the National Hockey League from 1988 until 2004, and then played five seasons for his hometown Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League until he retired in 2010...
by Moose coach Alain Vigneault on October 29. He made his return to the lineup on November 11 against the Rochester Americans
Rochester Americans
The Rochester Americans are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and a top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial...
. In his second game back, he notched two goals and an assist on November 15 against the Grand Rapids Griffins
Grand Rapids Griffins
The Grand Rapids Griffins are a professional hockey team in the American Hockey League . They play in Grand Rapids, Michigan at the Van Andel Arena. They are the AHL affiliate to the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League....
in a 6–5 shootout loss.
Vancouver Canucks
With 16 points through 20 games with the Moose, Bieksa was called up by the Canucks and played his first NHL game on December 19, 2005, against the Los Angeles KingsLos Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. He was called for a roughing penalty 10 seconds into his first shift and played 10 minutes and 45 seconds total in a 4–3 shootout loss to the Kings. The following month, he notched his first NHL point, an assist to Markus Naslund
Markus Näslund
Sten Markus Näslund is a Swedish ice hockey general manager for Modo Hockey and a retired professional winger. He played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, as well as in the Elitserien with Modo Hockey...
, in a 3–2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
on January 5, 2006. He remained with the Canucks until near the end of the season, as he was re-assigned to the Moose on April 8 to make room for the return of Ed Jovanovski
Ed Jovanovski
Edward Jovanovski is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman of Macedonian descent, an alternate captain for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League ....
from injury. Bieksa finished the season with six assists in 39 games for the Canucks, averaging 16 minutes of ice-time per game. On August 17, 2006, he was re-signed by the Canucks to a two-year, one-way, $1.05 million contract.
Early in the 2006–07 season, he scored his first NHL goal on October 13, 2006, against Vesa Toskala
Vesa Toskala
Vesa Tapani Toskala is a professional ice hockey goaltender, currently playing for Ilves.-Early career:Toskala was selected by San Jose in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft . The Sharks also took fellow Finn Miikka Kiprusoff in the fifth round...
in a loss to the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Bieksa rapidly developed into one of the Canucks' top blueliners and finished the season leading all team defencemen with 30 assists, 42 points and 134 penalty minutes, while also tallying a career-high 12 goals. Paired with stay-at-home defenceman Willie Mitchell, he was also regularly given a shutdown role against opposing teams' top forwards. At the end of his first full NHL season, he was awarded the Canucks' Babe Pratt Trophy
Babe Pratt Trophy
thumb|200px|[[Christian Ehrhoff]] is the most recent recipientThe Babe Pratt Trophy is one of six annual team awards presented to players of the National Hockey League 's Vancouver Canucks...
as best defenceman and Fred J. Hume Award
Fred J. Hume Award
The Fred J. Hume Award is a Vancouver Canucks team award given out at the end of each NHL season to the team's unsung hero, as decided by the Vancouver Canucks Booster Club. It was first given out after the Canucks' inaugural season in 1970–71 and was named after former Mayor of Vancouver Fred J...
as the unsung hero. Bieksa went pointless over nine games in his first Stanley Cup playoffs in 2007
2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 11, 2007. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions played a best-of-7 series for the...
. He suffered two stomach oblique muscle tears during Game 6 of the opening round against the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
, sidelining him for five games, before the Canucks were eliminated by the Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the second round.
The Canucks acknowledged Bieksa's breakout season, signing him to a three-year, $11.25 million contract extension, on July 9, 2007. The first year of the deal, in 2008–09
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
, saw Bieksa make $4.25 million, while the remaining two years were set at $3.5 million. He had one more season left on his original contract at $550,000.
A relative unknown in his first couple of seasons in the NHL, his last name, which is pronounced phonetically (Bee-ek-sa), was frequently mispronounced by sports newscasters and hockey broadcasters such as Bob Cole
Bob Cole (announcer)
Robert Cecil "Bob" Cole is a Canadian television announcer and former competitive curler.Cole was the primary play-by-play announcer for Hockey Night in Canada 'HNIC' on CBC, usually for Toronto Maple Leafs games, from 1980 to 2008. Aside from the Leafs broadcasts, he was also a staple for the...
and Harry Neale
Harry Neale
Harold Watson Neale is a hockey colour commentator, who currently works for the Buffalo Sabres on the Sabres Hockey Network...
of Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
. It has even been misspelled on scoreboards.
A month into the 2007–08 season, Bieksa suffered a severe calf laceration in a game against the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
on November 1, 2007. After battling with forward Vern Fiddler against the boards, Fiddler's skate slashed Bieksa across the back of his right calf. Bieksa was helped to the bench, leaving a trail of blood behind him on the ice. Although originally expected to miss two months, he ended up missing more than half the season with 47 games. Before returning to the lineup, he was assigned to the Moose for a one-game conditioning stint. Bieksa managed 12 points in 34 games with a team-worst minus-11 rating.
He continued rehabilitating his calf in the off-season, after the Canucks failed to qualify for the playoffs, admitting that his leg had not fully recovered upon his return. However, injury troubles continued early in 2008–09
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
, as just two games into the season, Bieksa injured his knee while attempting to hit Wayne Primeau
Wayne Primeau
Wayne Michael Primeau is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently a free agent. He is the younger brother of Keith Primeau...
in an October 11, 2008 game against the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
; he was out of the lineup for a week. On November 4, he was re-injured after taking a puck off his skate against the Nashville Predators. Bieksa played through the injury for two games before learning that he had suffered a bone fracture in his left foot. He returned to the lineup after missing seven games. Despite missing 10 games in total, Bieksa established a career-high 32 assists and 43 points, first among team defencemen.
Without a no-trade clause in his contract with the Canucks and seen as an emerging offensive defencemen throughout the NHL, Bieksa was routinely the subject of trade rumours. In the 2009 off-season, one such trade rumour was central in a feud between general managers Mike Gillis
Mike Gillis
Michael David Gillis is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and current president and general manager of the Vancouver Canucks.-Playing career:...
of Vancouver and Brian Burke of Toronto. On a Leafs TV
Leafs TV
Leafs TV is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. It was launched in September 2001. The channel presents programming revolving around the Toronto Maple Leafs National Hockey League club and their American Hockey League affiliate,...
documentary on the 2009 NHL Entry Draft
2009 NHL Entry Draft
The 2009 NHL Entry Draft was the 47th Entry Draft. It was held on June 26–27, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec. The Draft was part of the Montreal Canadiens centennial celebrations. National Hockey League teams took turns selecting amateur ice hockey players from junior, collegiate, or...
that aired in September 2009, a segment involves Burke speculating that the Canucks had offered Bieksa to the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
in a package that included forward Alexandre Burrows
Alexandre Burrows
Alexandre Ménard-Burrows is a French-Canadian professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . He is known for playing in the style of an agitator and for his ascension to the NHL from being an undrafted player in the ECHL...
and a first-round draft-choice in exchange for Tampa Bay's second-overall selection. The documentary was immediately pulled from airing again and the Maple Leafs received a warning from the league.
Bieksa suffered the second serious cut to his leg in three seasons in 2009–10
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
. During a game against the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
on December 29, 2009, he bodychecked opposing forward Petr Prucha
Petr Prucha
Petr Průcha is a Czech professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing for SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League.-Playing career:...
, whose skate cut into his left leg, above the ankle. It was revealed six days later that Bieksa sustained severed tendons in his ankle. He was sidelined for three-and-a-half months, missing 27 games. The injury marked the second time in three years that he missed significant time due to a skate cut on his leg. As a result, he was limited to 55 games, notching three goals and 22 points. On the last game of the regular season, he scored his first two-goal game in the NHL in a 7–3 win against the Calgary Flames on April 10, 2010. Playing the sixth-seeded Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the opening round of the 2010 playoffs
2010 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 14, 2010, after the 2009–10 NHL regular season. The Finals ended on June 9, 2010, with the Chicago Blackhawks defeating the Philadelphia Flyers four games to two to win their fourth championship and their first since 1961...
, Bieksa scored his first NHL post-season goal in the series' sixth and deciding game. His goal against Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick
Jonathan Quick
Jonathan Douglas "Jon" Quick is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
tied the score at 2–2 in the third period, en route to a 4–2 Canucks win. The Canucks were then eliminated by the Chicago Blackhawks the following round for the second consecutive year. Bieksa finished the playoffs with three goals and eight points in 12 games to lead team defencemen in scoring.
Following the defensive acquisitions of Keith Ballard
Keith Ballard
Keith Ballard is an American professional ice hockey defenseman who is currently a member of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . He played college hockey for the Minnesota Golden Gophers of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association for three seasons...
and Dan Hamhuis
Dan Hamhuis
Daniel Hamhuis is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League ....
in the off-season, Bieksa was once again involved in trade rumours. Despite being several million dollars over the salary cap
Salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap is a cartel agreement between teams that places a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...
, general manager Mike Gillis asserted after signing Hamhuis that the Canucks were "keeping Bieksa." Regardless, in order to get under the salary cap, Bieksa seemed the strongest candidate to be traded. He was among six defencemen with a salary over $3 million, was set to become an unrestricted free agent after the subsequent season, had seemingly fallen out of favour with head coach Alain Vigneault and did not have a no-trade clause in his contract. On a July 2010 airing of The Sports Network
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
's Off the Record
Off the Record
"Off the record" is a term related to journalism sourcing; see Journalism sourcing#Using confidential information.Off the record may also refer to:- Music :* Off the Record , a 1977 album by Sweet...
, Bieksa conceded that he expected to be shopped around by the Canucks, stating "I can put two and two together. The Province
The Province
The Province is a daily, tabloid format newspaper published in British Columbia by Postmedia. It has been a daily newspaper since 1898.According to a recent NADbank survey, The Provinces average weekday readership was 520,100, making it British Columbia's most read newspaper...
newspaper at one time reported that up to 10 teams were in talks with Vancouver for acquiring Bieksa. The situation changed later in July after Canucks defenceman Sami Salo
Sami Salo
Sami Salo is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . He began his professional career with TPS of the SM-liiga before being selected by the Ottawa Senators with their last pick in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. He joined the Senators in...
suffered a torn achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
while playing floorball
Floorball
Floorball, a type of floor hockey, is an indoor team sport which was developed in the 1970s in Sweden. Floorball is most popular in areas where the sport has developed the longest, such as the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. The game is played...
in his native Finland; the injury put the Canucks back under the salary cap and speculation about a Bieksa trade quieted.
During the 2010–11 season
2010–11 NHL season
The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
, Bieksa's offensive production decreased, but he was lauded by the media and head coach Vigneault for improving his defensive game. He had often been criticized in the past for making high-risk plays that resulted in scoring chances for the opposing team, but his play improved to become more responsible in the defensive zone. In February 2011, he suffered a fractured bone in his foot. Playing in a game against the Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
, Bieksa sustained the injury while blocking a shot. While he finished the game and initial x-rays came back negative, a subsequent CT-scan revealed the fracture. He became the sixth Canucks defenceman injured at the time. After missing 15 games, he returned to the lineup in late-March. Playing on a shutdown defensive pairing with Dan Hamhuis, his season-ending +32 plus-minus established a personal best by 31 points (his previous career-high was a +1 in 2006–07) and ranked second in the league, one point behind Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
defenceman Zdeno Chara
Zdeno Chára
Zdeno Chára is a Slovak professional ice hockey defenseman. He is the captain of the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and won the Norris Trophy while playing for them in 2008–09. At 6 ft 9 , he is the tallest player ever to play in the NHL...
. Complementing his strong defensive play, he recorded 6 goals and 22 points in 66 games.
With the Canucks winning the Presidents' Trophy
Presidents' Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded C$350,000...
for the first time in franchise history, the team entered the 2011 playoffs
2011 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 13, 2011, after the conclusion of the 2010–11 NHL regular season. Game 1 of the Finals was held on June 1, while Game 7 was held on June 15...
as the first seed in the West. After helping Vancouver advance past the Blackhawks and Predators in the first two rounds, Bieksa scored a double-overtime
Overtime (ice hockey)
Overtime is a method of determining the winner and loser of an ice hockey match when the scores are tied after regulation. The two main methods are the overtime period and the shootout.-Overtime periods:...
winner in Game 5 of the third round against the San Jose Sharks to send the Canucks to the Stanley Cup Finals
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...
for the first time since 1994
1994 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1994 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series contested between the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers and Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League...
. The goal came after fellow Canucks defenceman Alex Edler's dump-in had bounced off a stanchion
Stanchion
A stanchion is an upright bar or post, often providing support for some other object.* An architectural term applied to the upright iron bars in windows that pass through the eyes of the saddle bars or horizontal irons to steady the leadlight. A stanchion is an upright bar or post, often...
along the boards. With Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi
Antti Niemi (ice hockey)
Antti Niemi is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing with the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League. During the 2009–10 NHL season as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks, he became the first Finnish goaltender to win the Stanley Cup.-Playing career:Niemi...
unaware of the puck's location, Bieksa took a slapshot from the blueline to win the game. Facing the Boston Bruins in the Finals, the Canucks were defeating in seven games. Bieksa finished the playoffs with 10 points over 25 games. His 5 goals led all playoff defencemen, while his average ice time of 25 minutes and 40 seconds per game was first among Canucks players. It was revealed after the Canucks' elimination that several players had been playing with injuries, including Bieksa, who had suffered a bruised medial collateral ligament
Medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...
.
Having played the final year of his existing contract, he addressed his pending unrestricted free agency by telling the media he was ready to re-sign for less than market value in order to remain with the Canucks. Shortly thereafter, on June 27, 2011, Bieksa signed a five-year, $23 million contract extension. The deal comes with a no-trade clause and was reported to be front-loaded, with Bieksa making $7 million in his first year, followed by $4.5 million, $5 million, $4 million and $2.5 million annual salaries.
Playing style
Bieksa is known as a two-way defenceman with the Canucks, capable of playing in all situations. Throughout his NHL career, he has been placed on shutdown pairing with such defensive partners as Willie Mitchell and Dan HamhuisDan Hamhuis
Daniel Hamhuis is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League ....
. Offensively, he regularly jumps into the rush and has led the Canucks in defensive scoring in 2006–07 and 2008–09. His play is characterized by aggressive and competitive components. He also earned a reputation as a fighter
Fighting in ice hockey
Fighting in ice hockey is an established tradition of the sport in North America, with a long history involving many levels of amateur and professional play and including some notable individual fights. Although a definite source of criticism, it is a considerable draw for the sport, and some fans...
early in his career in the AHL.
Personal life
Bieksa was born in Grimsby, OntarioGrimsby, Ontario
Grimsby is a town on Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. Grimsby is a part of the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area. The majority of residents reside in the area bounded by Lake Ontario and the Niagara escarpment...
, on June 16, 1981, to Al and Angela Bieksa. He has two brothers. His father works in the Ontario Federation of Labour
Ontario Federation of Labour
The Ontario Federation of Labour is a prominent federation of labour unions in the Canadian province of Ontario. The original OFL was established by the Canadian Congress of Labour in 1944...
and coached his three sons during minor hockey. Bieksa began playing minor hockey in Grimsby before joining AAA teams from Stoney Creek, Ontario
Stoney Creek, Ontario
Stoney Creek is a community in Ontario, Canada.Note: This article will only deal with matters up to its amalgamation with Hamilton.-Geography and population:...
. After attending Blessed Trinity Secondary School in his hometown, he graduated from Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...
in 2004 with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
and a 3.42 grade point average
Grade (education)
Grades are standardized measurements of varying levels of comprehension within a subject area. Grades can be assigned in letters , as a range , as a number out of a possible total , as descriptors , in percentages, or, as is common in some post-secondary...
.
Bieksa and his wife, Katie, have one son, Cole Walter, born October 24, 2007, and one daughter, Reese, born October 7, 2009. They have a home in Smithville, Ontario
Smithville, Ontario
Smithville is a community in the township of West Lincoln. It is located on Regional Road 20 between Hamilton and Niagara Falls in the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada.-Annual events:...
, close to Bieksa's hometown of Grimsby, Ontario
Grimsby, Ontario
Grimsby is a town on Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. Grimsby is a part of the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area. The majority of residents reside in the area bounded by Lake Ontario and the Niagara escarpment...
.
During Bieksa tenure with both the Manitoba Moose and Vancouver Canucks, he became close friends with teammate Rick Rypien
Rick Rypien
Rick Joseph Rypien was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who spent parts of six seasons in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks. After a major junior career of four years with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League, he was signed by the minor professional Manitoba...
, who committed suicide in August 2011 after years of clinical depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
. Bieksa was the first Canucks teammate that Rypien confided in regarding his mental health; when Rypien took his first personal leave of absence from the Canucks in the 2008–09 NHL season, Bieksa took him into his home to live with his family. Having a close relationship with Rypien, Bieksa was involved in many of the ceremonies following his death. He was a pall bearer for Rypien's casket at his funeral in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
and he later presented Rypien's family with one of the forward's game-worn Canucks jerseys during the team's pre-game ceremony in Rypien's honour in October 2011.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... | A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... | Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... | PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1997–98 | Burlington Cougars Burlington Cougars The Burlington Cougars are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Burlington, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of Central Division Hockey.-History:Founded in the early 1950s, the Burlington Mohawks found their footing in the Central Junior B Hockey League... |
OPJHL | 27 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Burlington Cougars | OPJHL | 48 | 8 | 29 | 37 | 83 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Burlington Cougars | OPJHL | 49 | 6 | 27 | 33 | 139 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Bowling Green State University Bowling Green Falcons men's ice hockey The Bowling Green Falcons ice hockey team is the ice hockey team that represents Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. The school's team competes in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. The Falcons last played in the NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament in 1990... |
CCHA Central Collegiate Hockey Association The Central Collegiate Hockey Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey college athletic conference that operates mostly in Michigan and Ohio, although it also has members in Alaska and Indiana. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. It holds its championship... |
35 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 90 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Bowling Green State University | CCHA | 40 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 68 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Bowling Green State University | CCHA | 34 | 8 | 17 | 25 | 92 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Bowling Green State University | CCHA | 38 | 7 | 15 | 22 | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 2003–04 AHL season The 2003–04 AHL season was the 68th season of the American Hockey League. The league introduces the Willie Marshall Award in honour the career points leader in the AHL, and awards it to the annual top goal scorer.... |
Manitoba Moose Manitoba Moose The Manitoba Moose were a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba that played in the International Hockey League from 1996 to 2001 and American Hockey League from 2001 to 2011. The team moved to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in 2011 to become the St... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 2004–05 AHL season The 2004–05 AHL season was the 69th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished first overall in the regular season... |
Manitoba Moose | AHL | 80 | 12 | 27 | 39 | 192 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 35 | ||
| 2005–06 2005–06 AHL season The 2005–06 AHL season was the 70th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup, defeating the Milwaukee Admirals in the finals.... |
Manitoba Moose | AHL | 23 | 3 | 17 | 20 | 71 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 38 | ||
| 2005–06 | Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
39 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 77 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 81 | 12 | 30 | 42 | 134 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | ||
| 2007–08 2007–08 AHL season The 2007–08 AHL season is the 72nd season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Chicago Wolves won their second Calder Cup, defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the Calder Cup Final.-Team changes:... |
Manitoba Moose | AHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 34 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 90 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 72 | 11 | 32 | 43 | 97 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 14 | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 55 | 3 | 19 | 22 | 85 | 12 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 14 | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 66 | 6 | 16 | 22 | 73 | 25 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 51 | ||
| CCHA totals | 147 | 24 | 51 | 75 | 316 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| AHL totals | 108 | 15 | 47 | 62 | 267 | 27 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 73 | ||||
| NHL totals | 347 | 34 | 113 | 147 | 556 | 56 | 8 | 15 | 23 | 99 | ||||
CCHA
| Award | Year(s) |
|---|---|
| All-Academic (honourable mention) | 2003, 2004 |
| All-CCHA (honourable mention) | 2004 |
Bowling Green Falcons team awards
| Award | Year(s) |
|---|---|
| W. G. Grinder's Grinder Award (fan voted) | 2003 |
| Jim Ruehl Award (best defensive player; co-recipient with Jordan Sigalet Jordan Sigalet Jordan Marvin Sigalet is a retired Canadian ice hockey goaltender.-Career:Sigalet ended the 2003 NCAA hockey season by playing his team's last game while feeling numbness across his entire body... ) |
2003 |
| Howard Brown Award (coaches' selection) | 2004 |
AHL
| Award | Year(s) |
|---|---|
| AHL All-Rookie Team | 2005 2004–05 AHL season The 2004–05 AHL season was the 69th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished first overall in the regular season... |
Vancouver Canucks team awards
| Award | Year(s) |
|---|---|
| Babe Pratt Trophy Babe Pratt Trophy thumb|200px|[[Christian Ehrhoff]] is the most recent recipientThe Babe Pratt Trophy is one of six annual team awards presented to players of the National Hockey League 's Vancouver Canucks... (top defenceman) |
2007 2006–07 Vancouver Canucks season The 2006–07 Vancouver Canucks season was the Canucks' 36th NHL season.The season began on the heels of a blockbuster trade involving goaltender Roberto Luongo and Lukas Krajicek coming to Vancouver in exchange for Todd Bertuzzi, Alex Auld and Bryan Allen... |
| Fred J. Hume Award Fred J. Hume Award The Fred J. Hume Award is a Vancouver Canucks team award given out at the end of each NHL season to the team's unsung hero, as decided by the Vancouver Canucks Booster Club. It was first given out after the Canucks' inaugural season in 1970–71 and was named after former Mayor of Vancouver Fred J... (unsung hero) |
2007 2006–07 Vancouver Canucks season The 2006–07 Vancouver Canucks season was the Canucks' 36th NHL season.The season began on the heels of a blockbuster trade involving goaltender Roberto Luongo and Lukas Krajicek coming to Vancouver in exchange for Todd Bertuzzi, Alex Auld and Bryan Allen... |
Records
- Manitoba MooseManitoba MooseThe Manitoba Moose were a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba that played in the International Hockey League from 1996 to 2001 and American Hockey League from 2001 to 2011. The team moved to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in 2011 to become the St...
franchise record; most points by a rookie defenceman - 39 in 2004–052004–05 AHL seasonThe 2004–05 AHL season was the 69th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished first overall in the regular season...
(surpassed Kirill KoltsovKirill KoltsovKirill Koltsov is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Kontinental Hockey League . He was selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2nd round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.-References:Koltsov is very skillful offensive defenseman...
, 32 in 2003–042003–04 AHL seasonThe 2003–04 AHL season was the 68th season of the American Hockey League. The league introduces the Willie Marshall Award in honour the career points leader in the AHL, and awards it to the annual top goal scorer....
)