Kevin Sawyer
Encyclopedia
Kevin John Sawyer is a Canadian former professional ice hockey
right winger
who played in the National Hockey League
(NHL) with the St. Louis Blues
, Boston Bruins
, Phoenix Coyotes
, and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
.
of the WHL
Sawyer was signed by the St. Louis Blues in 1995. While with the Chiefs Sawyer established himself as a hard hitting enforcer, and he would continue this role in the NHL. For the 1995–1996 season Sawyer played the majority of the year with the Worcester IceCats
while also making his NHL debut with the Blues. He appeared in six games with the Blues before being traded to the Boston Bruins in a deal that sent Steve Leach
to the Blues. Sawyer appeared in another two games with the Bruins that year. The 1996–1997 season saw Sawyer play 60 games with the Providence Bruins
and two games with the Boston Bruins. After that year he was released by the Bruins.
The next three years saw Sawyer toil in the minors with the Michigan K-Wings, Worcester IceCats
, and Springfield Falcons
. He signed contracts with the Dallas Stars
in 1997 and again with the Blues in 1998 but he did not appear in any games with the teams. Sawyer signed with the Phoenix Coyotes for the 1999–2000 season and finally returned to the NHL when he played three games with the Coyotes.
Sawyer then signed with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in 2000. With the Mighty Ducks Sawyer finally saw regular playing time in the NHL and established himself as one of the top enforcers in the NHL. After playing in only nine games with the Mighty Ducks during the 2000–2001 season Sawyer made the team for the 2001–2002 season. He appeared in 57 contests and logged 221 penalty minutes along with his first career NHL goal. That year he was also involved in a large brawl in a game between the Mighty Ducks and Calgary Flames
. After Craig Berube
hit Mighty Ducks goaile Jean-Sébastien Giguère
, Sawyer skated in the Flames zone on the next play and rammed into Flames goalie Mike Vernon, leading to a number of fights and more than 300 PIM between the teams in the final minutes of the game.
The 2002–2003 season saw Sawyer play 31 games with the Mighty Ducks before suffering a head injury. He missed the remainder of the season and officially announced his retirement in 2003.
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...
right winger
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
who played in 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) with the St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
, 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...
, 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....
, and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
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...
.
Playing career
After playing three years with the Spokane ChiefsSpokane Chiefs
The Spokane Chiefs are a major junior ice hockey team that plays in the Western Hockey League based out of Spokane, Washington. The team plays its home games at the Spokane Arena. Their uniforms are similar to those of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens. Spokane consistently ranks in the top 10 in the...
of the WHL
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
Sawyer was signed by the St. Louis Blues in 1995. While with the Chiefs Sawyer established himself as a hard hitting enforcer, and he would continue this role in the NHL. For the 1995–1996 season Sawyer played the majority of the year with the Worcester IceCats
Worcester IceCats
The Worcester IceCats were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA at the Worcester Centrum...
while also making his NHL debut with the Blues. He appeared in six games with the Blues before being traded to the Boston Bruins in a deal that sent Steve Leach
Steve Leach
Stephen Morgan Leach is an American ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey player. He is currently the head coach of the Valley Jr. Warriors '99 Elite squad.-Playing career:...
to the Blues. Sawyer appeared in another two games with the Bruins that year. The 1996–1997 season saw Sawyer play 60 games with the Providence Bruins
Providence Bruins
The Providence Bruins are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are the primary development team for the NHL's Boston Bruins. They play in Providence, Rhode Island at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.-History:...
and two games with the Boston Bruins. After that year he was released by the Bruins.
The next three years saw Sawyer toil in the minors with the Michigan K-Wings, Worcester IceCats
Worcester IceCats
The Worcester IceCats were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA at the Worcester Centrum...
, and Springfield Falcons
Springfield Falcons
The Springfield Falcons are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . They play in Springfield, Massachusetts, at the MassMutual Center and are the top affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League. The Falcons' two main rivals are the Connecticut Whale and the...
. He signed contracts with 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...
in 1997 and again with the Blues in 1998 but he did not appear in any games with the teams. Sawyer signed with the Phoenix Coyotes for the 1999–2000 season and finally returned to the NHL when he played three games with the Coyotes.
Sawyer then signed with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in 2000. With the Mighty Ducks Sawyer finally saw regular playing time in the NHL and established himself as one of the top enforcers in the NHL. After playing in only nine games with the Mighty Ducks during the 2000–2001 season Sawyer made the team for the 2001–2002 season. He appeared in 57 contests and logged 221 penalty minutes along with his first career NHL goal. That year he was also involved in a large brawl in a game between the Mighty Ducks and 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...
. After Craig Berube
Craig Berube
Craig "The Chief" Berube is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, Washington Capitals and New York Islanders...
hit Mighty Ducks goaile Jean-Sébastien Giguère
Jean-Sébastien Giguère
Jean-Sébastien Giguère is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing with the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League . He played major junior with the Verdun Collège Français and Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League , where he was drafted 13th...
, Sawyer skated in the Flames zone on the next play and rammed into Flames goalie Mike Vernon, leading to a number of fights and more than 300 PIM between the teams in the final minutes of the game.
The 2002–2003 season saw Sawyer play 31 games with the Mighty Ducks before suffering a head injury. He missed the remainder of the season and officially announced his retirement in 2003.
Career statistics
| Regular season | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||||||
| 1995–1996 | St. Louis-Boston 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... |
NHL | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | ||||||
| 1996–1997 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 1999–2000 | 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.... |
NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | ||||||
| 2000–2001 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 27 | ||||||
| 2001–2002 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 57 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 221 | ||||||
| 2002–2003 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 31 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 115 | ||||||
| 6 years | Totals | NHL | 110 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 403 | ||||||