Kyle Okposo
Encyclopedia
Kyle Henry Erovre Okposo (born April 16, 1988) is an American
professional ice hockey
right winger
, an alternate captain of the New York Islanders
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). He was drafted seventh overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft
by the New York Islanders
, following a season in the United States Hockey League
(USHL) with the Des Moines Buccaneers
in which he was named the most valuable player of the USHL playoffs and the league's top rookie. He helped the Buccaneers to a Clark Cup
victory.
mother. His father immigrated to the U.S. as a teenager, and eventually earned a Ph.D. His family currently resides in Minnesota
, where Okposo grew up.
During his freshman
season at University of Minnesota
, Okposo was placed at the center position, even though he is a natural winger. Throughout most of the season this became his most common position due to the abundance of wingers on the team.
In January 2007, he played for the U.S. National Junior Team in the 2007 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship
. On June 7, 2007, Okposo announced he would be returning to the University of Minnesota for the 2007–08 season. Okposo played the 2007–08 season for the University of Minnesota ice hockey team until December 19, 2007. On that morning Okposo notified his teammates at the university of his decision to leave the team. Soon after, both the Gophers and the New York Islanders
announced officially that Okposo decided to leave college after the completion of his current semester and would then begin his professional hockey career.
Okposo's decision to leave school was considered controversial by some. As a response to questioning, Islanders general manager Garth Snow
told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "Quite frankly, we weren't happy with the program. They have a responsibility to coach, to make Kyle a better player, and they were not doing that."
Coach Don Lucia
then claimed that the Islanders put him "in a very difficult position." In his response to Snow's comments, Lucia emphasized the importance of obtaining a degree, "We have had numerous players sign and play in the NHL, but just as important many more move on to have successful careers after graduating from the University of Minnesota. We have always and will continue to work to ensure our players reach their potential on the ice and in the classroom."
Okposo signed an entry level contract with the Islanders and was assigned to their top minor league affiliate, the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers
. He made his NHL debut on March 18, 2008 against the Toronto Maple Leafs
, and netted his first career NHL goal on March 21, 2008 against the New Jersey Devils
, a game winner scored on the powerplay against Martin Brodeur
. He also scored in his final game of the season, in a game against the New York Rangers
.
On September 17, 2009, Okposo suffered a hard check to the head by Dion Phaneuf
. Okposo was taken from the ice in a stretcher with a what was diagnosed as a mild concussion. He did return to the Islanders' lineup for their opening game on October 3, 2009.
On May 25, 2011, Okposo signed a 5-year, $14 million dollar contract with the New York Islanders.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
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...
, an alternate captain of the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
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). He was drafted seventh overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft
2006 NHL Entry Draft
The 2006 NHL Entry Draft was the 44th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on June 24, 2006.The draft order for the first 14 picks was decided during a lottery held on April 20, 2006....
by the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, following a season in the United States Hockey League
United States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The USHL has 16 member teams located in the Midwestern United States, consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger...
(USHL) with the Des Moines Buccaneers
Des Moines Buccaneers
The Des Moines Buccaneers are a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team of the United States Hockey League . The team played in the West Division starting in the 2009 - 2010 season....
in which he was named the most valuable player of the USHL playoffs and the league's top rookie. He helped the Buccaneers to a Clark Cup
Clark Cup
The Clark Cup is a trophy awarded annually to the winner of the United States Hockey League Tier 1 Junior Hockey playoff champions. The Clark Cup was named in honor of Dan Clark, the long-time registrar of the Minnesota Amateur Hockey Association. Clark was also the recipient of the NHL's Lester...
victory.
Playing career
Okposo was born to a Nigerian father and a CaucasianCaucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
mother. His father immigrated to the U.S. as a teenager, and eventually earned a Ph.D. His family currently resides in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, where Okposo grew up.
During his freshman
Freshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
season at University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
, Okposo was placed at the center position, even though he is a natural winger. Throughout most of the season this became his most common position due to the abundance of wingers on the team.
In January 2007, he played for the U.S. National Junior Team in the 2007 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship
2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 2007 edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Mora and Leksand, Sweden between December 26, 2006 and January 5, 2007. The venues were FM Mattsson Arena in Mora, and Ejendals Arena in Leksand...
. On June 7, 2007, Okposo announced he would be returning to the University of Minnesota for the 2007–08 season. Okposo played the 2007–08 season for the University of Minnesota ice hockey team until December 19, 2007. On that morning Okposo notified his teammates at the university of his decision to leave the team. Soon after, both the Gophers and the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
announced officially that Okposo decided to leave college after the completion of his current semester and would then begin his professional hockey career.
Okposo's decision to leave school was considered controversial by some. As a response to questioning, Islanders general manager Garth Snow
Garth Snow
Garth E. Snow is an American retired professional ice hockey goaltender and is currently the general manager for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "Quite frankly, we weren't happy with the program. They have a responsibility to coach, to make Kyle a better player, and they were not doing that."
Coach Don Lucia
Don Lucia
Don Lucia is the head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers men's hockey team. He has twice led the Golden Gophers to the NCAA National Championship title, in 2002 and 2003. Under Lucia, the Golden Gophers have won five MacNaughton Cups and won the Broadmoor Trophy three times...
then claimed that the Islanders put him "in a very difficult position." In his response to Snow's comments, Lucia emphasized the importance of obtaining a degree, "We have had numerous players sign and play in the NHL, but just as important many more move on to have successful careers after graduating from the University of Minnesota. We have always and will continue to work to ensure our players reach their potential on the ice and in the classroom."
Okposo signed an entry level contract with the Islanders and was assigned to their top minor league affiliate, the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers are an ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. It has been the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, who also own the franchise, since its inception, and use the same team colors as the parent Islanders do. The team is based in...
. He made his NHL debut on March 18, 2008 against the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, and netted his first career NHL goal on March 21, 2008 against the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, a game winner scored on the powerplay against Martin Brodeur
Martin Brodeur
Martin Pierre Brodeur is a French-Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 19-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two...
. He also scored in his final game of the season, in a game against the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
.
On September 17, 2009, Okposo suffered a hard check to the head by Dion Phaneuf
Dion Phaneuf
Dion Phaneuf is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League...
. Okposo was taken from the ice in a stretcher with a what was diagnosed as a mild concussion. He did return to the Islanders' lineup for their opening game on October 3, 2009.
On May 25, 2011, Okposo signed a 5-year, $14 million dollar contract with the New York Islanders.
Awards
- USHLUnited States Hockey LeagueThe United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The USHL has 16 member teams located in the Midwestern United States, consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger...
Rookie of the Year - 2006 - USHL Clark Cup Playoffs MVP - 2006
- USHL First All-Star Team - 2006
- USHL All-Rookie Team - 2006
Regular season and playoffs
| 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 | ||
| 2005–06 | Des Moines Buccaneers Des Moines Buccaneers The Des Moines Buccaneers are a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team of the United States Hockey League . The team played in the West Division starting in the 2009 - 2010 season.... |
USHL United States Hockey League The United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The USHL has 16 member teams located in the Midwestern United States, consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger... |
50 | 27 | 31 | 58 | 56 | 11 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 8 | ||
| 2006–07 | University of Minnesota University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557... |
WCHA Western Collegiate Hockey Association The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference.... |
33 | 17 | 20 | 37 | 30 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 2007–08 | University of Minnesota | WCHA | 18 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 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:... |
Bridgeport Sound Tigers Bridgeport Sound Tigers The Bridgeport Sound Tigers are an ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League. It has been the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, who also own the franchise, since its inception, and use the same team colors as the parent Islanders do. The team is based in... |
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... |
35 | 9 | 19 | 28 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | New York Islanders New York Islanders The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
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... |
9 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 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... |
New York Islanders | NHL | 65 | 18 | 21 | 39 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 AHL season The 2008–09 AHL season is the 73rd season of the American Hockey League. 29 teams each played 80 games in the regular season, which ran from October 8 until April 12.-Team and NHL affiliation changes:... |
Bridgeport Sound Tigers | AHL | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 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... |
New York Islanders | NHL | 80 | 19 | 33 | 52 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 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... |
New York Islanders | NHL | 38 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 192 | 44 | 72 | 116 | 112 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | United States | WHC17 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| 2007 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 2007 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 2007 edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Mora and Leksand, Sweden between December 26, 2006 and January 5, 2007. The venues were FM Mattsson Arena in Mora, and Ejendals Arena in Leksand... |
United States | WJC | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2008 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 2008 IIHF World U20 Championship, or, as it is commonly referred to in Canada as the 2008 World Juniors and the United States, the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships is the 2008 edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships... |
United States | WJC | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 |
| 2009 2009 IIHF World Championship The 2009 IIHF World Championship took place in Switzerland from 24 April to 10 May. The games were played in the PostFinance Arena in Bern and Schluefweg in Kloten.... |
United States | WC | 9 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| 2010 2010 IIHF World Championship The 2010 IIHF World Championship was the 74th IIHF World Championship, an annual international ice hockey tournament. It took place between 7 and 23 May 2010 in Germany. The games were played in the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, SAP Arena in Mannheim, and one game at Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen... |
United States | WC | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Junior int'l totals | 18 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 6 | ||
| Senior int'l totals | 15 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 10 | ||