After spending the 1990-1991 season with the Stratford Cullitons of the Ontario Hockey Association’s Junior B level, ice hockey defenseman Chris Pronger decided to skate with the Peterborough Petes, instead of Bowling Green State University, for the next two years of his budding career. He also made an appearance for Canada at the 1993 World Junior Championships during this time and took home a gold medal from the tournament, a feat that he would repeat at a higher level at the 1997 World Championships. In his final year with the Petes, 1993, he claimed the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the league’s top defenseman in addition to recognition as the top defenseman in the nation, and was drafted by the National Hockey League’s Hartford Whalers. After only two seasons, however, he was traded to the league’s St. Louis Blues, where he spent the longest portion of his career (1995-2004) and also had a considerable stint as captain (1997-2003). His experiences with the team ranged from suffering cardiac arrest on the ice during the 1998 playoffs to skating with Team Canada at the 1998 and 2002 Winter Olympics. At the former he suited up for six matches and did not reach the podium but, at the latter, he played in the same number of games and took home one of Canada’s first Olympic gold medals in ice hockey in fifty years. He also won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as top defenseman and the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP in 2000. After the 2004-2005 NHL lockout he was sent to the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers and he later made an appearance at the 2006 Winter Olympics scoring one goal in six games, but coming home without a medal. In 2007 during his first season with the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, however, he won the Stanley Cup Championship with his team. His 2007-2008 reign as squad captain was bookended by captaincies under his Olympic teammate Scott Niedermayer. Since 2009 he has been a member of the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers and in 2010 he won a second Olympic gold medal, appearing in seven matches.
Canada