Darren Haydar

Darren Haydar
Born	October 22, 1979 Milton, ON, CAN
Height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight	170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Position	Right Wing
Shoots	Right
team Former teams	Free Agent Nashville Predators Atlanta Thrashers Colorado Avalanche EHC München KHL Medveščak Zagreb EC VSV
NHL Draft	248th overall, 1999 Nashville Predators
Playing career	2002–present

Darren J. Haydar (born October 22, 1979 in Milton^[1]) is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger. He is currently an unrestricted free agent who most recently played with Lausitzer Füchse of the DEL2. Haydar was selected by the Nashville Predators in the ninth round (248th overall) of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. He is one of the top AHL players of all-time, having won two Calder Cup championships and is the AHL’s all-time leader in playoff goals (63), assists (80) and points (143).^[2]

Playing career

Prior to turning professional Haydar played two years with the Milton Merchants of the Junior A Ontario Provincial Hockey League, where he established league records for goals (71) and points (140) in a season. He then spent four years (1998–2002) for the University of New Hampshire, scoring 219 points with 102 goals. In 2002 he was named a First Team All-American and was Hockey East Player of the Year.

He was drafted 248th overall by Nashville Predators in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. On September 11, 2002, Haydar signed a three-year entry level contract with the Predators.^[3] He spent almost all of his Predators career at their farm team as a standout with the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League, only playing twice for the Predators, both in the 2002–03 NHL season. He helped the Admirals win the Calder Cup in the 2003–04 season.

Haydar was signed by the Atlanta Thrashers as a Free Agent on July 4, 2006.^[4] He was assigned to affiliate the Chicago Wolves for the 2006–07 season. On December 23, 2006, Haydar picked up a point in his 32nd consecutive game, breaking the record for the longest AHL scoring streak. The stick used by Haydar as well as the hockey puck involved in the record-breaking point were preserved in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. He went on to notch a point in 39 consecutive games, tallying 79 points during the streak.^[5] At season's end Haydar finished with 122 points in 73 games. He was named in the AHL's First All-Star Team and won the Les Cunningham Award for being the AHL's most valuable player.^[6]

In the 2007–08 season, Haydar again was relied heavily upon with the Wolves, and was instrumental in helping the Wolves win the Calder Cup, his second. Darren also played as a reserve forward with the Thrashers and scored his first NHL goal on October 13, 2007, against Martin Brodeur in a 6-5 loss to the New Jersey Devils.^[7]

For the 2008–09 season, Haydar was signed by the Detroit Red Wings on July 23, 2008.^[8] He was assigned to and named captain of affiliate the Grand Rapids Griffins, leading the Griffins in scoring with 80 points in 79 games. As a result, was named in the 2008–09 AHL's Second All-Star Team.^[9]

On July 4, 2009, Haydar was signed by the Colorado Avalanche to a one-year contract.^[10] Haydar was reassigned by the Avalanche to affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters, prior to the 2009–10 season. While leading the Monsters in scoring, Darren was named to play in the 2010 AHL All-Star game but missed the game due to injury.^[11] Upon his return Haydar was recalled by the injury hit Avalanche on February 10, 2010.^[12] He made his Avalanche debut and played his first NHL game since 2007 on the same day in a 4-3 overtime win against the Thrashers.^[13] Haydar was returned to the Monsters and in the last game of the season he recorded an assist, to become the 43rd player in history to reach 600 points.^[14]

A free agent at season's end, Haydar signed an AHL contract to return to the team he formerly captained, the Chicago Wolves on July 28, 2010.^[15] In 2013, as part of the Milwaukee Admirals celebrating their 35th season, Haydar was voted by fans as the 3rd greatest Milwaukee Admiral of all time.

After three further seasons with the Wolves, Haydar left North America for the first time in his career and signed a one-year contract in Europe with EHC München of the DEL on July 25, 2013.^[16]

In 2013, he was added to the Team Canada roster for the 2013 Spengler Cup. Haydar finished in a tie with Byron Ritchie for the team scoring lead with a pair of goals and four assists.^[17]

Upon completing a single season in the DEL on June 9, 2014, he signed a one-year contract, along with former Wolves teammate, Jason Krog, in the Kontinental Hockey League with Croatian club, KHL Medveščak Zagreb.^[18] In the 2014–15 season, having recorded just 1 assist in 4 games, Haydar opted to leave the club. With Krog following suit, they both signed a try-out contract with Austrian club, EC VSV, on October 2, 2014. After showing early scoring touch in Villach, Krog and Haydar both opted to remain signing a one-year contract on October 15, 2014.^[19]

In the off-season, Haydar left Villach as a free agent and returned to play for a second stint in Germany after signing with Lausitzer Füchse of the DEL2 on September 28, 2015.^[20]

His older brother Jeff Haydar was also a hockey player but now has officially retired. His last competitive team was the Milton BigSticks.

Suffering an off-season training back injury, Haydar has opted to sit out the 2016-17 season — having recently returned to Milton after three seasons in Europe and in the midst of making plans for his post-playing future.^[21]

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1995–96	Milton Merchants	OPJHL		6	1	2	3	4		—	—	—	—	—
1996–97	Milton Merchants	OPJHL		51	32	68	100	68		—	—	—	—	—
1997–98	Milton Merchants	OPJHL		51	71	69	140	65		—	—	—	—	—
1998–99	U. of New Hampshire	HE		41	31	30	61	34		—	—	—	—	—
1999–00	U. of New Hampshire	HE		38	22	19	41	42		—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	U. of New Hampshire	HE		39	18	23	41	38		—	—	—	—	—
2001–02	U. of New Hampshire	HE		40	31	45	76	28		—	—	—	—	—
2002–03	Milwaukee Admirals	AHL		75	29	46	75	36		6	1	4	5	2
2002–03	Nashville Predators	NHL		2	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2003–04	Milwaukee Admirals	AHL		79	22	37	59	35		22	11	15	26	10
2004–05	Milwaukee Admirals	AHL		59	24	26	50	42		7	3	4	7	14
2005–06	Milwaukee Admirals	AHL		80	35	57	92	50		21	18	17	35	18
2006–07	Chicago Wolves	AHL		73	41	81	122	55		15	10	14	24	14
2006–07	Atlanta Thrashers	NHL		4	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Chicago Wolves	AHL		51	19	39	58	52		24	12	15	27	8
2007–08	Atlanta Thrashers	NHL		16	1	7	8	2		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Grand Rapids Griffins	AHL		79	31	49	80	26		10	4	7	11	4
2009–10	Lake Erie Monsters	AHL		66	23	41	64	60		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Colorado Avalanche	NHL		1	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Chicago Wolves	AHL		77	27	47	74	60		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Chicago Wolves	AHL		70	21	36	57	32		5	4	4	8	0
2012–13	Chicago Wolves	AHL		71	20	37	57	58		—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	EHC München	DEL		44	13	22	35	22		2	1	1	2	12
2014–15	KHL Medveščak Zagreb	KHL		4	0	1	1	0		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	EC VSV	EBEL		45	23	21	44	26		5	1	0	1	20
2015–16	Lausitzer Füchse	DEL2		42	21	16	37	60		—	—	—	—	—
AHL totals				780	292	496	788	506		110	63	80	143	70
NHL totals				23	1	7	8	2		—	—	—	—	—

Awards and honors

OPJHL Award Year(s) First All-Star Team 1998 Player of the Year 1998 NCAA Award Year(s) Rookie of the Year 1999 All-Hockey East Rookie Team 1998–99 All-Hockey East Second Team 1998–99, 1999–00 All-Hockey East First Team 2001–02 AHCA East First-Team All-American 2001–02 Hockey East All-Tournament Team 2002 [22] Player of the Year 2002

AHL Award Year(s) All-Rookie Team 2003 Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award (Rookie of the Year) 2003 First All-Star Team 2007 John B. Sollenberger Trophy (Top Scorer) 2007 Les Cunningham Award (MVP) 2007 Second All-Star Team 2009, 2011[23]

Records

• AHL All-Time Playoff goals record- 59
• AHL All-Time Playoff assist record- 76
• AHL All-Time Playoff points record- 135

References

1. "Profile of Darren Haydar on the website of the club". Lausitzer Füchse. Retrieved 2015-11-12.
2. http://ahlhalloffame.com/story-of-the-calder-cup-p139042
3. "Preds sign their '99th ninth-round draft pick". ESPN. 2002-09-11. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
4. "Thrashers sign Braithwaite, Krog and Haydar". Atlanta Thrashers. 2006-07-04. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
5. "Haydar ends streak". ChiTown Daily News. 2007-01-09. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
6. "Chicago's Haydar named AHL MVP". mysportsbook. 2007-04-13. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
7. "Devils score in final minute to vault past winless Thrashers". CBS Sports. 2007-10-13. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
8. "Haydar, Oulahen sign one-year deals". Detroit Red Wings. 2008-07-23. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
9. "Haydar named to AHL second team". Detroit Red Wings. 2009-04-02. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
10. "Haydar signs with Avs to give NHL 'one last chance'". Milton Canadian Champion. 2009-07-08. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
11. "Darren Haydar named to AHL All-Star Team". The Plain Dealer. 2009-12-29. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
12. "Avs O'Reilly a game time decision". Denver Post. 2010-02-10. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
13. "Cumiskey OT hero as Avs rally for win". CBS Sports. 2010-02-10. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
14. "Haydar hits 600 in season finale". AHL. 2010-04-11. Retrieved 2010-04-11.
15. "Former Captain and League MVP Haydar returns to Chicago". Chicago Wolves. 2010-07-28. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
16. "Top scorer Darren Haydar comes to Munich" (in German). EHC München. 2013-07-25. Retrieved 2013-07-25.
17. http://www.insidehalton.com/sports-story/4298706-spengler-cup-had-very-special-feel-/
18. "Top AHL tandem Krog-Haydar together again". medvescak.com. www.medvescak.com. 2014-06-09. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
19. "Villach makes the impossible possible!" (in German). EC VSV. 2014-10-15. Retrieved 2014-10-15.
20. "Foxes undertake Darren Haydar" (in German). Lausitzer Füchse. 2015-09-28. Retrieved 2015-09-29.
21. http://www.insidehalton.com/sports-story/6848389-retirement-looming-for-haydar-/
22. "2013-14 Hockey East Media Guide". Hockey East. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
23. "2010–11 First and Second All-Stars named". AHL.com. 2011-03-31. Retrieved 2011-03-31.

External links

• Darren Haydar's career statistics at EliteProspects.com
  
• Darren Haydar's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database