Dean Kukan

Last updated

Dean Kukan
2024-12-04 Eisbaren Berlin gegen ZSC Lions (Champions Hockey League 2024-25) by Sandro Halank-022.jpg
Kukan with the ZSC Lions in 2024
Born (1993-07-08) 8 July 1993 (age 31)
Volketswil, Switzerland
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 198 lb (90 kg; 14 st 2 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Left
NL team
Former teams
ZSC Lions
Luleå HF
Columbus Blue Jackets
National teamFlag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland
NHL draft Undrafted
Playing career 2009present

Dean Kukan (born 8 July 1993) is a Swiss professional ice hockey defenceman for the ZSC Lions of the National League (NL). He is of Czech descent. [1]

Contents

Playing career

Kukan played in the 2006 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a youth team from Zürich. [2] Undrafted, he made his European Elite debut during the 2010–11 season playing in the Swiss National League A with the ZSC Lions. After two seasons, Kukan left for Luleå HF in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). [3]

Kukan established a role on the blueline with Luleå HF over six seasons before using an NHL out-clause after the 2014–15 season, to sign a two-year entry-level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets on 1 June 2015. [4]

In the 2015–16 season, Kukan made his NHL debut on 26 March 2016, against the Nashville Predators at the Bridgestone Arena. [5] He was reassigned to their AHL affiliate at the end of the Blue Jackets season and went on to win the 2016 Calder Cup.

On June 9, 2017, the Blue Jackets re-signed Kukan to a one-year, two-way extension. [6] On February 7, 2020, Kukan was signed to a two-year contract extension by the Blue Jackets.

Following his seventh season in North America in 2021–22, and despite recording career bests with 3 goals and 11 points through 41 games with the Blue Jackets, Kukan, an impending free agent, opted to return to his native Switzerland. He rejoined his original club, ZSC Lions, on 1 June 2022 on a five-year contract through 2027. [7]

International play

Medal record
Representing Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland
Ice hockey
World Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2018 Denmark
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2024 Czechia
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2025 Sweden/Denmark

Kukan participated at the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships as a member of the Switzerland men's national junior ice hockey team.

He represented Switzerland at the 2024 IIHF World Championship and won a silver medal. [8]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
2008–09 ZSC Lions SUI U17271234100554
2008–09 GCK Lions SUI U208011050002
2009–10GCK LionsSUI U2013156290442
2009–10GCK Lions NLB 2906614
2010–11GCK LionsSUI U2020110100006
2010–11 ZSC Lions NLA 20000
2010–11GCK LionsNLB371234
2011–12 Luleå HF J20 4251621830222
2011–12 Luleå HF SEL 30000
2012–13Luleå HFJ20112132
2012–13 Luleå HFSEL161340150110
2012–13 Asplöven HC Allsv 20004
2012–13 Tingsryds AIF Allsv160222
2013–14 Luleå HFSHL5448121261120
2014–15 Luleå HFSHL52310131490220
2015–16 Lake Erie Monsters AHL 33310138171452
2015–16 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 80000
2016–17 Cleveland Monsters AHL724252943
2017–18 Cleveland MonstersAHL321141520
2017–18 Columbus Blue JacketsNHL110442
2018–19 Columbus Blue JacketsNHL250556101012
2018–19 Cleveland MonstersAHL51120
2019–20 Columbus Blue JacketsNHL331451290117
2020–21 Columbus Blue JacketsNHL3514510
2021–22 Columbus Blue JacketsNHL41381116
2022–23 ZSC LionsNL4972431892356
2023–24 ZSC LionsNL403222581529110
SHL totals1258212926301450
NHL totals1535253046191129

International

YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
2010 Switzerland U18 5th60330
2011 SwitzerlandU187th60220
2012 Switzerland WJC 8th61120
2013 SwitzerlandWJC6th60112
2014 Switzerland WC 10th71012
2015 SwitzerlandWC8th30000
2017 SwitzerlandWC6th80112
2018 SwitzerlandWCSilver medal icon.svg101230
2022 SwitzerlandWC5th82460
2023 SwitzerlandWC5th70444
2024 SwitzerlandWCSilver medal icon.svg101236
2025 SwitzerlandWCSilver medal icon.svg101892
Junior totals241782
Senior totals636212716

Awards and honors

AwardsYear
AHL
Calder Cup (Lake Erie Monsters) 2016 [9]
AHL All-Star game 2018
NL
Champion (ZSC Lions) 2024, 2025 [10]
Swiss All-Star team2024, 2025
All-Star team2025
International
Champions Hockey League Champion (Luleå HF) 2015
IIHF World Championship Silver Medal 2018, 2024, 2025
IIHF World Championship All-Star team2025 [11]

References

  1. "Dean Kukan will an der WM von sich reden machen". Limmattalerzeitung. 23 December 2012. Archived from the original on 5 May 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  2. "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  3. "Defender Kukan extends with Lulea" (in Swedish). Luleå HF. 18 September 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  4. "Blue Jackets sign defensemen Blake Siebenaler and Dean Kukan to entry-level contracts". Columbus Blue Jackets. 1 June 2015. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  5. "Blue Jackets recall Sonny Milano & Dean Kukan from Lake Erie Monsters (AHL)". Columbus Blue Jackets. 30 March 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  6. "Blue Jackets sign Dean Kukan to one-year extension". Columbus Blue Jackets. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  7. "Simon Hrubec and Dean Kukan join ZSC Lions" (in German). ZSC Lions. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  8. "Silver it is - Czechia beats Switzerland in the World Championship final". swisshockeynews.ch. 26 May 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  9. Brown, Tony (12 June 2016). "Bjorkstrand's OT goal clinches Monsters' first-ever Calder Cup championship". Columbus Blue Jackets . Retrieved 12 June 2016.
  10. "The ZSC Lions win the 2023-24 championship". swisshockeynews.ch. 30 April 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  11. Pakarinen, Risto (25 May 2025). "Genoni gets MVP nod". iihf.com.