Deryk Engelland

Deryk Engelland
Engelland with the Vegas Golden Knights in February 2018
Born	(1982-04-03) April 3, 1982 (age 42) Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	214 lb (97 kg; 15 st 4 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Right
Played for	Pittsburgh Penguins Calgary Flames Vegas Golden Knights
NHL draft	194th overall, 2000 New Jersey Devils
Playing career	2003–2020

Deryk Engelland (born April 3, 1982) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenseman. Engelland played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames and Vegas Golden Knights over his eleven-season career in the National Hockey League (NHL). Throughout his career, Engelland was best known for his physical play and fighting abilities.

Engelland was selected in the sixth round, 194th pick overall, by the New Jersey Devils at the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut with the Penguins in 2009 after six years in the minor leagues.

Playing career

Early career

Engelland played five seasons of junior hockey in the Western Hockey League (WHL) for the Moose Jaw Warriors. He appeared in two games in 1998–99 before establishing a place as a regular defenceman for the team in the following four seasons where he peaked at 17 points in 2001–02 and 199 penalty minutes in 2002–03. ^[1] The New Jersey Devils selected Engelland in the sixth round, 194th overall at the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, ^[2] but never played with the team. He turned professional in 2003–04 and split that season between the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL and the Lowell Lock Monsters of the American Hockey League (AHL). ^[3]

Returning to Las Vegas, Engelland played the entire 2004–05 season in the ECHL where he scored 5 goals, added 16 assists and recorded 138 penalty minutes. ^[1] He then spent the following several seasons shuffling between the ECHL and AHL. 2005–06 was split between the South Carolina Stingrays and Hershey Bears, and the following year between Hershey and the Reading Royals. ^[1] His play with Hershey in the 2007 Calder Cup playoffs caught the attention of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins who signed him to a contract. ^[3] Engelland joined the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for the 2007–08 AHL season where he played all 80 regular season games then added 23 more in the playoffs as the team reached the Calder Cup final. ^[4] He again played all 80 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2008–09. ^[1] After starting the 2009–10 season with the AHL club, Engelland reached a consecutive games played streak of 171 that was broken following a game played November 6, 2009, when he earned his first recall to Pittsburgh. ^[4]

Pittsburgh Penguins (2007–2014)

"The good thing about Deryk is, he knows his game really well. He's a simple defenseman with the puck. Makes the first pass. Makes the good, hard plays. He's a tough customer, tough to play against in the defensive zone, but also an intimidating guy with the brand of hockey he can play."

—Penguins coach Dan Bylsma describes Engelland's playing style in November 2009 ^[5]

After more than six years in the minor leagues, the 27-year-old Engelland made his NHL debut on November 10, 2009, against the Boston Bruins. ^[3] He played a total of nine games with Pittsburgh and recorded two assists. With Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he appeared in 71 games and scored 11 points. ^[1]

Engelland with the Penguins during warmups in March 2014

Engelland praised the Penguins for their efforts to develop his skills as a physical defenceman; ^[3] he played his first full NHL season came in 2010–11. Engelland appeared in 63 games for the Penguins and scored his first NHL goal on November 12, 2010, against the Tampa Bay Lightning. ^{[4] [6]} During the season, the Penguins signed Engelland to a three-year contract extension through the 2013–14 season and which paid him an average of $566,700 per season. ^[7]

On December 20, 2011, Engelland delivered a hit to the head of Chicago Blackhawks forward Marcus Krüger, who suffered a concussion as a result, resulting in a three game suspension for Engelland. ^[8] He ended the 2011–12 playing in 73 games for Pittsburgh and improved to 4 goals and 13 assists for 17 points. ^[1]

When a labour dispute delayed the start of the 2012–13 NHL season, Engelland opted to sign with Rosenborg IHK in Norway's GET-ligaen. ^[9] He played 15 games for Rosenborg where he recorded 9 points before returning to Pittsburgh when the NHL resumed operation. In 42 games with the Penguins, Engelland had 6 assists. ^[1]

In his fourth NHL season, 2013–14, Engelland posted a career high of six goals (and added six assists) in a campaign where the Penguins occasionally played him at forward. ^[10] Though a regular in the Penguins line-up, Engelland was typically used in limited role.

Calgary Flames (2014–2017)

Engelland opted to leave the Penguins following the season and signed a three-year, $8.7 million contract with the Calgary Flames, where he hoped to earn expanded responsibilities with the rebuilding team. ^[11] The contract was for $2.9 million per season, a five-fold increase over his previous salary which was criticized as being among the worst value contracts signed during the 2014 free agency period. ^[12]

Engelland with the Flames in October 2014

However at the start of 2017 Engelland was made alternate captain of the Flames during the absence of Troy Brouwer, who was on injured reserve with a broken finger. ^[13]

Vegas Golden Knights (2017–2020)

As an impending free agent following the 2016–17 season, his third season with the Flames, Engelland was left exposed at the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. Engelland, a resident of Las Vegas, was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights on June 21, 2017. Engelland immediately signed a one-year, $1 million deal with the Golden Knights, marking his return to professional hockey in the city. ^[14] On January 15, 2018, the Golden Knights signed Engelland to a one-year, $1.5 million extension through the 2018–19 season. ^[15] On April 23, 2018, Engelland was nominated by the Knights for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy as a player who best exemplifies leadership qualities and gives back to his community. ^[16] The following day, Engelland was also named a finalist for the Mark Messier Leadership Award, ^[17] which he won on June 20. ^[18]

On July 23, 2019, the Golden Knights re-signed Engelland to a one-year, $700,000 contract extension. ^[19]

As an original member of the Golden Knights for three seasons, Engelland announced his retirement from professional hockey after 11 NHL seasons on December 22, 2020. He remained with the Golden Knights, transitioning to the club's Foundation and serving as the Special Assistant to the Owner. ^[20]

Personal life

Engelland was born April 3, 1982, in Edmonton, Alberta. ^[11] His father is a welder by trade, and the family moved frequently in his early life as he lived in the Edmonton-area communities of Leduc and Mayerthorpe before settling in Chetwynd, British Columbia. ^[21] He met his wife Melissa while playing in the minors in Las Vegas, ^[21] where the couple continue to live with their sons. ^{[4] [22]} He currently talks about the Knights during intermission and post-game shows on television.

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1998–99	Sicamous Eagles	KIJHL		51	6	21	27	90		—	—	—	—	—
1998–99	Moose Jaw Warriors	WHL		2	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1999–00	Moose Jaw Warriors	WHL		55	0	5	5	62		4	0	0	0	0
2000–01	Moose Jaw Warriors	WHL		65	4	11	15	157		4	0	0	0	10
2001–02	Moose Jaw Warriors	WHL		56	7	10	17	102		12	0	2	2	27
2002–03	Moose Jaw Warriors	WHL		65	3	8	11	199		13	1	1	2	20
2003–04	Las Vegas Wranglers	ECHL		35	2	11	13	63		2	0	0	0	0
2003–04	Lowell Lock Monsters	AHL		26	0	0	0	34		—	—	—	—	—
2004–05	Las Vegas Wranglers	ECHL		72	5	16	21	138		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	South Carolina Stingrays	ECHL		35	3	13	16	20		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Hershey Bears	AHL		37	0	4	4	77		1	0	0	0	0
2006–07	Hershey Bears	AHL		44	4	6	10	95		14	0	0	0	14
2006–07	Reading Royals	ECHL		6	0	3	3	8		—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Wilkes–Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL		80	2	15	17	141		23	1	3	4	14
2008–09	Wilkes–Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL		80	3	11	14	143		12	0	2	2	6
2009–10	Wilkes–Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL		71	5	6	11	121		4	0	1	1	7
2009–10	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		9	0	2	2	17		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		63	3	7	10	123		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		73	4	13	17	56		6	0	1	1	14
2012–13	Rosenborg IHK	NOR		15	1	8	9	43		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		42	0	6	6	54		7	0	0	0	8
2013–14	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		56	6	6	12	58		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Calgary Flames	NHL		76	2	9	11	53		11	0	1	1	50
2015–16	Calgary Flames	NHL		69	3	9	12	54		—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	Calgary Flames	NHL		81	4	12	16	85		4	0	0	0	2
2017–18	Vegas Golden Knights	NHL		79	5	18	23	24		20	0	2	2	26
2018–19	Vegas Golden Knights	NHL		74	2	10	12	18		7	0	1	1	8
2019–20	Vegas Golden Knights	NHL		49	1	5	6	37		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				671	30	97	127	579		55	0	5	5	108
AHL totals				338	14	42	56	611		54	1	6	7	41

Awards and honours

Award	Year
AHL
Calder Cup (Hershey Bears)	2006
NHL
Mark Messier Leadership Award	2018

References

• Career statistics: "Deryk Engelland player card". National Hockey League. Retrieved 2014-09-24.

1. "Deryk Engelland player card". National Hockey League. Retrieved 2014-09-24.
2. "NHL Entry Draft Year by Year Results". National Hockey League. Retrieved 2014-09-24.
3. Ashmore, Mike (2011-10-13). "ECHL alumni profile – Deryk Engelland". ECHL. Archived from the original on 2015-09-10. Retrieved 2014-09-24.
4. 2013–14 Pittsburgh Penguins Media Guide. Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey Club. 2013. pp. 48–49.
5. Anderson, Shelly (2009-11-12). "Engelland fills hole on Penguins' defense". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2014-09-25.
6. "Marc-Andre Fleury earns 150th career win as Penguins top Lightning". ESPN. 2010-11-12. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
7. "Penguins sign defenseman Deryk Engelland to three-year contract extension". Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey Club. 2011-01-03. Retrieved 2011-01-03.
8. ESPN (December 22, 2011). "Deryk Engelland suspended 3 games". espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
9. "Finding roots, game in Norway Skille stepped into foreign land, knows how his ancestors felt". States News Service. 2013-02-26. Archived from the original on 2015-03-28. Retrieved 2014-09-25– via Highbeam.
10. Gilbertson, Wes (2014-07-02). "Added punch". Calgary Sun. p. S5.
11. Cruickshank, Scott (2014-07-02). "Flames sign rugged Engelland". Calgary Herald. p. E3.
12. Whyno, Stephen (2014-07-02). "Thomas Vanek comes cheap, Deryk Engelland a head-scratcher: The best and worst deals of NHL free agency". National Post. Archived from the original on 2014-09-26. Retrieved 2014-09-25.
13. "Engelland honoured to wear an 'A'". NHL.com. 2017-01-01. Retrieved 2017-01-27.
14. "Deryk Engelland going home to Las Vegas". Calgary Sun. 2017-06-21. Archived from the original on 2017-06-22. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
15. "Deryk Engelland Signs One-Year Contract Extension Worth $1.5 Million". NHL.com. January 15, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
16. "NHL announces 31 team nominees for King Clancy Trophy". NHL.com. April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
17. "Messier NHL Leadership Award finalists unveiled". NHL.com. April 24, 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
18. "Engelland of Golden Knights wins Messier Award for NHL leadership". NHL.com. June 20, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
19. "Engelland signs one-year contract with Golden Knights". National Hockey League. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
20. "VGK Defenseman Deryk Engelland to announce retirement from NHL". Vegas Golden Knights. December 22, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
21. Kennedy, Kevin (2011-10-22). "Before I made it: Deryk Engelland". The Hockey News. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-09-25.
22. Kaplan, Emily (October 11, 2017). "Longtime Las Vegas resident Deryk Engelland delivers goal, and hope, in Golden Knights' home opener". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 12, 2018.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com , or  Eliteprospects.com , or  Eurohockey.com , or  Hockey-Reference.com , or  The Internet Hockey Database