Derian Hatcher

Derian Hatcher
Born	(1972-06-04) June 4, 1972 Sterling Heights, MI, USA
Height	6 ft 5 in (196 cm)
Weight	235 lb (107 kg; 16 st 11 lb)
Position	Defense
Shot	Left
Played for	Minnesota North Stars Dallas Stars Detroit Red Wings Philadelphia Flyers
National team	United States
NHL Draft	8th overall, 1990 Minnesota North Stars
Playing career	1991–2008

Derian John Hatcher (born June 4, 1972) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers. He currently serves as the head coach of the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League.

He is the younger brother of former NHL player Kevin Hatcher, with whom he was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame on October 21, 2010. In 2015 Hatcher and David Legwand, a fellow OHL alumnus, NHL player and Michigan native, purchased and became co-owners of the Sting.

Playing career

Hatcher was known as a physical defenseman and a strong bodychecker and used his intimidating size to good effect. He was drafted in the 1st round as the 8th overall selection by the Minnesota North Stars in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft and scored in his NHL debut game on October 12, 1991. Hatcher played for the North Stars and went with them when they moved to Dallas in 1993.

He played another 10 years for the Dallas Stars, collecting 71 goals, 223 assists, 1,380 penalty minutes, and captained the Stars to the Stanley Cup in 1999. In doing so, he became the first American-born captain to win the Stanley Cup. In July 2003, Hatcher signed with the Detroit Red Wings for a five-year, $30 million contract. A knee injury in just the third game of the season forced Hatcher to miss most of the year, playing in just 15 regular season games with the Red Wings.

In 2004, due to the cancellation of the NHL season, Hatcher, along with fellow Detroit Red Wings teammates Chris Chelios and Kris Draper, decided to play minor league hockey with the Motor City Mechanics based out of Fraser, Michigan.

On August 2, 2005, Hatcher signed with the Philadelphia Flyers after his contract with Detroit was bought out due to the new salary cap.

On January 29, 2006, Hatcher was named interim captain of the Philadelphia Flyers. He served as captain for the rest of the 2005–06 season due to the absence of injured captain Keith Primeau. Hatcher has also served as an alternate captain for the Flyers.

Suffering from a right knee injury, he missed the entire 2008–09 NHL season. Hatcher later returned as a "co-coach" for the playoffs. After having replacement surgery on the same knee on June 1, 2009, Hatcher said that he would most likely not return to playing hockey.

On June 15, 2009, Hatcher formally announced his retirement from the National Hockey League, this was announced with the Dallas Stars. He will remain in the Flyers organization as a player development coach, taking a job vacated by another former Flyer defenseman and captain, Éric Desjardins, who resigned to pursue business interests.

Hatcher remains the longest-serving captain in the history of the Dallas Stars and their predecessors, the Minnesota North Stars.

Awards

• Played in NHL All-Star Game - 1997
• 1999 Stanley Cup champion
• NHL Second All-Star Team - 2003
• Inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame - 2010

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1989–90	North Bay Centennials	OHL		64	14	38	52	45		5	2	3	5	8
1990–91	North Bay Centennials	OHL		64	13	50	63	163		10	2	10	12	28
1991–92	Minnesota North Stars	NHL		43	7	5	12	88		5	0	2	2	8
1991–92	Kalamazoo Wings	IHL		2	1	2	3	21		—	—	—	—	—
1992–93	Minnesota North Stars	NHL		67	4	15	19	178		—	—	—	—	—
1993–94	Dallas Stars	NHL		83	12	19	31	211		9	0	2	2	14
1994–95	Dallas Stars	NHL		43	5	11	16	105		—	—	—	—	—
1995–96	Dallas Stars	NHL		79	8	23	31	129		—	—	—	—	—
1996–97	Dallas Stars	NHL		63	3	19	22	97		7	0	2	2	20
1997–98	Dallas Stars	NHL		70	6	25	31	132		17	3	3	6	39
1998–99	Dallas Stars	NHL		80	9	21	30	102		18	1	6	7	24
1999–00	Dallas Stars	NHL		57	2	22	24	68		23	1	3	4	29
2000–01	Dallas Stars	NHL		80	2	21	23	77		10	0	1	1	16
2001–02	Dallas Stars	NHL		80	4	21	25	87		—	—	—	—	—
2002–03	Dallas Stars	NHL		82	8	22	30	106		11	1	2	3	33
2003–04	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		15	0	4	4	8		12	0	1	1	15
2004–05	Motor City Mechanics	UHL		24	5	12	17	27		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		77	4	13	17	93		6	0	2	2	10
2006–07	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		82	3	6	9	67		—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		44	2	5	7	33		15	1	2	3	40
NHL totals				1045	80	251	331	1581		133	7	26	33	248
OHL totals				128	27	88	115	208		15	4	13	17	36

International

Year	Team	Event		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1993	United States	WC-A		6	1	2	3	8
1996	United States	W-Cup		6	3	2	5	10
1998	United States	Olym		4	0	0	0	0
2002	United States	WC-A		7	0	1	1	0
2006	United States	Olym		6	0	0	0	12
Senior int'l totals				29	4	5	9	30

Personal life

A native Michigander, Hatcher continues to live in the state today. He and his brother Kevin Hatcher, who was also a hockey player, are the former owners of the bar/restaurant "Hatchy's" on Auburn Road in downtown Utica, Michigan. The bar/restaurant still bears the same name and continues with a hockey theme.

In 2015, Hatcher, along with David Legwand, purchased the OHL's Sarnia Sting.

Hatcher and his brother Kevin own land in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The own property in Gulliver, Michigan near the famous seul choix lighthouse on Lake Michigan.

See also

• Notable families in the NHL
• List of NHL players with 1000 games played

External links

• Career statistics and player information from NHL.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or Legends of Hockey, or The Internet Hockey Database

Preceded by Doug Zmolek	Minnesota North Stars first round draft pick 1990	Succeeded by Richard Matvichuk
Preceded by Keith Primeau	Philadelphia Flyers captain 2006	Succeeded by Keith Primeau
Preceded by Neal Broten	Dallas Stars captain February 1995–2003	Succeeded by Mike Modano

NOTE: The 1994–95 NHL season began with Mark Tinordi as captain of the Dallas Stars, but he was traded to the Washington Capitals in January 1995. Broten was then named captain, but was traded to the New Jersey Devils in February 1995, and then Hatcher was named captain. In addition, Hatcher served as captain of the Philadelphia Flyers for most of the 2005–06 season after Keith Primeau suffered a near career-ending injury.