Dion Phaneuf

The Red Deer Rebels selected Phaneuf in the third round of the 2000 WHL Bantam Draft.[6] One year later, he joined the Rebels for the 2001–02 season and recorded 17 points in 67 games.[7] He added two assists in 21 games as the Rebels lost in the WHL Final against the Kootenay Ice.[8] He improved to 16 goals and 30 points in 2002–03 as the Rebels again reached the WHL Finals, again losing, this time to the Kelowna Rockets.[7][8] Phaneuf's development earned him comparisons to Hall of Famer Scott Stevens, as he was lauded by scouts for his physical style and ability to excel both defensively and offensively.[9] Then-Calgary Flames general manager Darryl Sutter valued Phaneuf so highly in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft that he attempted to trade up from his ninth overall selection in the Draft, though to no avail.[10] Nonetheless, he was able to select Phaneuf with Calgary's first selection in the draft.[11]

Phaneuf established himself as the junior hockey team's top player following the draft, earning the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the top defenceman in the WHL.[12] He was also named an Eastern Conference All-Star by the WHL, and a First Team All-Star by the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).[7] He was considered a candidate to join the Flames in 2004. However, the 2004–05 NHL lock-out forced Phaneuf to play one final year of junior hockey.[13] He scored 56 points in 55 games to finish his junior career with 146 total points. He repeated as the WHL's Defenceman of the Year, and was again named to both WHL and CHL All-Star Teams.[7] Prospects Hockey rated Phaneuf as the top player in the CHL in both 2004 and 2005, ahead of Sidney Crosby, naming him one of the best junior defencemen of the previous decade.[14]

Phaneuf while playing with the Flames in 2008

Phaneuf joined the Flames for the 2005–06 NHL season after signing his first professional contract in September 2005.[15] He made his NHL debut on October 5, 2005, against the Minnesota Wild. Five nights later, he scored his first career goal and assist against the Colorado Avalanche. He was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for November after leading all rookie defencemen with nine points and two game-winning goals.[16] By January, Phaneuf was being named alongside Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin as a candidate for the NHL's top rookie.[17] He finished the season with 20 goals, only the third player in NHL history after Brian Leetch and Barry Beck to score 20 as a rookie defenceman.[18] His 20 goals also broke the Flames franchise record for goals by a rookie defenceman, surpassing Gary Suter's total of 18.[19] Phaneuf was named a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy as top rookie, but lost to Ovechkin.[20]

A 50-point sophomore season earned Phaneuf his first NHL All-Star Game appearance in 2006–07.[21] He participated in the hardest shot competition at the SuperSkills competition, losing to Zdeno Chára,[22] and scored a goal and an assist in the game itself to help the Western Conference defeat the East 12–9.[23] The Flames signed Phaneuf to a six-year, US$39 million contract extension midway through the 2007–08 season.[24] He responded by posting a career-high 60 points,[7] and was voted into the starting line-up by the fans for the 2008 All-Star Game.[25] Phaneuf was named to the NHL First All-Star Team following the season,[26] and was a finalist for the James Norris Memorial Trophy as defenceman of the year,[27] losing to the Detroit Red Wings' Nicklas Lidström.[28]

The 2008–09 season was a frustrating one for Phaneuf, as he recorded a career-low 11 goals and 47 points,[7] and his poor plus-minus rating of –11 led fans to question his defensive commitment.[29] His poor season and high salary also led to speculation that Phaneuf might be traded.[30] Despite his struggles, Phaneuf averaged 26 minutes and 31 seconds of ice time per game, the fourth highest in the NHL.[29] He missed the final game of the Flames' 2009 Stanley Cup playoff Western Quarter-final series against the Chicago Blackhawks with broken ribs, after battling a hip injury during the regular season.[31] Flames management defended Phaneuf, claiming the injuries he battled affected his play.[32]

On January 31, 2010, the Flames dealt Phaneuf, along with Fredrik Sjöström and Keith Aulie, to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Ian White and Jamal Mayers.[33]

Phaneuf was the Maple Leafs' team captain from 2010 to 2016.

On February 2, 2010, Phaneuf made his Toronto Maple Leaf debut, leading all Maple Leafs players in time on ice and ended the night with a fight and given second star of the game honours. He would record his first point, an assist, four nights later in a game against the Ottawa Senators and scored his first goal as a Leaf on April 7, 2010, on Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers. Phaneuf was named an alternate captain in Toronto nine games after being acquired after Mike Komisarek suffered a season-ending injury.[34] While Phaneuf struggled offensively to begin his tenure in Toronto – he played 25 games in Toronto before scoring his first goal – then-Leafs head coach Ron Wilson credited him with creating a positive change in the mood in the Toronto dressing room.[35][36]

Phaneuf was named the 18th captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs on June 14, 2010, at a press conference held by general manager Brian Burke, succeeding Mats Sundin, who left after the 2007–08 season.[37]

On November 2, 2010, in a game against the Ottawa Senators, Phaneuf sustained an injury in the leg by having it cut open with a skate from Peter Regin while crashing into the boards. He was carried off the ice immediately and had surgery done the same night. Phaneuf was said to be off the ice for four-to-six weeks,[38] and made a return to the Leafs' line-up on December 9, 2010,[39] a home ice game against the Philadelphia Flyers, which Philadelphia won 4–1, though he had one assist on the lone Toronto goal.[40]

On January 5, 2012, it was announced that Phaneuf would compete in his third All-Star Game, having finished second amongst all defencemen on the fan ballot, gaining 614,933 votes, behind the Ottawa Senators' Erik Karlsson. On April 21, 2013, Phaneuf and the Leafs clinched a Stanley Cup playoff spot, the first time for Phaneuf since the 2008–09 season with the Calgary Flames. On December 10, 2013, Phaneuf received a two-game suspension on a boarding hit on Boston Bruins defenceman Kevan Miller, which occurred on December 8, 2013, in Toronto. Phaneuf forfeited the amount of US$66,666.66 for his action.[41]

The Maple Leafs, struggling once again, decided to start a rebuild in early 2015. Thus Phaneuf, a veteran defenceman with a lengthy contract, began being shopped around. On March 2, 2015, Phaneuf was almost traded to the Detroit Red Wings, however the deal fell through at the last minute when Toronto refused to retain a large portion of Phaneuf's salary.[42] He would play the rest of the year in Toronto. When Toronto hired head coach Mike Babcock the following season, Phaneuf excelled, experiencing fewer penalty minutes and better defensive play under his reduced minutes.

After parts of seven seasons with Toronto, Phaneuf was traded to the Ottawa Senators on February 9, 2016, in a blockbuster nine-player trade.[43] Both fans and media alike viewed the trade with shock, as a significant deal between the arch-rivals was viewed as very unlikely to happen.[44][45][46] Phaneuf, Matt Frattin, prospects Casey Bailey, Ryan Rupert and Cody Donaghey were sent to the Senators in exchange for Jared Cowen, Colin Greening, Milan Michalek, prospect Tobias Lindberg and Ottawa's 2017 second-round draft pick. Due to the Battle of Ontario rivalry, this was the first time the Maple Leafs and Senators had made a trade since March 17, 1998, when Per Gustafsson was sent to Ottawa in exchange for an eighth-round pick.[47] Phaneuf played a shortened 2015–16 season due to an "oblique injury and soreness in his right foot" after blocking a shot during a game against the Maple Leafs on March 12, ending the season with 20 games played with the Senators, amassing one goal and eight points.[48]

Phaneuf was named an alternate captain of the Senators at the beginning of the 2016–17 season.[49] In Game 2 of the Senators' First Round playoff series against the Boston Bruins in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Phaneuf scored the overtime winner.

On February 13, 2018, Phaneuf and Nate Thompson were traded to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for forwards Marián Gáborík and Nick Shore.[50] The Senators also retained 25% of the remainder of Phaneuf's contract.[51]

During the 2018–19 season, Phanuef played in his 1000th career game on November 17, 2018 in a 5-3 loss to the Nashville Predators.[52] He finished his second season with the Kings, recording a career low 1 goal and 6 points and a Plus-minus of -21 through 67 games.

On June 15, 2019, the Kings bought out the final two years of Phaneuf's contract, making him an unrestricted free agent.[53]