Kyle Wellwood

Infobox Ice Hockey Player
team = Vancouver Canucks
former_teams=Toronto Maple Leafs
position = Centre
shoots = Right
height_ft = 5
height_in = 10
weight_lb = 180
league = NHL
nationality = Canada
birth_date = Birth date and age|1983|5|16|mf=y
birth_place = Windsor, ON, CAN
career_start = 2003
draft = 134th overall
draft_year = 2001
draft_team = Toronto Maple Leafs


image_size =

Kyle Wellwood (born May 16, 1983) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Vancouver Canucks.

Playing career

Wellwood was drafted by the Belleville Bulls in the first round, 16th overall, in the 1999 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) draft. In his second season with Belleville (2000-01), he put up 118 points, capturing the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as the league's leading scorer. The next season, he was traded in January 2002 to the Windsor Spitfires for Jason Spezza. As a Spitfire, he tallied 100 points in 57 games, including a 29-game stretch in which he scored 26 goals and 59 points. [citeweb|title=Canucks claim Wellwood off waivers|url=http://canucks.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&id=18196|publisher=Vancouver Canucks|accessdate=2008-06-25|date=2008-06-25] In his final year of junior, he also received the William Hanley Trophy as the OHL's sportsman of the year, as well as the CHL Sportsman of the Year Award by playing in 57 games without a single penalty minute that year. Internationally, he won a silver medal with Team Canada during the 2003 World Junior Championships.

Wellwood was drafted in the 5th round, 134th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He turned pro in 2003-04 when he joined Toronto's minor league affiliate, the St. John's Maple Leafs of the American Hockey League. On October 30, 2004, he set a St. John's franchise record by scoring 5 goals in one game against the Cleveland Barons. He finished his second season with St. John's in 2004-05 fourth in league scoring with 87 points.

During the 2005–06 NHL season, Wellwood became a regular with Toronto. When captain Mats Sundin was injured in November 2006, Wellwood was bumped to first line centre and played between Alexei Ponikarovsky and Nik Antropov.

On December 16, 2006 Wellwood scored his first NHL hat trick in a game against the New York Rangers. He also had two assists that same night for a career-high five point NHL game. [cite news | url = http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2006/12/16/rangers-leafs-nhl-game.html | title = Wellwood, Leafs hammer Rangers | publisher = CBC Sports | date = 2006-12-16 | accessdate = 2008-06-25]

Wellwood suffered a sports hernia before the start of the 2007–08 season, and he missed the first 15 games. He returned on November 6, 2007, against the Ottawa Senators. [cite news | url = http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/2007-11-06-leafs-senators_N.htm | title = Senators' 5-1 win over Leafs breaks NHL record | publisher = USA Today | date = 2007-11-07 | accessdate = 2008-06-25] After the Leafs had been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, Wellwood went to Philadelphia for minor surgery on the opposite side of his groin from the first operation, prematurely ending his season.

During the 2008 off-season, Wellwood broke a bone in his right foot while training. "I was playing indoor soccer and it (my foot) sort of cracked," Wellwood said. "We went to the hospital and they said there was a crack in the foot." With his contract set to expire, the Leafs placed him on waivers on June 24. [cite news | url = http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=241542 | title = Maple Leafs place Wellwood, Raycroft on waivers | publisher = TSN | date = 2008-06-24 | accessdate = 2008-06-25] He was claimed off waivers the following day by the Vancouver Canucks. [cite news | url = http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=241636 | title = Canucks Grab Wellwood Off Waivers | publisher = TSN | date = 2008-06-25 | accessdate = 2008-06-25] The Canucks qualified Wellwood on July 1 and he is currently under contract for the 2008-2009 season [cite news | url= http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2008/07/01/canucks_wellwood/ | title= Canucks Lock up Wellwood | publisher=Sportsnet | date=2008-07-01]

Personal life

Wellwood grew up in Oldcastle, Ontario, just outside of Windsor. His brother Eric plays for the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL. His sister Michelle is a teacher, like their mother Donna was before becoming a firefighter. Wellwood's father Rick suffers from bipolar disorder, and Wellwood used hockey to escape from troubles at home. [cite news | url = http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=burnside_scott&id=2823486 | title = Wellwood's life shaped by father's mental illness | last = Burnside | first = Scott | publisher = ESPN | date = 2007-04-03 | accessdate = 2008-06-05] In the summer Wellwood lives in a condo on St. Clair Beach.

Awards and achievements

Major Junior
*Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy (OHL leading scorer) - 2001
*OHL Plus/Minus Award - 2001
*OHL First All-Star Team - 2001
*OHL Player of the Week - October 15, 2002
*Silver medal (Team Canada) - 2003 World Junior Championships
*OHL Player of the Week - March 23, 2003
*CHL Third All-Star Team - 2003
*William Hanley Trophy (OHL sportsman of the year) - 2003
*CHL Sportsman of the Year - 2003

AHL
*Player of the month - November 2003
*Player of the week - October 31, 2004

NHL
*1st star of the week - December 17, 2006

Career statistics

International play

Played for Team Canada in the following competitions:
*2003 World Junior Championships

International Statistics

ee also

*List of NHL players
*List of NHL seasons

References

External links

*nhlprofile|8469581
*hockeydb|50104

###@@@KEYEND@@@###