Kyle McLaren

Infobox Ice Hockey Player
position = Defence
shoots = Left
height_ft = 6
height_in = 4
weight_lb = 230
team = San Jose Sharks
former_teams = Boston Bruins
prospect_team = Worcester Sharks
prospect_league = AHL
league = NHL
nationality = CAN
birth_date = birth date and age|1977|6|18
birth_place = Humboldt, SK, CAN
career_start = 1995
draft = Rnd 1, 9th overall
draft_year = 1995
draft_team = Boston Bruins

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image_size = 180px
nickname =

Kyle Edgar McLaren (born June 18, 1977 in Humboldt, Saskatchewan) is a professional ice hockey defenceman. McLaren's size makes him a formidable defenceman and is known for his powerful hip checks.

Playing career

McLaren was drafted by the Boston Bruins in the first round, ninth overall, during the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He played his first NHL season when he was just eighteen in the 1996 season, and was the youngest player on an NHL roster that year. McLaren currently plays for the San Jose Sharks.

McLaren was traded to San Jose along with a fourth round draft pick for young defenceman Jeff Jillson and goaltender Jeff Hackett in the 2003 NHL season season after getting into a dispute with the Bruins' management. Reportedly, they offered McLaren a two-way contract, meaning that McLaren would make less money than if he were playing in the American Hockey League. An established NHL player at that point, McLaren was insulted and demanded a trade. He along with teammate Joe Thornton both were drafted by Boston but traded to San Jose.

In recent years, McLaren has developed a reputation for having one of the best hip checks in the league. His most notable hip check was in the first round of the 2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs when he pinned St. Louis Blues winger Petr Cajanek into the boards near the Sharks' blue line. Cajanek would not play for the remainder of the series. Other memorable hip check recipients include Petr Prucha and Trevor Letowski.

McLaren used to wear a yellow tinted visor on his helmet; this started as a practical joke from his team-mates. McLaren is colorblind and so did not notice the change until he was informed after the game it was switched. However, he scored the winning goal in that game and kept the visor out of superstition. He switched back to a clear one during the 2007–08 season, reportedly because his lucky visor was not helping change his ineffectiveness during San Jose playoff runs.

McLaren is in a three-year-contract worth US$7.5 million; the deal expires in June 2009. McLaren signed that deal citing how happy he was in San Jose and how much his family loved it there.

On October 7, 2008, Mclaren was placed on waivers by San Jose Sharks' general manager Doug Wilson.

2002 Playoffs controversy

In the 2002 playoffs, McLaren injured Richard Zednik of the Montreal Canadiens with a vicious elbow/arm to the face after being caught out of position in the defensive zone. This prompted many to condemn the violence of the hit, and Montreal fans became enraged at McLaren for what they perceived to be a use of unnecessary excessive force towards Zednik. The event created a dislike for the then Bruins defenceman that endures to this day. McLaren received a three-game suspension from the league.

Awards

*1992–93: Top Defenceman in the Western Canadian Bantam Tournament
*1995–96: NHL - All-Rookie Team

Career statistics

--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1993-94 Tacoma Rockets WHL 62 1 9 10 53 6 1 4 5 61994-95 Tacoma Rockets WHL 47 13 19 32 68 4 1 1 2 41995-96 Boston Bruins NHL 74 5 12 17 73 5 0 0 0 141996-97 Boston Bruins NHL 58 5 9 14 54 -- -- -- -- --1997-98 Boston Bruins NHL 66 5 20 25 56 6 1 0 1 41998-99 Boston Bruins NHL 52 6 18 24 48 12 0 3 3 101999-00 Boston Bruins NHL 71 8 11 19 67 -- -- -- -- --2000-01 Boston Bruins NHL 58 5 12 17 53 -- -- -- -- --2001-02 Boston Bruins NHL 38 0 8 8 19 4 0 0 0 202002-03 San Jose Sharks NHL 33 0 8 8 30 -- -- -- -- --2003-04 San Jose Sharks NHL 64 2 22 24 60 16 0 3 3 102005-06 San Jose Sharks NHL 77 2 21 23 66 11 0 3 3 42006-07 San Jose Sharks NHL 67 5 12 17 61 11 0 4 4 102007-08 San Jose Sharks NHL 61 3 8 11 84 5 0 0 0 6-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NHL Totals 719 46 161 207 671 70 1 13 14 78

ee also

*List of WHL seasons
*List of NHL seasons
*List of NHL players

External links

*TSN-NHL-profile|50
*hockeydb|18515