Ronald Martin Hainsey (born March 24, 1981) is an American former professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...

defenseman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the latter a reference to ...

. He played seventeen years in the

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

for the

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...

Columbus Blue Jackets The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...

, Atlanta Thrashers/

Winnipeg Jets The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, p ...

Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

and the

Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a membe ...

, playing over 1,100 career NHL games. Hainsey played in the NHL for nearly 16 years (907 games) before playing on a team that made the playoffs, longer than any other player in league history beating the previous record of 799 games held by

Olli Jokinen Olli Veli Pekka Jokinen (born December 5, 1978) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey player. He was selected by the Los Angeles Kings third overall in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, with whom he made his NHL debut. He has also played for th ...

. He then won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in his debut playoff appearance, finishing second in ice time for the playoffs in place of the injured Kris Letang.

Early life

Hainsey was born on March 24, 1981 in

Bolton Bolton (, locally ) is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, formerly a part of Lancashire. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish weavers settled in the area in the 14th ...

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

to Marty and Kerry Hainsey. He learned how to skate at the Bolton Ice Palace.

Playing career

Early career

As a youth, Hainsey played in the 1995

Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament (french: Tournoi international de hockey pee-wee de Québec) is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, ...

with a

minor ice hockey Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from c ...

team from Springfield, Massachusetts. Hainsey was drafted in the first round, 13th overall, by the

in the

2000 NHL Entry Draft The 2000 NHL Entry Draft was the 38th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 24 and 25, 2000 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, following the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft on June 23 for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild. T ...

, from the

University of Massachusetts Lowell The University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell and UML) is a public research university in Lowell, Massachusetts, with a satellite campus in Haverhill, Massachusetts. It is the northernmost member of the University of Massachusetts public ...

(1999-2001) of the

Hockey East The Hockey East Association, also known as Hockey East, is a college ice hockey conference which operates entirely in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. Hockey East came into existence in 1984 for ...

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

conference. He began his professional career with Montreal's

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...

(AHL) affiliates, the

Quebec Citadelles The Quebec Citadelles (French: ''Citadelles de Québec'') were a Minor ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada at the Colisée Pepsi. The name refers to the Citadelle of Quebec, a landmark fortif ...

and

Hamilton Bulldogs The Hamilton Bulldogs are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that began to play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, the Bulldogs play their home games at FirstOntario Centre. They were purcha ...

, and played in the Calder Cup finals against the Houston Aeros.

Columbus Blue Jackets

After spending three seasons with the Canadiens organization, Hainsey was claimed off waivers on November 29, 2005, by the

, where he established himself as a leading two-way defenseman.

Atlanta Thrashers / Winnipeg Jets

On July 2, 2008, as a free agent, Hainsey signed a five-year, $22.5 million contract with the Atlanta Thrashers. He recorded 6 goals and 33 assists in his first season in Atlanta. He would go on to record 45 points in the next two seasons with the Thrashers. After their relocation to

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749, ...

Manitoba , image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg , map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada , Label_map = yes , coordinates = , capital = Winn ...

, to become the

to start the 2011–12 season, Hainsey recorded 10 assists in 56 games. Hainsey also played a role in the negotiations of the

2012–13 NHL lockout The 2012–13 NHL lockout was a labor dispute between the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) that began at 11:59 pm EDT on September 15, 2012. A tentative deal on a new collective barg ...

. After a day of marathon bargaining sessions on December 5, 2012, Hainsey emerged to tell the media that both sides planned to meet again the next day. Ron Hainsey Hurricanes 2014 (cropped)

Carolina Hurricanes

On September 12, 2013, Hainsey signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the

after the team announced that a defenseman

Joni Pitkänen Joni Pitkänen (born 19 September 1983) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, Edmonton Oilers, and Carolina Hurricanes. Playing career Pitkänen starte ...

would miss the season due to injury. On June 24, 2014, Hainsey signed a new three-year, $8.5 million contract with the Hurricanes. Ron Hainsey 2017-05-25

Pittsburgh Penguins

On February 23, 2017, Hainsey, in the final year of his contract, was traded to the

in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and

Danny Kristo Daniel Kristo (born June 18, 1990) is an American professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing for Sheffield Steelers in the UK EIHL. Kristo previously played with HK Dukla Michalovce of the Slovak Extraliga. Playing career Kris ...

. It was the first time that he had been traded in his career. It was with the Penguins that on April 12, 2017, after 907 career NHL games and surpassing

's previous playoff games drought "record", Hainsey made his Stanley Cup playoff debut, doing so against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Hainsey and the Penguins went on to win the Stanley Cup over the

Nashville Predators The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...

in the

Finals Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...

. He was the first player captain

Sidney Crosby Sidney Patrick Crosby (born August 7, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Sid the Kid" and dubbed " The Next One", he was selected first o ...

handed the trophy to, following the victory.

Toronto Maple Leafs

On July 1, 2017, Hainsey signed a two-year, $6 million contract with the

. He was signed to replace the departing

Matt Hunwick Matthew John Hunwick (born May 21, 1985) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins ...

, who coincidentally signed with the Penguins that same day. Hainsey made his season debut playing alongside

Morgan Rielly Morgan Frederick Rielly (born March 9, 1994) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and alternate captain for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Maple Leafs in the first round, fifth o ...

. On November 1, 2018, Hainsey played in his 1,000 career NHL game.

Ottawa Senators

On July 1, 2019, Hainsey signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the

. He chose to wear number 81.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and honors

Personal life

Hainsey and his wife Hayley have three children. Hainsey met his wife in

Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Hamilton has a Canada 2016 Census, population of 569,353, and its Census Metropolitan Area, census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington, ...

, when he was playing for the Hamilton Bulldogs.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hainsey, Ron 1981 births Living people American expatriate ice hockey players in Canada American men's ice hockey defensemen Atlanta Thrashers players Carolina Hurricanes players Columbus Blue Jackets players Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL) players Ice hockey players from Connecticut Montreal Canadiens draft picks Montreal Canadiens players National Hockey League first-round draft picks Ottawa Senators players People from Bolton, Connecticut Pittsburgh Penguins players Quebec Citadelles players Stanley Cup champions Toronto Maple Leafs players UMass Lowell River Hawks men's ice hockey players USA Hockey National Team Development Program players Winnipeg Jets players AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans