Anders Lee
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Anders Marcus Lee (born July 3, 1990) is an American professional
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
winger and
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
of the
New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...
of the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
(NHL). Lee attended the
University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...
, where he played hockey for the Fighting Irish ice hockey team. The Islanders drafted him in the sixth round, 151st overall, in the 2009 NHL entry draft.


Early life and high school

Lee was born in
Edina, Minnesota Edina ( , ) is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States and a first-ring suburb of Minneapolis. The population was 53,494 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the 18th most populous ci ...
, a suburb of
Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
, to Thomas (Tom) and Lisa Lee. He excelled in
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
,
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
and
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
from a young age. In 2004, he transferred to
Saint Thomas Academy Saint Thomas Academy (abbr. STA), originally known as St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary and formerly known as St. Thomas Military Academy, is an all-male, Catholic military high school in Mendota Heights, Minnesota. The academy has a middle school (gr ...
high school in
Mendota Heights Mendota Heights ( ) is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. It is a first-ring southern suburb of the Twin Cities. The population was 11,744 at the 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has ...
. He made the varsity ice hockey team as an eighth-grader and played alongside Jordan Schroeder. He was also part of St. Thomas Academy's Class A high school hockey tournament, winning the championship in 2006 and playing again in 2007. In the fall of 2007, Lee transferred back to
Edina High School Edina High School is a four-year public high school located in Edina, Minnesota, United States, a suburb of Minneapolis. The current student population is 2,720. Edina High School was ranked as 428th best public high school in the United States ...
. Although private-to-public school transfers were rare, the daily 20-mile round trip commute to St. Thomas and a desire to play with teammates he grew up with factored into his decision. In his junior year, he made an immediate impact in both football and hockey. In the fall, he won the starting quarterback position and passed for 2,049 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Edina Hornets, who finished with a 10–1 record after losing to the eventual state champion
Eden Prairie Eden Prairie is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. It had a population of 64,198 at the 2020 census, making it the 16th-largest city in Minnesota. The city is adjacent to the north bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from ...
in the Section 6AAAAA championship game. This was the best finish for the Edina Hornet football team in the past decade. In the winter, he transitioned to hockey, where he finished third in scoring for his team with 54 points (32 goals and 22 assists). He was selected to the
Pioneer Press The Pioneer Press publishes 32 local newspapers in the Chicago area. It is a division of Tribune Publishing, and is based in Chicago. The community newspapers are the main source of local news in Illinois communities such as Winnetka, Highland ...
All-State First Team. and received an honorable mention to the AP All-State team. He helped lead the hockey team to a 26–1 regular season record and a second-place finish in the Class AA 2008 state hockey tournament. In the spring, he played varsity baseball as both a
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
and
third basemen A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...
. As a
senior Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to: * Senior (name), a surname ...
, Lee had a breakout year in football. As
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
, he passed for 2,007 yards and five touchdowns and ran for 1,105 yards and 32 touchdowns, averaging 308.7 yards of offense per game. He was selected as the 2008 Minnesota Gatorade Football Player of the Year, the
Star Tribune ''The Minnesota Star Tribune'', formerly the ''Minneapolis Star Tribune'', is an American daily newspaper based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As of 2023, it is Minnesota's largest newspaper and the List of newspapers in the United States, seventh- ...
All-Metro Player of the Year, and was a finalist for Minnesota's "Mr. Football", losing to now professional player Varmah Sonie. Lee used to hold the state record for most all-purpose yards in a game, gaining 581 yards (477 passing and 104 rushing) in 56–42 loss to
Hopkins High School Hopkins High School is a public high school located in Minnetonka, Minnesota, United States. Hopkins High School is part of the Hopkins School District 270. History In the 1970s, there were two high schools in the district: Dwight D. Eisenhow ...
. Despite the individual on-field success, the Hornets went 6–4 that year and did not make the playoffs. Lee's success in football carried over to the ice, where he had another successful season for the Hornets ice hockey team. He finished as one of the top scorers in the league during his senior year, scoring 25 goals and 59 assists in 31 games. He led the Hornets to a 24–3 regular season record and 2009 high school hockey tournament appearance. Despite being the first seed in the tournament bracket, the Hornets lost in the opening round to the eighth seed
Moorhead High School Moorhead High School is a public high school in Moorhead, Minnesota, United States. Established in 1883, the school serves approximately 2,000 students in grades 912. The school has a student-teacher ratio of 18.81. Extracurricular activities ...
. The Hornets would go on to win the consolation final, finishing fifth-place overall in the Class AA tournament. He was a 2009 finalist for the annual "Mr. Hockey" Award, losing to now-professional hockey player and former New York Islanders teammate
Nick Leddy Nicholas Michael Leddy (born March 20, 1991) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the first round, 16th overall, by the Minnesota Wild in the 2009 NHL ...
. Playing in the preseason Upper Midwest Elite League, Lee scored 12 goals with 17 assists in 18 games for Team Southwest. Many scouts regarded him as one of the best athletes in the state of Minnesota. While Lee was offered opportunities to play both football and hockey at Harvard and Minnesota, Lee ultimately committed play hockey at the University of Notre Dame.


Playing career


Early career

In the 2009 NHL entry draft, Lee was selected in the sixth round, 151st overall, by the
New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...
. Lee arguably could have gone higher in the draft, but many teams were concerned he would choose football over hockey. Many scouts were also concerned with his skating. He spent the upcoming season playing for the
Green Bay Gamblers The Green Bay Gamblers are a Tier I junior ice hockey team in the Eastern Conference of the United States Hockey League (USHL). They play in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, at the Resch Center. History Professional hockey in Green Bay The first p ...
in the
United States Hockey League The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the Midwestern United States and Great Plains, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. Th ...
(USHL) and was their leading scorer. He scored 35 goals with 31 assists and had a team-best +38 plus-minus rating with 54 penalties-in-minutes in 59 games and was chosen for the 2010 All-Star Game. He was named Playoff MVP after scoring 10 goals with 12 assists and finishing +10 in 12 playoff contests. He was also named "Rookie of the Year" for the season. The following season, Lee was the second-leading scorer for the
Notre Dame Fighting Irish The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are the athletic teams that represent the University of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish participate in 26 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I intercollegiate sports and in the NCAA's Division ...
of the
Central Collegiate Hockey Association The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) is a college athletic conference in the Midwestern United States that participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. The current CCHA began play in the 2021–22 season; a previ ...
(CCHA) as a freshman as the team were one of the turnaround stories in college hockey, finishing second in the CCHA after finishing ninth the previous season. He scored a team-leading 24 goals with 20 assists and his 44 points were topped only by fellow freshman
T. J. Tynan Thomas Joseph Tynan (born February 25, 1992) is an American professional ice hockey player for the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). Tynan was d ...
, who had 54 points. After falling in the CCHA playoff semi-finals and consolation games, Notre Dame rebounded to capture the NCAA Northeast Region and advanced to the Frozen Four, losing to eventual national champion
University of Minnesota Duluth The University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) is a public university in Duluth, Minnesota, United States. It is part of the University of Minnesota System. UMD offers 17 bachelor's degrees in 87 majors, graduate programs in 24 different fields, a tw ...
in the semi-finals. In the 2011–12 season, Lee was the second-leading scorer for Notre Dame as a sophomore. He scored 17 goals with 17 assists and was minus-one with 24 penalty minutes. The Fighting Irish finished eighth in the league, reaching the tournament quarter-finals against the
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
after defeating
Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...
in an opening round series.


Professional


New York Islanders

Lee concluded his collegiate career on April 1, 2013, by signing a two-year, entry-level contract with the New York Islanders. He immediately made his NHL debut the following day against the
Winnipeg Jets The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The Jets compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The te ...
. He scored his first career NHL goal on his first career shot in the first period of his debut to help lead the Islanders to a 5–2 win. He appeared in one more game for the Islanders that season, where he tallied his first NHL assist on the game-winning goal in a 4–2 win over the
Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. The Lightning compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the ...
. Although the Islanders were allowed to save Lee's first year of his contract for the 2013–14 season, they chose to burn the first year of his contract after he had played two games. Lee participated in his first Islanders training camp ahead of the 2013–14 season but was reassigned to their
American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...
(AHL) affiliate, the
Bridgeport Sound Tigers The Bridgeport Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, who own the franchise. The team started in 200 ...
, on September 30, 2013. He immediately made an impact in the AHL, leading the team in scoring with 22 goals and 19 assists for 41 points through the first half of the season. As a result of his play, Lee was one of three Sound Tigers players recalled to the NHL level on February 24, 2014. As he continued to show his offensive output at the NHL level, Lee began to earn recognition as a possible linemate for
John Tavares John Tavares (born September 20, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward (ice hockey), forward and Alternate Captain (ice hockey), alternate captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). In the 2009 NHL ent ...
and
Kyle Okposo Kyle Henry Erovre Okposo (born April 16, 1988) is an American former professional ice hockey right winger who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, and Florida Panthers. He was drafted s ...
. After participating in the Islanders training camp ahead of the 2014–15 season, Lee was again reassigned to the Sound Tigers to begin the season. Head coach
Jack Capuano Jack C. Capuano Jr. (born July 7, 1966) is an American ice hockey coach and former player. He is a former head coach of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is currently an associate coach for the Minnesota Wild of the N ...
said it was a tough decision to demote Lee because of his impressive showing at training camp but it was the result of a "numbers game." While he began the season with the Sound Tigers, Lee was quickly called up to play with the Islanders on October 22. At the time, he had accumulated three goals and two assists in five games. In his first game of the season, Lee scored the opening goal at 5:11 of the first period to lead the Islanders over the
Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. The Stars compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The Stars ...
. As the season progressed, Lee became a mainstay in the Islanders lineup while playing alongside
Ryan Strome Ryan Edward Gaston Strome (born July 11, 1993) is a Canadian ice hockey centre and alternate captain In ice hockey, the captain is the player designated by a team as the only person authorized to speak with the game officials regarding rule in ...
and
Brock Nelson Brock Christian Nelson (born October 15, 1991) is an American professional ice hockey player for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nelson was drafted 30th overall in the first round of the 2010 NHL entry draft by the Ne ...
. While playing on the 'Kid Line,' called so given their respective ages, Lee also earned some responsibility on the team's top power play unit. After Okposo was declared out for six to eight weeks in late January, Lee replaced him on the Islander's top line with Tavares and
Josh Bailey Joshua Bailey (born October 2, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who is an unrestricted free agent. He has played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders, who selected him ninth overall in the 2 ...
. By mid-February, Lee ranked second on the team with 19 goals and tied for second in goals scored among all league rookies. He finished the month of February leading all rookies with 15 points through 15 games and six game-winning goals. As a result, Lee was recognized with the league's Rookie of the Month honor for the month of February. Lee continued to improve as the regular season reached its end, finishing the 2014–15 season with 25 goals and 16 assists for 41 points through 76 games. His efforts helped the Islanders clinch a playoff berth in the
2015 Stanley Cup playoffs The 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL) for the 2014–15 season. They began on April 15, 2015, and ended on June 15, 2015, with the Chicago Blackhawks defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning fou ...
, although he was limited to five games. After playing in the first five games of the Islanders first round series against the
Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The Capitals compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NH ...
, Lee served as a healthy scratch for Game 6 and Game 7. As a restricted free agent following the 2014–15 season, Lee signed a four-year contract extension to remain with the Islanders. When the 2015–16 season began, Lee was expected to reunite with Tavares and Strome on the Islanders top line. However, after Lee and Strome began the season off slowly, coach Jack Capuano chose to reassign Strome to the AHL and Lee to the second line with Frans Nielsen and Josh Bailey. While Lee began the season with three goals and nine points through the first 19 games, he began to bounce back while playing on the second line. The line remained together until the end of December when Lee returned to Tavares' wing in an effort to spark an increase in both of their offensive output. At the time, Lee had accumulated four goals and 15 points through 36 games, the majority of which was gathered while played on the second line. He continued to steadily improve his scoring as the season progressed before suffering a broken fibula during a game against the
New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...
on April 7. As this was a season-ending injury, Lee finished his sophomore season with 15 goals and 36 points through 80 games. While Lee was injured, the Islanders qualified for the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 1993. After sitting out the entirety of the Islanders' playoff berth, Lee returned to the team's training camp in September healthy and eligible to play. However, both Lee and the Islanders began the season slowly. Lee scored one goal through the first 18 games of the season while the Islanders managed a losing 7–10–4 record by the end of November. In spite of the slow start, Lee experienced a career year while playing mostly on a line with team captain John Tavares and Josh Bailey. He scored a career-high 34 goals and 18 assists for 52 points through 82 games. Lee was presented the Bob Nystrom Award for 2016–17 as the Islander who best exemplifies leadership, hustle and dedication. During the 2017–18 season, Lee again played as left wing on the first line with Bailey and Tavares. Lee was the Islanders' leading scorer with 40 goals, tied for seventh-most in the NHL during the regular season. Lee additionally had 22 assists, making a total of 62 points for the season. On April 23, 2018, he was nominated for the
King Clancy Memorial Trophy The King Clancy Memorial Trophy is a sports award given annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community. The ...
. At the beginning of the 2018–19 season, after the departure of John Tavares to the
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. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...
, Lee was named the 15th captain of the Islanders. On July 1, 2019, Lee signed a new seven-year, $49 million contract with the Islanders (effective from the 2019–20 season to the end of the 2025–26 season) worth an average annual value of $7 million. On March 17, 2021, the Islanders announced Lee would miss the remainder of the 2020–21 season to have surgery on a
torn ACL An anterior cruciate ligament injury occurs when the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is either stretched, partially torn, or completely torn. The most common injury is a complete tear. Symptoms include pain, an audible cracking sound during in ...
sustained after a massive hit with
New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The club w ...
forward Pavel Zacha six days earlier. Lee achieved his first NHL
hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...
on March 10, 2022, in a 6–0 win against the
Columbus Blue Jackets The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. The Blue Jackets compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern C ...
.


Personal life

Lee started partnering with Jam Kancer in the Kan after seeing a video of cancer patient Fenov Pierre-Louis at a Jam Kancer in the Kan event. Since then, Lee has hosted several events for the organization, raising over $300,000 for childhood cancer, and established the Fenov Pierre-Louis Memorial Scholarship after Pierre-Louis' passing in 2018, which he awards to five high school seniors. Lee's cousin is a football player, Ryan Connelly went to Wisconsin. Lee also has a nephew that plays hockey for Maple Grove Braylon Lee. Anders holds a degree in Management Consulting from Notre Dame.


Career statistics


Regular season and playoffs


International


Awards and honors


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Anders 1990 births Living people 21st-century American sportsmen AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans American men's ice hockey centers Bridgeport Sound Tigers players Edina High School alumni Green Bay Gamblers players Ice hockey people from Edina, Minnesota Ice hockey players from Minnesota King Clancy Memorial Trophy winners New York Islanders draft picks New York Islanders players Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's ice hockey players