Anthony Duclair
Haitian-Canadian forward who played for nine NHL teams.
Anthony Duclair, a Haitian-Canadian forward for the New York Islanders, was born on August 26, 1995, in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, and raised in Laval by Haitian immigrants Wendell Duclair and Dominique Raphael. His father and uncle played Canadian football—uncle Farell Duclair helped the Calgary Stampeders win the 86th Grey Cup in 1998—but Anthony chose ice hockey. A childhood fan of the Montreal Canadiens, his favorite player was Saku Koivu. He started skating at age two and playing hockey at four, attending schools that let out early in the afternoon so he could practice more. In 2008, he and Frédérik Gauthier played in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a Canadiens minor affiliate. As a teen, he played for the Lac St. Louis Lions in the Quebec Midget AAA Hockey League, winning the Jimmy Ferrari Cup in 2011 and earning the Mario Lemieux Trophy as the league’s top 15-year-old prospect. The Lions then reached the Telus Cup, where Duclair scored twice in a bronze medal win over the Vancouver North West Giants.
Duclair spent three seasons with the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), scoring 50 goals in 59 games during the 2013–14 season and earning a spot on the QMJHL First All-Star Team. He signed an entry-level contract with the New York Rangers on January 2, 2014. By signing after the new year, he avoided the standard rookie clause that would have allowed the team to return him to junior within ten games without triggering his contract’s first year. He impressed head coach Alain Vigneault in training camp but couldn’t join the opening roster until the Rangers cleared a contract spot by trading Steven Kampfer and Andrew Yogan to the Florida Panthers for Joey Crabb. Duclair made his NHL debut on October 9, 2014, on a line with J. T. Miller and Lee Stempniak in a 3–2 win over the St. Louis Blues. He recorded five points in his first seven games, including his first goal on October 27, when he tied the game against the Minnesota Wild with under four minutes left in the third period; Mats Zuccarello scored 37 seconds later to win 5–4. After that, Duclair’s production slowed—one goal and five assists in nine games, then just one assist in the next nine.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1995-08-26
- Birth Place
- Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada
- Height Ft
- 5
- Height In
- 11
- Weight Lb
- 197
- Position
- Forward
- Shoots
- Left
- League
- NHL
- Team
- New York Islanders
- Former Teams
- New York Rangers / Arizona Coyotes / Chicago Blackhawks / Columbus Blue Jackets / Ottawa Senators / Florida Panthers / San Jose Sharks / Tampa Bay Lightning
- Draft
- 80th overall
- Draft Year
- 2013
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Duclair began ice skating at age two and playing hockey two years later. As a child, he attended schools that finished early in the afternoon to allow more practice time. In 2008, he appeared in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens. He later played for the Lac St. Louis Lions of the Quebec Midget AAA Hockey League, winning the Jimmy Ferrari Cup in 2011 and earning the Mario Lemieux Trophy as the top 15-year-old prospect. The Lions advanced to the Telus Cup, where Duclair scored two goals in a bronze medal win.
Duclair spent three seasons with the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), scoring 50 goals in 59 games during the 2013–14 season and being named to the QMJHL First All-Star Team. He signed an entry-level contract with the New York Rangers on January 2, 2014, and made his NHL debut on October 9, 2014. After being traded to the Arizona Coyotes on March 1, 2015, he developed line chemistry with rookie Max Domi, earning the duo the nickname 'The Killer D's.' Duclair scored his first career NHL hat-trick on October 14, 2015, in a 4–0 shutout win against the Anaheim Ducks.
Reader's Guide
Anthony Duclair's career is notable for its frequent team changes and moments of high offensive production. He was a key part of the Arizona Coyotes' youth movement alongside Max Domi, forming a dynamic duo known as 'The Killer D's' during the 2015–16 season. After requesting a trade from the Coyotes in January 2018, he was dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks, then signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets, and was traded to the Ottawa Senators in February 2019. With the Senators, Duclair became one of their top offensive players, recording 21 goals and 30 points in his first 38 games of the 2019–20 season and being named the team's representative for the 2020 NHL All-Star Game. He later signed with the Florida Panthers, helping them reach the Stanley Cup Finals in 2023 for the first time in 27 years. Duclair also became an inaugural executive board member of the Hockey Diversity Alliance in June 2020, an organization aimed at addressing intolerance and racism in hockey. His career illustrates both the volatility and the potential of a skilled forward who has played for nine NHL organizations.
Did You Know?
- Duclair's favorite childhood hockey player was Saku Koivu.
- He scored his first NHL hat-trick on October 14, 2015, against the Anaheim Ducks.
- Duclair represented the Ottawa Senators at the 2020 NHL All-Star Game.
- He helped the Florida Panthers reach the Stanley Cup Finals in 2023.
More in Arizona Coyotes Players 1-24
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