Joel Edmundson
Canadian defenceman and 2019 Stanley Cup champion.
Joel Edmundson, a defenceman from Canada, currently plays for the Los Angeles Kings in the NHL. He was born in Brandon, Manitoba, on June 28, 1993, to Bob and Lois Edmundson, and started playing hockey at age two after his older brother Jesse inspired him. The St. Louis Blues selected him in the second round, 46th overall, of the 2011 NHL draft, and he went on to win the Stanley Cup with them in 2019. His NHL career has also included stints with the Carolina Hurricanes, Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Growing up in Manitoba, Edmundson played junior hockey with the Brandon Wheat Kings midget AAA team alongside his brother. Over the 2008–09 and 2009–10 seasons, he appeared in 85 games for the Wheat Kings and recorded 58 points. The team, which included future NHLer Micheal Ferland, lost in the playoff semi-finals. Edmundson’s father helped pay for Ferland’s hockey when Ferland joined the Brandon Wheat Kings. Edmundson also played one game for the Dauphin Kings of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League in 2009–10. The Moose Jaw Warriors selected him 121st overall in the 2008 WHL Bantam Draft.
During his WHL rookie season with the Warriors, Edmundson played 71 games, scoring 20 points and accumulating 95 penalty minutes. NHL Central Scouting initially ranked him 69th, but his strong rookie year moved him up to 33rd ahead of the 2011 draft. Warriors assistant coach Mike Vandenberghe praised his size, potential, offensive upside, and solid defensive play. After being drafted 46th by the Blues, Edmundson attended their summer training camp but suffered an ankle injury, missing a month of action. He returned to the Warriors on October 27, 2011, and was later named to Team WHL for the CHL Canada/Russia Series as a replacement for Griffin Reinhart. The Warriors finished first in the WHL’s East Division and reached the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals against the Medicine Hat Tigers. Edmundson ended the regular season with 23 points in 56 games.
The 2012–13 NHL lockout kept Edmundson from attending Blues training camp, so he returned to the WHL for his final junior season. He was named an alternate captain alongside Morgan Rielly and Jordan Wyton. On December 6, 2012, the Warriors traded him and a 2015 fourth-round pick to the Kamloops Blazers for Tyler Bell, Jayden Halbgewachs, and a 2015 first-round pick.
- Born
- June 28, 1993
- Birthplace
- Brandon, Manitoba
- Drafted
- Second round, 46th overall, by the St. Louis Blues in the 2011 NHL entry draft
- Position
- Defenceman
- Current team
- Los Angeles Kings
- Stanley cup
- 2019 (St. Louis Blues)
Lore & Background
Edmundson began playing ice hockey at age two, inspired by his older brother Jesse. He played junior hockey with the Brandon Wheat Kings and later the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL, where he was drafted 121st overall in the 2008 WHL Bantam Draft. After a strong rookie season, he was selected 46th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2011 NHL entry draft. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Blues while playing for the Kamloops Blazers, where he received the team's Most Dedicated award.
Edmundson made his NHL debut with the Blues on October 8, 2015, and scored his first NHL goal on March 25, 2016. He set a franchise record for most hits by a rookie with 162. He was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes on September 24, 2019, along with Dominik Bokk and a seventh-round pick, in exchange for Justin Faulk and a fifth-round pick. With the Hurricanes, he recorded his first goal and two assists on November 11, 2019, and set a new career-high in points with 19.
After the 2019–20 season, Edmundson was traded to the Montreal Canadiens and signed a four-year, $14 million contract. He played in his second Stanley Cup Final with the Canadiens, who lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games. His father was a lifelong Canadiens fan.
Reader's Guide
Edmundson's significance lies in his steady defensive play and his role on a Stanley Cup-winning team. He was a key part of the Blues' 2019 championship run, playing in five of the seven games of the Final. His trade to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2019 was part of a major roster move that sent Justin Faulk to St. Louis. With the Hurricanes, Edmundson set a new career-high in points, demonstrating offensive growth. His subsequent trade to Montreal and deep playoff run with the Canadiens in 2021 further cemented his reputation as a reliable defenceman in high-stakes situations. His career path—from a second-round draft pick to a Stanley Cup champion—illustrates the value of physical, stay-at-home defencemen in the modern NHL.
Did You Know?
- Edmundson set a St. Louis Blues franchise record for most hits by a rookie with 162.
- His father Bob helped finance Micheal Ferland's hockey career when Ferland played with the Brandon Wheat Kings.
- Edmundson brought the Stanley Cup to his hometown of Brandon, Manitoba, visiting the Sportsplex and the Western Manitoba Cancer Centre.
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