Alex DeBrincat

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Born in Farmington Hills, Michigan, DeBrincat spent one year at Harrison High School before transferring to Lake Forest Academy in Illinois. He had planned to play college ice hockey in Massachusetts but signed with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the 2014–15 season. There, he set a franchise record with over 50 goals and 100 points in his first season, and he won the Emms Family Award and CHL Rookie of the Year trophies. During the 2016–17 season, DeBrincat became the all-time Otters goal leader and the top scorer of any OHL player born in the United States. He won the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy, Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy, Red Tilson Trophy, and CHL Player of the Year award for his performance. He spent three years with the Otters, becoming the second player in OHL history to score 50 goals and 100 points all three years. DeBrincat joined the Blackhawks for the 2017–18 season, where he experienced goal streaks and droughts as a rookie, including three hat-tricks. He surpassed his rookie scoring totals in 2018–19 season, but fell into a slump during the 2019–20 season, particularly when he was not on the power play. DeBrincat's offensive production improved during the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 2020–21 season, during which he maintained a pace of over a point per game. DeBrincat continued this production the following year when he represented the Blackhawks at the NHL All-Star Game and recorded his second 40-goal season.

In Their Own Story

During his final junior season in 2016–17, DeBrincat cemented his legacy as an offensive force. He surpassed Rob Schremp to become the all-time leading goal scorer from the United States in OHL history and joined Dale McCourt as the only players to score 50 goals in three consecutive seasons. His season culminated with him winning the Red Tilson Trophy, Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy, and Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy while leading the Otters to a J. Ross Robertson Cup victory, though they lost the Memorial Cup finals to Windsor. Transitioning to the NHL for the 2017–18 season, DeBrincat made his debut on October 4, scoring his first goal against Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens. He quickly showcased his elite finishing touch with three hat-tricks as a rookie: one against the Anaheim Ducks on November 27, another against the Detroit Red Wings on January 26, and a third against the St. Louis Blues on March 18. This feat made him the first Blackhawk rookie to record three hat-tricks in a single season.

Reader's Guide

DeBrincat scored his first OHL goal in his first game with the Otters, a 7–1 win over the Saginaw Spirit to open the 2014–15 season. On October 1, 2015, DeBrincat scored five goals in the Niagara IceDogs' home opener for the 2015–16 season. He finished his OHL career with 167 goals and 332 points in 191 regular season games, and an additional 30 goals and 73 points in 55 postseason games. He made his NHL debut on October 4, 2017, and scored his first NHL goal on October 10, 2017, beating Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens.

Did You Know?

• DeBrincat's favorite ice hockey player as a child was Pavel Datsyuk, who played for the Detroit Red Wings from 2001 to 2016.
• He was the second player in OHL history to score 50 goals and 100 points in all three of his seasons.
• DeBrincat was drafted 39th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2016 NHL entry draft.