Chris Pronger

Lore & Background

Pronger played for the Hartford Whalers, St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks, and Philadelphia Flyers. He was captain of the Blues, Ducks, and Flyers. He appeared in the Stanley Cup Final with three different teams (Edmonton, Anaheim, and Philadelphia), winning the Cup with the Ducks in 2007. Pronger won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player for the 1999–2000 season, becoming the first defenceman to win the award since Bobby Orr in 1971–72. He also won Olympic gold medals at the 2002 and 2010 Winter Olympics. His playing career ended in November 2011 due to post-concussion syndrome related to three separate hits; he also has vision impairment from being hit in the eye(s) by the blade of another player's stick. Pronger was suspended eight times during his NHL career.

Reader's Guide

Pronger's significance stems from his rare combination of imposing size, speed, offensive skill (particularly on the power play) and physicality, which made him a dominant defenceman. He is notable for winning the Hart Trophy as MVP in 1999–2000, the first defenceman to do so since Bobby Orr. He became a member of the Triple Gold Club after winning the Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2007. His career was marked by both achievement and controversy: he requested a trade from Edmonton for personal reasons, leading to his reputation as 'Public Enemy No. 1' there, and he was suspended eight times, including an eight-game suspension for stomping on Vancouver's Ryan Kesler. After his playing career ended due to post-concussion syndrome, he signed a contract with the NHL to assist its Player Safety Division in October 2014. The St. Louis Blues retired his No. 44 on January 17, 2022.

Did You Know?

• Pronger was selected second overall in the 1993 NHL entry draft, behind Alexandre Daigle.
• He became the first player in NHL history to score a penalty shot goal in a Stanley Cup Final game (June 5, 2006, against the Carolina Hurricanes).
• Pronger suffered a cardiac arrest caused by commotio cordis when hit in the chest with a puck during the 1998 Stanley Cup playoffs.