Kyle Connor
American forward drafted 17th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 2015.
Kyle David Connor is an American professional ice hockey player who plays left wing for the Winnipeg Jets in the National Hockey League. He was selected by the Jets with the 17th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
Connor was born on December 9, 1996, in Clinton Township, Michigan, to Joe and Kathy Connor. He grew up with three siblings and started playing youth hockey with the Belle Tire organization in Metro Detroit. In addition to hockey, he played basketball, baseball, and football through junior high and high school.
In his youth, Connor played for Detroit Belle Tire and took part in the 2009 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament.
Connor began his junior career with the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL in the 2012–13 season. The following year, he put up 31 goals and 43 assists over 56 games, setting a franchise record with 74 points and earning a spot on the USHL First All-Star Team. In the 2014–15 season, he led the league in scoring with 34 goals and 46 assists in 56 games, breaking his own Phantoms record with 80 points. He also led the USHL with nine game-winning goals and was named USHL Forward of the Year and Player of the Year, as well as a First All-Star Team selection.
Connor committed to the University of Michigan for the 2015–16 season. In his college debut on October 16, 2015, he scored two goals and an assist, the most points by a Michigan freshman in a debut since Jason Ryznar in 2001. He was named Big Ten First Star of the Week for the week ending October 20 after also netting a game-winner against Mercyhurst. In December, he recorded five goals and one assist in a split series against Minnesota, including his first career hat-trick on December 11—the first by a Michigan freshman since Michael Woodford in 2001. He was named MVP of the 2015 Great Lakes Invitational and earned a spot on the GLI all-tournament team. The Hockey Commissioners' Association named him National Rookie of the Month for December 2015, during which he led the nation with seven goals and 13 points in six games, averaging 2.17 points per game. His season average of 1.47 points per game was the highest by a Michigan freshman since the 1979–80 season.
In January 2016, Connor was named Big Ten Second Star of the Week twice.
Quick Facts
- Height
- 6 ft 1 in
- Weight
- 183 lb
- Born
- 9 December 1996
- Birthplace
- Clinton Township, Michigan, U.S.
- Position
- Left wing
- Shoots
- Left
- League
- NHL
- Team
- Winnipeg Jets
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Connor began playing youth hockey with the Belle Tire organization in Metro Detroit and participated in the 2009 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. He played junior hockey for the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL, where he set franchise records for points in a season with 74 in 2013–14 and 80 in 2014–15, earning USHL First All-Star Team honors both years and being named USHL Forward of the Year and Player of the Year in 2014–15.
He committed to the University of Michigan for the 2015–16 season and had an outstanding freshman campaign. Connor recorded 30 goals and 31 assists in 34 games, becoming the first Michigan freshman to score 20 goals since Jeff Tambellini and the first to reach 30 goals since Danny Felsner. He was named Big Ten Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, an AHCA First Team All-American, and was runner-up for the Hobey Baker Award.
Connor signed a three-year, two-way contract with the Winnipeg Jets on April 11, 2016. He made his NHL debut on October 13, 2016, recording his first career point with an assist on Patrik Laine's goal. His first NHL goal came on October 27, 2016, against the Dallas Stars. After a head injury and reassignment to the Manitoba Moose, he returned to the Jets late in the 2016–17 season and scored the game-tying goal in the final regular-season game to help secure a playoff spot.
Reader's Guide
Kyle Connor's significance lies in his rapid ascent from a record-setting junior career to an impactful NHL player. His time with the Youngstown Phantoms established him as one of the USHL's top prospects, breaking franchise scoring records and earning league-wide honors. At the University of Michigan, he delivered one of the most productive freshman seasons in program history, leading the Big Ten in scoring and earning national recognition as a Hobey Baker finalist. His transition to the NHL was marked by early challenges, including an injury and reassignment to the AHL, but he demonstrated resilience by performing well with the Manitoba Moose and earning a late-season call-up where he contributed a crucial goal to help the Jets clinch a playoff berth. Connor's legacy is built on his consistent scoring ability at every level and his role as a key piece of the Jets' forward core, drafted and developed within the organization.
Did You Know?
- Connor set the Youngstown Phantoms franchise record for points in a season twice, with 74 in 2013–14 and 80 in 2014–15.
- He was the first Michigan freshman to score 30 goals since Danny Felsner in 1988–89.
- He scored the game-tying goal in the Jets' final regular-season game of 2016–17 to help secure a playoff spot.
More in Winnipeg Jets Players 1-24
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