The family brought Duncan Keith to Edmonton after a stellar career as the backbone of the Chicago Blackhawks defense.
And after a solid season with the Oilers, family is the reason Keith feels he’s in a good place to finish his NHL career after 17 seasons, three Stanley Cups and two Norris Trophy awards as the best defenseman. of the league.
Keith announced his retirement Tuesday, sometimes fighting back tears during a news conference as he thanked his teammates, coaches and family for helping him along the way to his Hall of Fame-caliber career.
He said a noticeable change in how he felt in recent postseasons (Keith turns 39 on Saturday) coupled with a desire to spend more time with his son Colton helped him make a difficult decision.
“I still love the game, I always will,” Keith said with Colton at his side. “But with getting older … and the idea of being closer to my son, and being close to him and his hockey, being able to help my brother coach our kids and my niece, the closer he got to that, the more excited”. that’s what I became.”
Keith said he feels he can still play the game at a high level, as evidenced by his effective 2021-22 season in Edmonton that saw him put up 21 points (one goal, 20 assists) in 64 games with an average ice time of almost 20 minutes.
He added a goal and four assists in 16 playoff outings as the Oilers reached the Western Conference finals for the first time since advancing to the Stanley Cup series in 2006.
“I think that’s how I wanted to go out, knowing I still had some game left and I’m relatively healthy,” the four-time All-Star said.
Keith, who was born in Winnipeg and grew up in Fort Frances, Ontario, and Penticton, BC, was selected by Chicago in the second round, 54th overall in the 2002 NHL draft.
He began his professional career with the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League under head coach and former Blackhawks defenseman Trent Yawney. Keith, who would later become an influence on younger players on the Blackhawks and Oilers, recalled some of the players he shaped his game into early in his career.
“In the minors there was a guy named Marty Wilford who I noticed made all the passes in practice,” Keith said. “In two years I never saw him miss a pass.
“We had great leadership in Chicago early on with Marty Lapointe, Adrian Aucoin and Todd Simpson. I was lucky to be surrounded by quality guys like that.”
Keith went on to anchor a Blackhawks blue line that won the Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015.
He was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoffs MVP in 2015 after amassing 21 points (three goals, 18 assists) in 23 games and won the Norris Trophy for best defenseman in 2010 and 2014.
Keith thanks many of the teammates he had success with in Chicago (names include Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp), but he especially praised fellow defensive end Brent Seabrook.
Keith and Seabrook played their 1,000th game together on Dec. 11, 2018. No other defensive pairing has reached that milestone.
Keith said that he and Seabrook shared a “special bond.”
“Having him for my entire career was huge for me,” Keith said. “I’m very grateful to have a guy like that to play with for 15 years.
“I can’t sit here and explain it to anyone properly, but he was huge.”
Keith requested a trade from the Blackhawks to Western Canada after the 2020-21 season to be closer to his family. He was traded to Edmonton along with Tim Soderlund that offseason for Caleb Jones and a conditional third-round pick in 2022.
“It was a very difficult decision, but looking back was one of the best decisions I ever made,” Keith said.
“Being able to play closer to home, a big part of that decision was being able to play here in Edmonton in front of my family,” added Keith, who has an aunt, uncle and cousins in town.
“Being able to put on the Oilers jersey and wear it with pride meant a lot.”
While Keith said it was disappointing that the team didn’t make it to the Cup final, he believes the Oilers have the pieces in place to win a title.
“I know we fell short last year,” he said. “But we had a great race.”
Keith added that the opportunity to play with superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl “speaks for itself.”
“They are the two best players in the world,” he said. “Being around them, just to see how good they are on a day-to-day basis, was incredible. And I think they’re going to lead this team to a championship.”
Keith thanked the Oilers fans for creating a rousing atmosphere at Rogers Place, particularly in the postseason.
“It’s incredibly special to play playoff hockey in Edmonton,” Keith said. “Having the opportunity to walk out of the locker room, you feel like a gladiator walking on ice.
“It’s an amazing and special feeling.”
Keith finished his career with 106 goals, 540 assists and 675 penalty minutes in 1,256 games.
Internationally, Keith helped Canada win Olympic gold at the 2010 and 2104 Winter Games.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on July 12, 2022.