Jeffrey Petry (/ˈptr/ PEE-tree; born December 9, 1987) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Jeff Petry
Jeff Petry - Canadiens Capitals Hockey (51707022978).jpg
Petry with the Montreal Canadiens in November 2021
Born (1987-12-09) December 9, 1987 (age 36)
Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 208 lb (94 kg; 14 st 12 lb)
Position Defense
Shoots Right
NHL team
Former teams
Detroit Red Wings
Edmonton Oilers
Montreal Canadiens
Pittsburgh Penguins
National team  United States
NHL draft 45th overall, 2006
Edmonton Oilers
Playing career 2010–present

He was selected in the second round, 45th overall, by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, playing for the organization from 2010 until being traded to the Montreal Canadiens in 2015. Petry has also previously played for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Playing career

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Amateur

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Petry in February 2011.

Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and raised in Farmington Hills, Michigan, Petry spent three years playing varsity hockey at St. Mary's Preparatory, in nearby Orchard Lake Village. He left prior to his senior season in November 2005 to play for the Des Moines Buccaneers of the United States Hockey League (USHL), a member of the team's 2006 Tier 1 National Championship-winning team.

Petry was then drafted by the Edmonton Oilers of the NHL in the second round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, 45th overall. He was the Oilers' highest draft pick that year, as the Oilers had previously traded their first-round pick to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for goaltender Dwayne Roloson. Petry would play the following season with the Buccaneers, once again helping the team reach the playoffs.

In 2007, Petry accepted a scholarship with Michigan State University. He registered 24 points (three goals and 21 assists) and was named to the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) All-Rookie Team in his freshman year. The following season for Petry saw a drop in performance, as he was held to a total of 14 points (two goals and 12 assists). He achieved a significant improvement to his game for his junior year at Michigan State, however, as he finished third overall in team scoring and first as a defenseman, collecting 29 points (four goals and 25 assists).[1]

Petry was ever-present for his team, playing in all the Spartans' games for the three seasons he was there.[2]

Professional

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Edmonton Oilers (2010–2015)

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Petry with the Edmonton Oilers in February 2014.

Upon completing what would be his final year at collegiate level, Petry signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers on March 10, 2010.[3] He was then briefly assigned to the Oilers' then-American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Springfield Falcons, playing in eight games. He played his first game as a professional on March 26.

On September 30, 2010, Petry was assigned by the Oilers to their new AHL affiliate, the Oklahoma City Barons, for its inaugural season.[4] On December 27, Edmonton recalled Petry from Oklahoma City. He then made his NHL debut against the Buffalo Sabres on December 28, 2010, and recorded his first NHL point, a secondary assist on a goal by Ryan Jones. His first NHL goal was scored on January 20, 2011, against Kari Lehtonen of the Dallas Stars. On February 4, 2011, Petry was reassigned back to the Barons.[5]

Petry improved in his second NHL season, leading all Oilers defensemen in points, with 25, and was trusted into a shutdown role alongside Ladislav Šmíd.[6] At the end of the 2011–12 season, on June 7, 2012, Petry re-signed on a two-year, $3.4 million contract with the Oilers.[7]

At the start of the 2011–12 season, Petry made Edmonton's NHL roster out of training camp and subsequently played three regular season games before being assigned to Oklahoma City.[8] After only two games in the AHL, however, Petry was recalled back to Edmonton, where he remained for the entire season, playing in 73 games.

After the Oilers missed the playoffs in 2012, Petry was invited to play for Team USA at the 2012 IIHF World Championship.[9] He amassed six points in nine games, though the United States were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Finland.[10] Petry stayed as a permanent member of the Oilers for the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season, playing in all 48 games as the Oilers again failed to make the Stanley Cup playoffs that year.

Montreal Canadiens (2015–2022)

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Petry with the Montreal Canadiens in April 2015.

On March 2, 2015, during the 2014–15 season, Petry was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a 2015 second-round draft pick and conditional fifth-round pick.[11] After the Canadiens post-season run, on June 2, 2015, Petry opted to surrender his impending free agent status in signing a six-year contract extension with the Montreal Canadiens until the 2020–21 season.[12]

On September 25, 2020, Petry signed a four-year, $25 million contract extension with the Canadiens.[13]

The 2020–21 COVID-shortened season proved to be Petry's most productive to date, while playing alongside Montreal newcomer Joel Edmundson.[14] His 42 points over 55 games was second on the team, behind only Tyler Toffoli. Petry participated in the Canadiens' deep run during the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs, culminating in an appearance in the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games. Petry sustained a finger injury in the course of Game 3 of the second round series against the Winnipeg Jets, causing him to miss two games. He opted against surgery to remain in the series, instead having it put in a cast, the pain from which caused blood vessels in both his eyes to pop, and he returned to Game 2 of the semi-final against the Vegas Golden Knights with noticeably bloodshot eyes that became an internet meme.[15]

With Shea Weber's departure from the lineup for health reasons, Petry became the Canadiens' top defenseman going into the 2021–22 season.[14] Expectations were high based on four consecutive forty point seasons, but Petry's struggles became one of the most prominent features of a historically poor start for the team. In his first 25 games, Petry recorded only 2 secondary assists, and committed numerous miscues that attracted commentator and fan speculation that he was attempting to play through injury. His poor play lead fans of the team to derisively dub him the "Tank Commander".[16] In December, shortly after the sacking of longtime general manager Marc Bergevin, the team announced that Petry was dealing with an upper body injury and would miss an undetermined number of upcoming games.[17] The change in management with the hiring of Jeff Gorton and possibility of the Canadiens initiating a long-term rebuild raised questions about whether Petry would seek a trade. He said "when you get later in your career — as a I am — you know time’s not on your side. So that’s a decision that they need to make and to be aware of what they’re going to do."[18] Petry was vocally critical of coach Dominique Ducharme.[19] His situation became more complicated still when his wife Julie became frustrated with the Quebec government's pandemic measures and relocated with their children to Detroit for the remainder of the season.[20]

Following Ducharme's sacking by new general manager Kent Hughes and the hiring of Martin St. Louis to replace him, Petry's play markedly improved.[19] However, he remained interested in a trade for family reasons. Hughes attempted to facilitate one at the trade deadline, but none took shape, and he said that he would attempt again in the summer.[20] Petry subsequently sustained a lower body injury in a March 24 game against the Florida Panthers, exiting in the third period, and was announced as being out indefinitely.[21] After returning, he played what was widely judged as his best hockey of the season in the final weeks of April, including a two-goal performance to help the team beat the New York Rangers 4–3, snapping a nine-game losing streak in the penultimate game of the year.[16]

Pittsburgh Penguins (2022–2023)

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On July 16, 2022, Petry, along with forward Ryan Poehling, was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Mike Matheson and a 2023 fourth-round draft pick.[22] Having been acquired by general manager Ron Hextall in the hopes that he would improve the offensive performance of the Penguins' blueline, there was a general sense of disappointment with Petry's first season with the team, despite generating 31 points in 61 games. He missed time with injury, and in the midst of an underwhelming season for the Penguins that saw them miss the playoffs for the first time in 17 years, there were reports that new general manager Kyle Dubas was looking to trade Petry elsewhere.[23][24][25][26]

Detroit Red Wings (2023–present)

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On August 6, 2023, Petry, alongside Casey DeSmith, Nathan Legare, and a 2025 second-round pick, was traded back to Montreal in exchange for Rem Pitlick and Mike Hoffman as part of a three-team trade also involving the San Jose Sharks.[27] It was widely speculated that general manager Hughes would seek to immediately trade Petry to another team; as a result, Petry was again traded to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for Gustav Lindström and a conditional 2025 fourth-round pick on August 15.[28][29][30][31]

Personal life

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Petry is a second-generation professional athlete. His father, Dan Petry, is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher who earned a World Series ring as a member of the Detroit Tigers in 1984. Petry has an older brother, Matt.[32][33] He and his wife Julie have four sons.

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2004–05 St. Mary's Preparatory HSMI 23 2 8 10 6 2 5 7
2005–06 Detroit Little Caesars MWEHL 33 7 21 28 24
2005–06 Des Moines Buccaneers USHL 48 1 14 15 68 11 2 5 7 8
2006–07 Des Moines Buccaneers USHL 55 18 27 45 71 8 0 6 6 10
2007–08 Michigan State University CCHA 42 3 21 24 28
2008–09 Michigan State University CCHA 38 2 12 14 32
2009–10 Michigan State University CCHA 38 4 25 29 26
2009–10 Springfield Falcons AHL 8 0 3 3 2
2010–11 Oklahoma City Barons AHL 41 7 17 24 18 6 0 1 1 5
2010–11 Edmonton Oilers NHL 35 1 4 5 10
2011–12 Oklahoma City Barons AHL 2 0 1 1 2
2011–12 Edmonton Oilers NHL 73 2 23 25 26
2012–13 Edmonton Oilers NHL 48 3 9 12 29
2013–14 Edmonton Oilers NHL 80 7 10 17 42
2014–15 Edmonton Oilers NHL 59 4 11 15 32
2014–15 Montreal Canadiens NHL 19 3 4 7 10 12 2 1 3 4
2015–16 Montreal Canadiens NHL 51 5 11 16 16
2016–17 Montreal Canadiens NHL 80 8 20 28 22 6 1 0 1 2
2017–18 Montreal Canadiens NHL 82 12 30 42 28
2018–19 Montreal Canadiens NHL 82 13 33 46 28
2019–20 Montreal Canadiens NHL 71 11 29 40 26 10 2 1 3 6
2020–21 Montreal Canadiens NHL 55 12 30 42 20 20 0 6 6 6
2021–22 Montreal Canadiens NHL 68 6 21 27 36
2022–23 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 61 5 26 31 24
2023–24 Detroit Red Wings NHL 73 3 21 24 39
NHL totals 937 95 282 377 388 48 5 8 13 18

International

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Medal record
Representing the   United States
Ice hockey
Ice Hockey World Championships
  2013 Sweden/Finland
Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2012 United States WC 7th 9 2 3 5 4
2013 United States WC   10 0 0 0 4
2014 United States WC 6th 8 0 4 4 4
2024 United States WC 5th 7 0 1 1 0
Senior totals 34 2 9 11 12

Awards and honors

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Award Year
USHL
Clark Cup champion 2005–06
All-Star 2005–06, 2006–07
Defenseman of the Year 2006–07 [34]
First All-Star Team 2006–07 [34]
Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year Award 2006–07 [35]
College
All-CCHA Rookie Team 2007–08 [34]
CCHA Rookie of the Year Finalist 2007–08
NCAA West All-Tournament Team 2007–08 [36]
INCH Freshman All-American 2007–08
All-CCHA Second Team 2009–10 [34]
AHCA West Second-Team All-American 2009–10 [34]

References

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  1. ^ "Future Watch: Jeff Petry". Edmonton Oilers. July 6, 2009. Retrieved February 4, 2010.
  2. ^ "Lerg, Petry Honored by USA Hockey". Michigan State Spartans. May 30, 2007. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
  3. ^ Petry signs entry level contract
  4. ^ "Oilers assign four". Edmonton Oilers. September 30, 2010. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
  5. ^ "Oilers assign five".
  6. ^ "Smid and Petry got job done in leading roles on the Oilers". Edmonton Journal. April 6, 2012. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  7. ^ "Petry's new contract follows breakout season". Edmonton Oilers. June 7, 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
  8. ^ "Petry re-assigned to Barons". Edmonton Oilers. October 15, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2011.
  9. ^ "Team USA Stats" (PDF). IIHF. May 1, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
  10. ^ 2012 IIHF World Championship
  11. ^ "Canadiens acquire Petry from Oilers for draft picks". National Hockey League. March 2, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  12. ^ "Canadiens agree to terms on a six-year contract with Jeff Petry". Montreal Canadiens. June 2, 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  13. ^ "Canadiens sign defenseman Jeff Petry to a four-year contract extension". NHL.com. September 25, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  14. ^ a b D'Amours, Tristan (September 30, 2021). "Canadiens look for answers at centre, blue line ahead of final pre-season week". The Globe & Mail. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  15. ^ "Canadiens' Petry suffered broken finger that was source of bloodshot eyes". Sportsnet. July 9, 2021. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  16. ^ a b Engels, Eric (April 28, 2022). "Canadiens' Jeff Petry redeeming confidence as lost season winds down". Sportsnet. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  17. ^ Berkshire, Andrew (December 8, 2021). "Canadiens by the numbers: More than meets the eye to Petry's struggles". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  18. ^ Cowan, Stu (December 1, 2021). "Management changes make Jeff Petry's future with Canadiens uncertain". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  19. ^ a b Cowan, Stu (February 28, 2022). "Canadiens' Jeff Petry like a new man after coaching change". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  20. ^ a b Cowan, Stu (March 22, 2022). "Jeff Petry will have to stick it out with Habs". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  21. ^ "Canadiens' Jeff Petry out indefinitely with lower-body injury". The Athletic. March 26, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  22. ^ "Canadiens trade defenceman Jeff Petry to Penguins". Sportsnet. July 16, 2022. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  23. ^ Horwat, Nick (June 28, 2023). "Report: Penguins Looking To Deal Jeff Petry". The Hockey News. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  24. ^ Majchrzak, George (May 30, 2023). "Penguins 2022-23 Season Grades: Rakell, Rust & Petry". The Hockey Writers. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  25. ^ Horwat, Nick (May 15, 2023). "Jeff Petry, Mikael Granlund Highlight Penguins' Trade Targets". The Hockey News. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  26. ^ Richardson, Lyle (July 27, 2023). "6 NHL Trade Fails That Will Keep Haunting Teams Next Season". The Bleacher Report. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  27. ^ "Karlsson goes to Penguins in three-team trade with Sharks, Canadiens". NHL.com. August 6, 2023.
  28. ^ Engels, Eric (August 9, 2023). "How Canadiens GM Hughes can maximize Petry's value after re-acquiring defenceman". Sportsnet. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  29. ^ Richardson, Lyle (August 7, 2023). "Jeff Petry's return to the Montreal Canadiens could be short-lived". The Hockey News. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  30. ^ Wilson, Trege (August 9, 2023). "Canadiens Likely to Trade Petry and DeSmith Before Season". The Hockey Writers. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  31. ^ "The Canadiens trade Jeff Petry to the Detroit Red Wings". Montreal Canadiens. August 15, 2023.
  32. ^ "Big league pitcher's son chooses the ice over the diamond". Oklahoma City Barons. November 23, 2011. Archived from the original on March 13, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  33. ^ Ireland, Joanne (June 9, 2007). "Petry put diamond dreams on ice". Edmonton Journal. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2010.
  34. ^ a b c d e The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book/2011. Triumph Books. 2010. p. 325. ISBN 978-1-60078-422-4.
  35. ^ "Petry is selected as Dave Tyler player of the year". United States Hockey League. May 1, 2007. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
  36. ^ "NCAA announces All-Tournament teams". insidecollegehockey.com. May 1, 2008. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
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