Dustin Penner 3984207 225019483 2008-07-11T14:16:00Z Resolute 425079 rvt - POV {{Infobox Ice Hockey Player | image=Dustin_Penner2007.jpg | image_size = 250px | team= [[Edmonton Oilers]] | former_teams = [[Anaheim Ducks]] | league = [[National Hockey League|NHL]] | position = [[Winger (ice hockey)|Left Wing]] | shoots = Left | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 4.5 | weight_lb = 245 | nickname = The Large Human<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=8816 | title=Now Playing in Edmonton: Dustin Penner | publisher=HockeyBuzz.com | last=Stolhand | first=Doug | date=[[2007-08-02]] | accessdate=2007-08-14}}</ref><br /> The Flying Fridge | nationality = CAN | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|9|28}} | birth_place = [[Winkler, Manitoba|Winkler]] [[Manitoba|MB]] | draft = Undrafted | career_start = 2006 }} '''Dustin Penner''' (born [[September 28]], [[1982]] in [[Winkler, Manitoba|Winkler]], [[Manitoba]]) is a [[professional]] [[ice hockey]] forward currently playing for the [[Edmonton Oilers]] of the [[National Hockey League]]. Penner was never drafted; he was discovered and signed as a [[free agent]] by the then [[Mighty Ducks of Anaheim]] after he played for the [[University of Maine]] in the [[NCAA]]. Penner won the [[Stanley Cup]] in his rookie season with the [[Anaheim Ducks]] in [[2006-07 NHL season|2006-07]]. During the 2007-08 NHL season, he lived with Oilers teammate [[Matt Greene]]. ==Playing career== ===Minors=== Dustin Penner began his career by playing on his [[high school]] team, the Winkler Zodiacs, and had little hope of ever making it to the [[NHL]] or playing hockey professionally. [http://www.anaheimducks.com/press/feature/article.php?dir=200612&id=1536] After being cut by all local [[AAA]] and junior teams he tried out for, his cousin Darryl called him and offered him an opportunity to play at [[Minot State University-Bottineau]], a [[junior college]]. He agreed to play there, but his first year turned out to be a terrible one, as he broke his [[femur]] and did not return to play. The next year, in the 2001-02 season, he became a very important player for the club, scoring 20 goals with 13 assists in 23 games, also earning the Most Determined Player Award for his improvement and stellar play after recovering from a broken femur. Penner then went to an evaluation camp at [[Saskatoon]]. He played well there, scoring an average of three points per game. There he was spotted by Grant Stanbrook, the assistant coach for the [[University of Maine]]. Grant offered Penner a [[scholarship]], which he accepted. He did not play for the team that year, but joined them in all of their practices. In the 2003-04 season Penner played for the [[University of Maine]] Black Bears and helped lead the team to the [[NCAA]] [[Championship]] game, where he scored the game-winning goal in the [[semifinals]] against [[Boston College]]. Maine then lost the championship title game to the [[University of Denver]], 1-0. After the loss, Penner was approached by David McNab, the [[Mighty Ducks of Anaheim]]’s [[assistant]] [[general manager]]. He told Penner that he had a good chance to advance to the NHL. A month later, on [[May 12th]], [[2004]], the Mighty Ducks signed him to a [[contract]] as a [[free agent]]. He was assigned to play for the [[Cincinnati Mighty Ducks]], at the time the Anaheim Mighty Ducks' [[American Hockey League]] [[affiliate]]. He had a good year with Cincinnati, but when he was moved to play for the [[Portland Pirates]], (the Ducks current [[American Hockey League|AHL]] affiliate) he played much better; scoring 39 goals and 45 assists in 57 games, for a total of 84 points. [http://www.anaheimducks.com/press/feature/article.php?dir=200612&id=1536] The Mighty Ducks took notice and called him up from the minors to play in the [[NHL]] on [[November 23]], [[2005]]. ===Professional=== Dustin Penner played 19 games for the Mighty Ducks in the [[2005-06 NHL Season]], the first season of his career. He scored four goals, three assists and seven points in total. But, he was sent down to play for the Ducks' current minor affiliate, the [[Portland Pirates]], on and off during the regular season. He was sent back and forth from the [[minors]] to the [[NHL]] [http://tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?name=Dustin+Penner&hubname=nhl-ducks], until finally being recalled to join Anaheim in their [[Stanley Cup]] efforts. Penner scored three goals, six assists, and nine points in the [[2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs]] until Anaheim was eliminated by the [[Edmonton Oilers]] in the Stanley Cup Conference Finals. In the [[2006-07 NHL Season]] Penner had a breakout year, improving significantly. He remained on the [[roster]] of the newly-named [[Anaheim Ducks]] for the entire season, scoring 29 goals, 16 assists, and 45 points. He scored the second most goals on the team, only trailing [[superstar]] [[Teemu Selänne]] who scored 48. The playoffs started out well for Penner when he scored the game-winning goal in game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the [[Minnesota Wild]] in the [[2007 NHL Playoffs]]. Penner also scored the game-winning goal in game 4 of the [[2007 Stanley Cup Finals]] in a 3-2 victory against the [[Ottawa Senators]] to give Anaheim a 3-1 series lead. On [[June 6]], [[2007]], Penner and the Ducks defeated the Senators 6-2 to win the [[Stanley Cup]]. Penner became the first former [[University of Maine|Maine Black Bear]] to win the Stanley Cup as a player. After winning the Stanley Cup with the Ducks, Penner became a [[restricted free agent]]. With the Ducks dealing with [[salary cap]] issues, Penner remained unsigned. The [[Edmonton Oilers]] jumped on the opportunity and signed Penner to an [[offer sheet]] for a five-year, $21.25 million contract. The contract was criticized a great deal by the media, stating that $4.25 million per year was an overpayment for Penner. After seven days, the Ducks were unwilling to match the offer, and Penner became an Oiler.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.sbsun.com/sports/ci_6532238 | title=Ducks let Penner move on | last=Harris | first=Beth | publisher=[[Associated Press]] | date=[[2007-08-03]]}}</ref> Dustin Penner is known for his ability to hold on to the puck for long periods of time and muscle his way around and behind the net with his big size. He is also recognized as a [[Power forward (ice hockey)|power forward]], skilled at deflecting the puck. [http://www.latimes.com/sports/hockey/nhl/ducks/la-sp-ducks6mar06,1,3491018.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-nhl-ducks] ==Awards & Achievements== *2001-02 - [[NJCAA]] - Most Determined Player Award - MSU-Bottineau *2002-03 - [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] - All-Tournament Team *2003-04 - NCAA - Jack Semler Award, [[University of Maine]] (Most Improved Player) *2006-07 - [[NHL]] - [[Stanley Cup]] ([[Anaheim Ducks]]) ==Transactions== *[[May 12]], [[2004]] - Signed as a [[free agent]] by the [[Mighty Ducks of Anaheim]]. *[[August 2]], [[2007]] - Signed as a [[restricted free agent]] by the [[Edmonton Oilers]]. ==Career Statistics== {| BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="3" CELLSPACING="0" ID="Table3" |- align="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" | &nbsp; ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | &nbsp; ! colspan="5" | Regular&nbsp;Season ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | &nbsp; ! colspan="5" | Playoffs |- align="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |- align="center" | 2001-02 | [[Minot State University-Bottineau|MSU-Bottineau]] | [[National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association|NJCAA]] | 38 | 22 | 14 | 36 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |- align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2003-04 | [[University of Maine|Maine]] | [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] | 43 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 52 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |- align="center" | [[2004–05 AHL season|2004-05]] | [[Cincinnati Mighty Ducks]] | [[American Hockey League|AHL]] | 77 | 10 | 18 | 28 | 82 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 13 |- align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | [[2005–06 AHL season|2005-06]] | [[Portland Pirates]] | AHL | 57 | 39 | 45 | 84 | 68 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 0 |- align="center" | [[2005–06 NHL season|2005-06]] | [[Anaheim Ducks|Anaheim Mighty Ducks]] | [[National Hockey League|NHL]] | 19 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 |- align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | [[2006–07 NHL season|2006-07]] | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 82 | 29 | 16 | 45 | 58 | 21 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 2 |- align="center" | [[2007–08 NHL season|2007-08]] | [[Edmonton Oilers]] | NHL | 82 | 23 | 24 | 47 | 45 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |- align="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | AHL Totals ! 134 ! 49 ! 63 ! 112 ! 150 ! 14 ! 6 ! 6 ! 12 ! 13 |- align="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | NHL Totals ! 183 ! 56 ! 43 ! 99 ! 117 ! 34 ! 6 ! 11 ! 17 ! 14 |} ==Notes== {{reflist}} ==References== *{{hockeydb|77717}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Penner, Dustin}} [[Category:1982 births]] [[Category:Anaheim Ducks players]] [[Category:Canadian ice hockey left wingers]] [[Category:Canadians of German descent]] [[Category:Cincinnati Mighty Ducks players]] [[Category:Edmonton Oilers players]] [[Category:Ice hockey personnel from Manitoba]] [[Category:Stanley Cup champions]] [[Category:Maine Black Bears ice hockey players]] [[Category:Mighty Ducks of Anaheim players]] [[Category:People from Pembina Valley Region, Manitoba]] [[Category:Portland Pirates players]] [[Category:Undrafted National Hockey League players]] [[Category:Living people]] [[de:Dustin Penner]] [[fi:Dustin Penner]]