Good morning to one and all and welcome to the second installment of Pack Attack here on Howlin’ Hockey. The choice for today was inspired by my oldest daughters first hockey card – Keith Yandle.
Yandle, a 23 year old American defenseman, was drafted 105th overall (4th round) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Phoenix Coyotes Yandle made his National Hockey League debut on October 11, 2006 against the Western Conference power house Detroit Red Wings. He went on to appear in six more games with the Coyotes that season where he accumulated 2 assist and 8 penalty minutes. Yandle spent most of his 2006-07 season with the Coyotes American Hockey League affiliate the San Antonio Rampage. Tallying 6 goals and 27 assist along with 97 penalty minutes playing 69 games with the Rampage; which landed Yandle a spot to play for the PlanetUSA team in the AHL All-Star Game.
Slatted to play at the University of New Hampshire Yandle changed his mind and withdrew from his college eligibility in which his pre NHL career instead saw play one season with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with the Moncton Wildcats. Logging 84 points ( 25 goals and 59 assist) and 109 penalty minutes the Wildcats went on to win the QMJHL championship title while Yandle also took home the Emile Bouchard Trophy (Best Defenseman) and the Telus Trophy for defensive player of the year.
Yandle’s first full season in the NHL came in the 2008-09 season; where he appeared in 69 games with the Coyotes.
This past season he played in all 82 regular season games and made his NHL playoff debut when he played in all seven first-round games against the Detroit Red Wings. Yandle didn’t have to wait long to notch his first playoff goal. On April 14, 2010 the first game in the series against the Red Wings Yandle not only notched his first NHL playoff goal he also tallied an assist which lead him to being named one of the three stars of the game. Yandle and the Coyotes pushed the Red Wings to a seven game series; however, eventually the Coyotes were over powered (The Red Wings went on to be defeated by the San Jose Sharks in the second round).
Tid-bits (Not as yummy as Tim Horton Timbits):
- Notes that his favorite non-hockey sports team are his hometown Boston Red Sox.
- Favorite movie is “Good Will Hunting”.
- In his free time can be found playing a round of golf.
- Says the biggest impact on his hockey career was his father.
- Notes Ray Bourque as his favorite player growing up.
- Favorite food is steak.
- First job was as a paper boy.
- Says if he wasn’t a professional hockey player he would of been a fire fighter.