With our 21st Round pick,
Punk's Puckers select:
On Defence
Steve Duchesne
Duchesne started off his notable hockey career with the
Drummondville Voltigeurs of the
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He was not drafted, but was signed by the
Los Angeles Kings on
October 1,
1984. He played a season with the
New Haven Nighthawks of the
American Hockey League before becoming an NHL regular in 1986–87. In his first season, he played so well that he was named to the
NHL All-Rookie Team. It did not take Duchesne long to establish himself as an above average offensive defenceman. In the
1988–89 NHL season, he led all defensemen in shorthanded goals (5).
He played with the Kings until
May 30,
1991, when he was traded to the
Philadelphia Flyers in a deal that brought
Jari Kurri to Los Angeles. Duchesne played one season in Philadelphia, before being traded to the
Quebec Nordiques with a huge package of players for young phenom
Eric Lindros. Although Duchesne set a career high with 82 points in Quebec, he was again traded after the season was done to the
St. Louis Blues. He played two seasons with the Blues before getting traded to the
Ottawa Senators, then after two seasons with the Senators he was traded back to the Blues for
Igor Kravchuk. Duchesne's journeyman status continued, as he signed as a free agent back with the Kings after one season with the Blues, and then during his first season back with the Kings, he was traded to the Flyers at the trading deadline. Finally, after the
1998–99 season, Duchesne signed as a free agent with the
Detroit Red Wings, where he would win a
Stanley Cup in his final season,
2001–02. Steve now resides in Dallas, Texas with his wife and two children and coaches the U18 Dallas Stars Midget Major AAA hockey team.
Awards
- QMJHL First All-Star Team (1985)
- NHL All-Rookie Team (1987)
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (1989, 1990, 1993)
- Barry Ashbee Trophy (1992)