Former Pat, Kyle Calder Passes At 47

In an unfortunate announcement, the Chicago Blackhawks shared that former player Kyle Calder has passed away at the age of 47. Calder spent 10 years in the NHL with the Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, and Anaheim Ducks.

A product of the WHL’s Regina Pats program, Calder began his professional career in 1997 when he was selected with the 130th overall pick (fifth round) in that summer’s draft by the Blackhawks. The Mannville, Alberta native spent a few more years with the Pats before transitioning to the professional ranks for the 1999-00 season.

Despite spending much of his first season in the IHL with the Cleveland Lumberjacks, Calder debuted with the Blackhawks, scoring one goal and two points in eight games. He improved his appearances to 43 games the following campaign, registering five goals and 15 points, averaging 12:43 of ice time.

The next four years, his age 23-27 seasons, were the most productive of his career in the NHL. All with the Blackhawks, Calder scored 79 goals and 193 points in 308 games, finishing sixth on the team in scoring during the 2001-02 season, and first in the 2005-06 campaign. Despite being the best player on the team, his performance with Chicago in 2005-06 ultimately spelled the end of his time with the organization for a brief period.

Heading into arbitration, Calder was awarded a one-year, $2.9MM contract, one that the Blackhawks were unwilling to accept. Chicago ultimately traded Calder to the Flyers for Michal Handzus. Still, he was sent back to the Blackhawks at that year’s trade deadline for Lasse Kukkonen and a third-round pick. Nevertheless, Chicago wasn’t exactly interested in re-acquiring their former top-scorer, and he was shipped to the Red Wings later that day for Jason Williams.

Following his brief stint with Detroit, Calder signed a two-year deal with the Kings ahead of the 2007-08 season. He became a relatively solid middle-six scorer, registering 15 goals and 47 points in 139 games, averaging 13:05 of ice time. Calder’s final game in the NHL came during the 2009-10 season with a 14-game stint with the Ducks.

After everything was all said and done, Calder finished his career with 114 goals and 294 points in 590 games, averaging 15:29 of ice time. We at PHR offer our condolences to Calder’s friends, family, former teammates, and loved ones.

(Brennan McLain/ProHockeyRumors.com)