Not-So Superstar Spotlight, Vol. 1: Kyle Quincey

It’s no secret to anyone who reads my articles, I have a soft spot for the grinders, the unsung heroes of the hockey teams.  

They are the heart.  They are the unselfish.  They do the dirty jobs, clearing the way for the superstars, the guys that get all the press and highlights.

After all, I am still waiting to see my first SportsCentre top 10 filled with the best shot blocks, or penalty kill clears.

That’s neither here nor there though.  

Without further adieu, I present installment one of a new regular series, shining some spotlight on the players who wouldn’t normally be able to bask in the glow.

It’s not that they mind going under the radar.  It’s just I think they deserve the recognition.

After spending time with the Red Wings, time he surely doesn’t regret, Kyle Quincey is enjoying the life in Los Angeles and all it has to offer.

Great weather.  Sunny beaches.  Year-round patio parties.  There is one thing though, he is enjoying probably more than all those things combined.

An opportunity.

A waiver pick up by the Kings earlier this season after Detroit tried to send him down, Quincey was given an opportunity by the Kings management team, and has rewarded their faith accordingly.

Since coming over from the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Kitchener, Ontario native has put up 22 points in 36 games, a direct response to regular minutes, plus some added powerplay time with the bevy of young, talented forwards the L.A. Kings can ice at any time.

And while it may be surprising to a lot of people at Quincey’s recent surge of output, he certainly didn’t come out of nowhere.

Quincey spent the 2002-2003 junior season on the blueline  of the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League.  While only scoring 18 points in 66 games, he was a steady force on the back end, and managed seven points in 14 playoff games that year.

Drafted by the Red Wings in the summer of 2003, Quincey began the year in London amid constant trade rumours and rumblings.  

He started his second season with London putting up two assists in three games.  However, after just those three games, he was dealt as part of a blockbuster deal that seen him traded to the Mississauga IceDogs in exchange for future OHL superstar, and current Edmonton Oilers prospect Rob Schremp.

The move did wonders for Quincey, who similar to his move from Detroit to L.A., was given a bigger role, and flourished with the opportunity.

He posted 37 points in 61 games with the IceDogs.  He earned a nod to the All Star game, and was an integral part of an IceDogs run to the OHL Championship finals.  They were,however, swept by a powerful Quelph Storm team.

Once the disappointment of losing in the finals wore off, a motivated Quincey came to IceDogs training camp in the best shape of his life, and had the best year of his junior career.

Aside from posting 46 points in 59 games, Quincey also took home several individual honours.  He represented team OHL at the Canada/Russia Challenge, and also went to his second straight All Star game.  During the skills, he was the co-winner of the hardest shot competition, blasting a 95 MPH howitzer to tie former London Knights teammate Marc Methot for the honours.

Perhaps the award he is most proud of is winning the OHL coaches poll as the best defensive defenseman in the Eastern Conference.  The coaches poll is voted on by every coach throughout the league, so taking home some hardware is a true honour for the players.

In 2005-06, Quincey joined the Red Wings organization and was assigned to Grand Rapids of the AHL where he put up a solid season, notching 33 points in 70 games.  His season also caught the attention of the Red Wings brass, as Quincey earned a call-up to the big club.  

The following year he would return to Grand Rapids, once again proving to be a reliable, dependable blueliner.  Quincey put up 22 points in 65 games, and was once again rewarded with another stint with the Red Wings.

Quincey was called up toward the end of the 2006-2007 season and played six regular season games with the Wings.  He scored his first NHL goal in the Wings last game of the regular season, a 7-2 win over Chicago.

As Niklas Kronwall and Mathieu Schneider went down to injury, Quincey even drew some playoff time for the Wings.  He didn’t record a point in thirteen games as the Wings were eliminated by the Ducks in the conference final.

For the third time, Quincey was again sent to Grand Rapids, learning a tough lesson that even if you are playing well, it would be very tough to crack an already stacked Detroit team.

He would have another decent year in the AHL, posting 20 points in 66 games.  He would be on the Wings radar though, and as a regular call-up he got into six games for Detroit, once again not registering a point.

Despite not appearing, Quincey stayed on the Red Wings practice roster during the Wings 2008 run to the Stanley Cup.  He was, as he has always been, a great member of the support cast.  Though he no doubt wanted to spend his nights on the ice, battling in the boards, he was watching the success of his teammates from the pressbox.  Something that although he may not have been happy about it, he surely wasn’t letting anyone know it.

Through a classy move by the club, Quincey was included in the Stanley Cup picture, and did receive a Cup ring for his time with the team.

As this current season started, the Red Wings locked him up to a two-year deal.  However, the Wings had a logjam, and needed the cap space, so they tried to slip Quincey, now 23, through the waiver-wire.

It didn’t work, as Dean Lombardi and the Los Angeles Brass scooped him up as quickly as they could.  With a young, inexperienced blue line featuring Drew Doughty, Peter Harrold, Tom Preissing and Matt Greene among others, both the Kings and Quincey knew that there would be playing time to be had in Tinseltown.

Since arriving in La La Land, Quincey hasn’t disappointed the Kings, who took a small gamble on him, one that is paying off big time.

He has posted three goals, to go along with 19 assists, good for 22 points, which is first among Kings blueliners, and fifth among Kings goal scorers.

Yes, Kyle Quincey, a waiver pick up not many in L.A., or the NHL had payed much attention to, is now scoring goals alongside Kopitar, Brown, Frolov, and O’Sullivan.

Another stat Quincey can be proud of? He is second on the team in time on ice, just a shade behind rookie Drew Doughty, and just ahead of veteran Sean O’Donnell.  As of this writing Quincey is averaging over 22 minutes on ice a night.

Currently, Quincey is on pace for 48 points with the Kings, a team that has not been doing as bad as pundits predicted, something achieved no doubt through the help of Quincey’s strong play.

He is enjoying his time in L.A. Making new friends, setting new personal points records, and having fun playing hockey, and living life in California.

Amazing what a little sun can do for your complexion, and your confidence.