BIRTHPLACE: Sterling Heights, Mich.

BORN: September 9, 1966

TEAMS/ASSOCIATIONS: Washington Capitals, Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, U.S. Olympic Team

A 17-year National Hockey League veteran and frequent representative of the United States on the international stage, Kevin Hatcher became a symbol for consistency on the blue line throughout his career.

A native of Sterling Heights, Michigan, Hatcher honed his hockey skills as a youngster playing for the Detroit area’s Compuware Youth Hockey Program from 1980-83.

The Washington Capitals made Hatcher their first pick (17th overall) at the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. He played in three games for the organization in the 1984-85 season, scoring his first career NHL goal and appearing in his first NHL playoff game.

The defenseman went on to play 10 seasons with the organization (1984-94), including making appearances in three consecutive NHL All-Star Games during that time (1990-92). In the 1989-90 season, Hatcher was the only Washington defenseman to appear in all 80 games in the 1989-90 campaign and missed only one game the following season, while leading the team with 74 points (24-50).

During the 1992-93 season, Hatcher scored a career-high 34 goals and became only the seventh defenseman in league history to score 30 goals in a single season. The blueliner also logged a career-high 79 points to lead all league defensemen in scoring.

Hatcher was traded to the Dallas Stars in 1994, where he joined his brother, Derian, for two seasons (1994-96) and was named to his fourth NHL All-Star Team (1996). After leading all Stars defensemen in scoring both seasons, Hatcher moved to the Pittsburgh Penguins where he once again made the NHL All-Star Game in 1997.

Following a three-year stint with the Penguins (1996-99), Hatcher closed out his professional playing days with the New York Rangers (1999-00) and Carolina Hurricanes (2000-01). During the course of his NHL career, he skated in 1,157 games, scoring 227 goals and collecting 450 assists.

In addition to his career in the NHL, Hatcher represented the United States internationally at many levels. Perhaps most notably, he helped the U.S. to the gold medal at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, one of the brightest moments on the international stage in U.S. hockey history. He was also a member of the 1984 U.S. National Junior Team, and was a part of U.S. squads that competed at the Canada Cup in 1987 and 1991 (runner-up). Hatcher was also selected to the 1998 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team that competed at the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan.

Hatcher and his wife Mary Ann are the parents of son Cole and daughter Hannah.