Mike Green (ice hockey, born 1985)

Minor

Green played his minor hockey career with the NASA Hockey Association, in Calgary, Alberta. He played major junior in the Western Hockey League (WHL) for five full seasons with the Saskatoon Blades. After a 14-goal, 39-point season in 2003–04, he was drafted in the first round, 29th overall, by the Washington Capitals in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

Washington Capitals

In 2005–06, Green split the season with the Capitals and their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hershey Bears. He scored his first career NHL goal against Ed Belfour of the Toronto Maple Leafs on February 3, 2006, and finished with three points in 22 games for the Capitals. The next season, 2006–07, Green was selected to play in the 2007 NHL YoungStars Game for the Eastern Conference, where he registered three assists despite playing with a bruised foot. Not having played the 25-game minimum to qualify as a rookie the previous season, the 2006–07 season counted as Green's rookie campaign. He completed his second season with 12 points in 70 games, while still appearing in 12 games in the AHL with the Bears.

In 2007–08, Green emerged as an elite offensive NHL defenceman while playing on a young and talented Washington team which included forwards Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and Nicklas Bäckström. Green earned the nickname "Game Over," made popular by play-by-play announcer Joe Beninati after his game-winning goals in the last minutes of the third period or overtime became a regular occurrence. Green finished the season with four game-winning goals to go with his NHL-leading 18 goals among defencemen and 56 points. Green did not start his goal-scoring run until after Bruce Boudreau replaced Glen Hanlon as head coach on Thanksgiving Day, 2007. That season, the Capitals made the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2003, and in his first career NHL playoff game on April 11, 2008, against the Philadelphia Flyers, Green brought Washington back from a 4–2 deficit with two goals in the third period. The Capitals eventually won the game on an Ovechkin game-winning goal. Known for his very powerful and heavy shot, Green took a slapshot from the blue line that same game that was blocked by Philadelphia's Patrick Thoresen; the shot broke Thoresen's protective cup and nearly ruptured a testicle, and he had to be taken to a local hospital, missing the next game. After the game, Green called Thoresen to check in on him. In Game 3, on April 15, Green recorded a Gordie Howe hat trick (a goal, an assist and a fight) in a 6–3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. The series went the distance, but the Capitals would lose in the seventh game.

During the 2008 playoffs, Green's signature "faux hawk" hairstyle received increased publicity as his profile in the NHL was raised. An Elliot in the Morning promotion, "Rawk the Hawk," had Green into the studio for the haircut, which willing fans could also have done for playoff tickets. The D.C. morning talk radio show brought this promotion back for the 2009 season, offering tickets for the first game of each new series. Additionally, during the season, an unofficial Green fan club, dubbed the "Gang Green" began showing up to home games wearing dark green T-shirts with "Gang Green" written on the front and Green's nickname, "GAME OVER," as the name plate on the back above the number 52.

At the end of the season, on May 21, 2008, Green was named to the Sporting News' NHL All-Star Team along with teammate Alexander Ovechkin. Later in the summer, Green signed a four-year contract extension with the Capitals, on July 1, averaging to $5.25 million per year.

Green picked up where he left off in 2008–09, but was plagued by injuries early in the season. Returning from the sidelines, Green captured back-to-back NHL Third Stars of the Week for the weeks ending February 1 and 8, 2009. On February 14, Green scored in his eighth consecutive game, setting the NHL record for most consecutive games with a goal by a defenceman. The former record was set by Mike O'Connell in the 1983–84 season. Then, after receiving a Second Star of the Week for the week ending March 23, he became just the eighth defenceman in history to score 30 goals in a season in a game against the New York Islanders on April 1. Finishing with 31 goals on the season, Green tallied 18 on the power play, one short of Sheldon Souray's 2006–07 record of 19.

In April 2009, Green was nominated for the James Norris Memorial Trophy for the NHL's top defenceman, along with Zdeno Chára and Nicklas Lidström. Green has been nominated for the award twice.

In 2009–10, Green set a career-high with 76 points. He missed a lot of time during the following two seasons due to various injuries.

On July 16, 2012, Green signed a three-year contract extension worth $18.25 million to stay with the Capitals.

In the 2012–13 NHL season, Green led all NHL defencemen in goals scored with 12.

In the 2013–14 season, Green was demoted to Washington's second power play unit. He finished the season with career-lows in points scored and plus-minus rating.

Detroit Red Wings

On July 1, 2015, the Detroit Red Wings signed Green to a three-year, $18 million contract. Over his 10-season career with the Capitals, Green has been the most productive defenceman from the players taken in the first round of the 2004 NHL draft. He has registered 113 goals and 360 points in 575 regular-season games.

On October 17, 2016, Green notched his first career hat trick against Craig Anderson of the Ottawa Senators.

International play

Following his break-out season with the Capitals, Green debuted for Team Canada at the 2008 IIHF World Championships as the host country. He recorded 12 points in eight games as Canada went on to win a silver medal, losing to Russia in overtime in the gold medal game. Green was named to the Tournament All-Star Team. He was also selected for the 2010 Winter Olympics summer roster for Team Canada in August 2009 and considered a favourite, but did not make the final roster cut.

Off the ice

Green is involved in a number of community organizations and events. He is raising money for Children's National Medical Center as part of America's Giving Challenge, sponsored by Parade magazine. He also participated with Alexander Ovechkin in speaking at a local middle school and participating in a game of floor hockey. Green also has a program called "Green's Gang," where he purchases seven season tickets and donates them to Most Valuable Kids, a non-profit organization that works with underprivileged kids and active military. In 2008, Green founded a charity called So Kids Can with Elliot Segal, host of DC101's Elliot in the Morning. During the 2011–12 season, the group raised money to construct a playground at Hopkins-Tancil Court in Old Town Alexandria (Virginia). Working with KaBOOM!, a national non-profit dedicated to building playgrounds, the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority, and over 200 Washington Capitals fans and community volunteers, Green and Segal oversaw the construction of that playground. The S.T.A.R.S playground held its official opening on September 19, 2012. So Kids Can has raised over $200,000 since its founding. On August 9, 2014, Green married his longtime girlfriend, Courtney Parrie. They have a son, Axel.

Awards

Records