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Home , Andrej Sekera, Brad Stuart, Mathieu Schneider, Shea Weber

2012 Hockey Arbitration Competition of

Kyle Quincey v. Submission on Behalf of Midpoint: $3.75 million Submission by: Team 7

1 Table of Contents

I. INTRODUCTION AND REQUEST FOR HEARING DECISION...... 3

II. THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE OF KYLE QUINCEY...... 3

A. The 2011/2012 Season...... 3

B. Previous Seasons Performance...... 4

C. Playoff Performance...... 4

D. Contributions to the Detroit Red Wings...... 5

III. COMPARATIVE DEFENSEMEN'S SALARIES...... 5

A. Mike Green...... 6

B. Andrej Sekera...... 7

C. Shea Weber...... 9

IV. PREVIOUS INJURIES...... 10

V. KYLE QUINCEY'S ROLE AS A DETROIT RED WING IN THE COMING YEARS...... 11

VI. PAST COMPENSATION...... 12

VII. CONCLUSION...... 12

2 I. INTRODUCTION AND REQUEST FOR HEARING DECISION

This is a brief looking at the contributions of Kyle Quincey as a defenseman in the

National Hockey League (NHL) for an arbitration hearing governed by the National Hockey

League Player's Association Collective Bargaining Agreement. This Brief will specifically address criteria concerning: his overall performance, comparable defensemen's salaries, previous injuries, his role as a Red Wing in the coming years, and his past compensation.

Looking at these criteria this arbitration panel should rightfully find that Kyle Quincey is entitled to a salary exceeding the midpoint of $3.75 million and he respectfully requests this panel find he is entitled to an award of $4.25 million.

II. THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE OF KYLE QUINCEY

A. The 2011/2012 Season1

Quincey started the 2011/2012 season playing defense for the . In

Colorado, Quincey dressed in 54 games accruing 5 goals and 18 assists for 23 points. Known as a two-way defenseman, Quincey contributes to his team’s success in many different ways. Aside from points, Quincey plays a lot of minutes every game, finishing the season with an average time on ice per game of 21 minutes and 51 seconds. Although the average time on ice per game was calculated over the entire season, using his end of season time on ice per game statistic would have ranked him number one on the Avalanche Roster. While playing a major percentage of his ice time with Colorado, Quincey was able to maintain a -1 plus/minus rating, despite playing on a team that had an average of goals-for per game of 2.43 and an average goals-against per game of 2.66. During the final 18 games of the season after the trade to Detroit, Quincey maintained an even plus/minus rating, and tallied 2 goals and 1 assist to the team’s totals.

1 All statistics are from NHL.com unless otherwise indicated.

3 However, it is very important to not only consider how many points a player contributes but when they contribute to the team. Quincey is a pressure player, and he comes through for the team, scoring a 3 of his 7 goals while the game was tied and 2 of his goals while playing in one- games.

B. Previous Seasons Performance

Quincey has a unique experience to offer the Detroit Red Wings. Quincey was drafted by

Detroit in 2003 working his way through the Wings development system, learning from defensive icons such as Nicklas Lidstrom, Mathieu Schneider, and Chris Chelios, when he finally cracked the NHL roster during the 2006/2007 . Quincey was picked up on waivers by the in 2008 and made an immediate impact.2 In his first full season in the NHL Quincey contributed 4 goals and 34 assists on a Los Angeles team that finished 26th place. Quincey scored 11 more points than any other defenseman on the team, finishing first in game-winning goals and shots. He played the 2009/2010 season for the

Colorado Avalanche, continuing where he left off, finishing second in both scoring and plus/minus among defensemen, while finishing first in shots and time on ice per game. After his first two seasons in the league, it was clear that Quincey was a top caliber NHL defensemen, however he faced a setback during the 2010/2011 season. During that season Quincey missed a total of 64 games due to a combination of injuries, the most severe being a shoulder injury costing him 53 games.3 However, it was clear that the injury would not have lasting issues on his performance with last season’s performance quickly returning to pre-injury form.

C. Playoff Performance

It is clear that when discussing the Detroit Red Wings, one is discussing a team who is

2 Kyle Quincey Player Page, TSN.com, http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?id=3471 . 3 Kyle Quincey Player Page, TSN.com, Supra note 2.

4 looking to make a run for the . The Red Wings have not missed the playoffs since the

1989/1990 season, making playoff experience a key attribute for a player on their roster. Quincey has a total of 24 games of NHL playoff experience, 18 of which were played for the Red Wings.

In his playoff career his has 2 assists, a plus/minus of even, 26 hits, 28 blocked shots and an average time on ice per game of 13:23. These statistics are even more impressive considering that 13 of these games were played in his rookie campaign, when he stepped up after only having played 6 games with the NHL club during that regular season, yet helped the team to the conference finals. His previous experience proved valuable in the 2009/2010 playoffs, spent with

Colorado, where he maintained a +2 plus/minus, 14 shots, 15 blocked shots, and 22:06 time on ice per game despite the team losing in 6 games. These stats show that he does the little thing right, and works hard in the post-season, when combined with the experience of a conference final, Quincey has a lot to offer during a playoff run.

D. Contributions to the Detroit Red Wings

Quincey has made many contributions to the Detroit Red Wings organization, playing a total of 31 games with Red Wings and 201 games with the AHL affiliate. Quincey’s most notable contribution was the 2006/2007 post-season. The Red Wings drafted Quincey in to the league, developed him, and have seen his regular season and post-season production. Based on all of this information they decided that he was a good fit, and that he will be an important part of the revamping defense in Detroit.

III. COMPARATIVE DEFENSEMEN'S SALARIES

Quincey has proven to be affective and game changing two-way defenseman. He has produced strong statistics on both offense and defense over his career. When looking at comparable players there is a strong indication that Quincey deserves a raise above the midpoint.

5 A. Mike Green

Mike Green is a 26 year old defenseman for the . After the

2011/2012 Season Green was eligible for arbitration but declined. Going into negotiations Green was making $5 million.4 He was able to negotiate a contract worth an average of $6.08 million.

His 2011 season statistic totals are low because he spent a large portion of the season injured with a concussion. However, his average statistics are quite close to Quincey's. Their stats are best compared by Time On Ice given Green's injuries.5

Time On Ice Statistics Kyle Quincey Shifts/Game: 28.3 Goals/Game: 0.10 Assists/Game: 0.26 Points/Game: 0.36 TOI/Shift: 0:46 TOI/Goal: 224:50 TOI/Assist: 82:50 TOI/: 60:32 Mike Green Shifts/Game: 23.5 Goals/Game: 0.09 Assists/Game: 0.12 Points/Game: 0.22 TOI/Shift: 0:54 TOI/Goal: 224:27 TOI/Assist: 168:20 TOI/Point: 96:11

Platform Season Statistics GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GWG S Hits BkS GvA TkA TOI/g Kyle Quincey 72 7 19 26 -1 89 4 0 1 168 101 94 35 24 21:51 Mike Green 32 3 4 7 +5 12 3 0 1 64 27 44 30 23 21:02

Even Strength, Power Play, and Shorthanded Statistics Kyle Quincey ES GOALS: 3 PP GOALS: 4 SH GOALS: 0 ES ASSISTS: 11 PP ASSISTS: 6 SH ASSISTS: 2 ES POINTS: 14 PP POINTS: 10 SH POINTS: 2 ES POINT %: 53.8 PP POINT %: 38.5 SH POINT %: 7.7 ES TOI/GAME: 17:12 PP TOI/GAME: 2:21 SH TOI/GAME: 2:18 Mike Green ES GOALS: 0 PP GOALS: 3 SH GOALS: 0 ES ASSISTS: 3 PP ASSISTS: 1 SH ASSISTS: 0 ES POINTS: 3 PP POINTS: 4 SH POINTS: 0 ES POINT %: 42.9 PP POINT %: 57.1 SH POINT %: 0.0 ES TOI/GAME: 17:08 PP TOI/GAME: 2:43 SH TOI/GAME: 1:10

4 Mike Green player page, Capgeek.com, http://capgeek.com/players/display.php?id=853. 5 Mike Green player page, tsn.com, http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?id=4600.

6 Quincey's statistics are much higher that Green's simply because Green played less games, but even compared on a game by game basis Quincey had a better season. The time on ice statistics show how these players contributed offensively per game and how many minutes of ice time it took them to contribute. Quincey had more goals per game and assists per game and it took him less time on ice to get both assists and points. He was relied on by his teams to play more shifts per game and inevitably more ice time per game than Green.

The defensive statistics show that Quincey was equal if not better than Green. Green only delivered 0.84 hits per while Quincey delivered 1.4 hits per game. They had similar blocking statistics with Green blocking 1.375 shots per game to Quincey's 1.305. Green had fewer give aways per game but a lot more take aways per game. Furthermore, Quincey was expected to play a lot more time in a defensive row averaging almost twice the amount of shorthanded time on ice.

As a less offensively productive, equally defensively productive player, and as a more injured player than Quincey, the Washington Capitals thought that Green had earned a $1 million raise. Quincey's performance when compared to Green's performance has clearly earned a similar raise. It is apparent that Quincey's production should earn him a raise above the midpoint of $3.75 million.

B. Andrej Sekera

Andrej Sekera was eligible for arbitration at the end of the 2020/2011 season. As a 25 year old defenseman he signed a 4 year deal with the .. When Sekera signed his contract he got a large raise for his first year as well as a large signing bonus. He made $4.25 million in his first season under this contract, a raise of $3 million, as well as a $3 million signing bonus6. Quincey is not seeking as large a jump in salary. Sekera's statistics in his

6 Andrej Sekera player page, Capgeek.com, http://capgeek.com/players/display.php?id=389.

7 platform season were not at the level of Quincey's this season.

Platform Season Statistics GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GWG S Hits BkS GvA TkA TOI/g Kyle Quincey 72 7 19 26 -1 89 4 0 1 168 101 94 35 24 21:51 Andrej Sekera 76 3 26 29 +11 34 0 0 0 88 61 85 51 38 21:05

Regular Season Career Totals Player GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG S S% Kyle Quincey 257 18 77 95 -5 250 7 0 3 509 3.5 Andrej Sekera 302 15 65 80 8 98 2 0 2 347 4.3

Career Playoff Totals Player GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG S S% Kyle Quincey 24 0 2 2 0 16 0 0 0 31 0.0 Andrej Sekera 8 1 0 1 1 11 0 0 0 8 12.5

It is clear from the platform season statistics of these two players that Quincey contributed more to his team. Although Sekera had more assists, points, takeaways and a higher plus minus, Quincey overshadowed him in every other category including Goals, Powerplay

Goals, Game Winning, Goals, Hits, Shots blocked and Average Time on Ice. It is also noteworthy that Quncey produced better statistics in fewer games. This trend has been consistent over these two players careers.

Quincey has produced much more offensively over his career than Andej Sekera and has managed to do that in spite of playing fewer games since they each entered the league. In 55 less games Quincey has scored 3 more goals and 15 more points than Sekera. Sekera has had a much better plus minus but has also had the advantage of playing in front of all star and Olympic Silver

Medalist Goaltender, Ryan Miller throughout his entire career.

It is also important to note the extensive post season experience of Quincey. He has played in the post season twice for the Detroit Red Wings and once for the Colorado Avalanche.

Sekera has played in the post season twice for the Buffalo Sabres, but has never played past the

8 first round. Quincey has not only played more games but also has more experience in the deeper harder rounds of the playoffs.

Overall Quincey's career has been more impressive than Sekera's. Sekera signed a contract to receive $11.5 million in the first two years of his four year contract. Quincey is only asking for $4.25 million, which is only $8.5 million over those two years. It would be unjust for a slightly younger player with worse statistical input to make significantly more than a seasoned player like Quincey who is just hitting his prime. This shows that Quincey's value is well above the midpoint of $3.75 million and that he should be making the $4.25 million that Sekera was making.

C. Shea Weber

It is necessary to discuss Shea Weber as he is the only two-way defenseman to actually go to arbitration within the last two seasons. In 2010, Weber took the to artbitration and was awarded a one year $7.5 million7. The argument is not that Quincey is on par with Weber statistically but that Weber provides some insight as to how to match performance to salary for a two-way defenseman.

Time on Ice Statistics Kyle Quincey Shifts/Game: 28.3 Goals/Game: 0.10 Assists/Game: 0.26 Points/Game: 0.36 TOI/Shift: 0:46 TOI/Goal: 224:50 TOI/Assist: 82:50 TOI/Point: 60:32 Shea Weber Shifts/Game: 29.0 Goals/Game: 0.20 Assists/Game: 0.39 Points/Game: 0.59 TOI/Shift: 0:52 TOI/Goal: 129:45 TOI/Assist: 64:52 TOI/Point: 43:15

Platform Season Statistics GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GWG S Hits BkS GvA TkA TOI/g Kyle Quincey 72 7 19 26 -1 89 4 0 1 168 101 94 35 24 21:51 Shea Weber 82 16 32 48 +7 56 6 1 3 254 211 113 51 62 25:19

What becomes evident when comparing these two players is that they have a fairly equal

7 Shea Weber player page, CapGeek.com http://capgeek.com/players/display.php?id=1042.

9 ratios across all fields. Quincey has performed at about 60% of the rate Weber has performed.

Quincey had half as many goals per game (0.10 G/g: 0.20 G/g) as Weber but two thirds of the assists (0.26 A/g: 0.39 A/g) averaging out to 61% of points per game (0.36 P/g: 0.59 P/g). There is a similar trend in shots per game (2.33 s/g: 3.09 s/g 75%) and hits per game (1.402 hits/g :2.57 hits/g 54%). The blocked shots statistic seems to be one of the few that does not fit a 60% output rule and Quincey blocked almost 95% of the shots per game that Weber did (1.305 Bks/g: 1.378

Bks/g).

If Weber's contract is any indication of what a player with comparable statistics should be making than Quincey's 60% comparison is a good indicator of what Quincey's statistical value is.

Weber was awarded $7.5 million. A salary commensurate to that for Quincey would be $4.5 million. This shows that Quincey has produced at a level that is well above the midpoint of $3.75 million and even above the $4.25 million that he is requesting.

IV. PREVIOUS INJURIES

During the 2010/2011 season Quincey suffered two serious injuries that resulted in him missing 61 games of the season.8 Specifically, in November of 2010, he suffered a concussion that caused him to miss 8 games.9 Upon his return in late November, he suffered a dislocated shoulder that resulted in Quincey missing the next 53 games of the season.10 Although the injury was severe, he was able to have surgery fixing his shoulder. 11 In Quincey’s return to the NHL for the 2011/2012 he demonstrated that he had healed from all injuries, playing 72 games, scoring 26 points and making 101 hits.

Throughout the rest of his career, his injuries include a broken hand in 2007 (10 games), a

8 Kyle Quincey player page, Supra note 2. 9 Id. 10 Canadian Press, “Avs’ Kyle Quincey Shines on ice after shoulder injury nearly ended career”, NHL.com, http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=600527. 11 Id.

10 back injury in 2008 (3 games), a groin injury in 2011 (3 games) and 2012 (1 game).12 These injuries are all minor, and will have no impact on his future play.

V. KYLE QUINCEY'S ROLE AS A DETROIT RED WING IN THE COMING YEARS

In 2003, the Detroit Red Wings drafted Quincey. They saw him as part of the future of their great franchise. When he struggled to make a line up already full of hall of fame calibre defensemen the Red Wings were forced to waive him where he was acquired by the Los Angeles

Kings13. As Quincey was putting up strong numbers the Red Wings elite defensemen were growing older and retiring.

For a few years now there had been speculation about the retirement of defenseman

Nicklas Lidstrom14. The Red Wings have had time to consider how to fill the gap that the inevitable departure of Nicklas Lidstrom would leave. When the trade deadline was approaching in 2011 they saw an opportunity to help fill that void by re-acquiring Quincey. Quincey was so important to the Red Wings immediate future that they were willing to trade a first round draft pick, and an AHL defenseman in order to acquire him15.

The end of the 2011 season saw the departure of two prominent Detroit defensemen,

Nicklas Lidstrom to retirement and Brad Stuart to a trade16. These two defensemen each averaged over 21 minutes of ice time per game. This puts Quincey in a spot to play a much more prominent role with the Red Wings, similar to the role he had already been playing in Los

Angeles and Colorado. Now, even more than in 2003 when he was drafted, Quincey is an essential part the success of the Detroit Red Wings.

12 Kyle Quiney Player Page, tsn.com, Supra note 2. 13 Id. 14 Gerstner, Joanne C, “Lidstrom Chooses One More Year with Wings,” The Times, http://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/20/lidstrom-chooses-one-more-year-with-wings/. 15 Hedger, Brian, “Seven-time Norris Trophy winner Lidstrom retires” NHL.com, http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=633292. 16 Brad Stuart player page, TSN.com, http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?id=1634.

11 VI. PAST COMPENSATION

As a 25 year old top line defenseman Quincey got his first raise to bring his salary to over

$1 million. The Detroit Red Wings acquired him clearly believing he was worth the $3.25 million he was making and with some expectation that at the end of his contract he would be deserving a considerable raise.

VII. CONCLUSION

Kyle Quincey has been a steady and reliable two-way defenseman throughout his career.

His career statistics have shown that he can produce both offenseively and defenseively at a steady rate. His platform year has shown him as a strong addition to the Detroit Red Wings and playing comparable hockey to other top line defenders. Though he has had some struggles with injury he has proven time and time again that he can bounce back and produce at the same rate if not better than before injury. He had a stronger platform year than Mike Green and deserves a raise similar to Mike Green's $1 million. He has proven effectively that he has had a stronger career and platform season than Andrej Sekera, and deserves to be making at least the $4.25 million that he made in the first year of his contract. As a similar style player producing at almost exactly 60% of the rate of Shea Weber he has earned a contract equal to almost 60% of what

Shea Weber was awarded. For these reasons we ask this arbitration panel to find for Kyle

Quincey and award him a salary worth $4.25 million.

12