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Home , Colorado Avalanche, Erik Johnson, Kyle Quincey, Matt Niskanen, Mississauga IceDogs

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2012 HOCKEY ARBITRATION COMPETITION OF CANADA

Kyle Quincey v. (NHL)

SUBMISSION ON BEHALF OF

TEAM # 8

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TABLE OF CONTENTS A. INTRODUCTION AND REQUEST FOR HEARING ...... 2 B. A PROFILE OF KYLE QUINCEY ...... 3 i. Early Career ...... 4 ii. NHL Career ...... 4 Overall NHL Career Statistics ...... 4 iii. Platform Year ...... 5 2011/2012 Platform Year Statistics ...... 5 iv. Injuries ...... 6 C. SELECTION OF COMPARABLE PLAYERS ...... 7 i. MIKE GREEN (EXHIBIT 1) ...... 7 ii. (EXHIBIT 2) ...... 8 iii. (EXHIBIT 3) ...... 9 D. OVERVIEW OF THE COMPARABLES ...... 10 E. CONCLUSION ...... 11

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A. INTRODUCTION AND REQUEST FOR HEARING

This brief analyzes the assets and contributions of defender Kyle Quincey (“Quincey”) to be reflected in his 2012 contract with the Hockey Club (the “Club”). The National

Hockey League (“NHL”) Collective Bargaining Agreement (“CBA”) between NHL Clubs and the NHL Players’ Association set the criteria to be considered in this arbitration hearing.

Under Article 12, Part 9 subsections g (ii) of the CBA, an arbitration panel will use as criteria (A) the overall performance of the player in the previous season or seasons; (B) the of games played by the player, his injuries or illnesses during the preceding seasons; (C) the length of service of the Player in the NHL and/or with the club; (D) the overall contribution of the Player to the competitive success or failure of his club in the preceding season; (E) any special qualities of leadership or public appeal not inconsistent with the fulfillment of his responsibilities as a playing member of his team; (F) the overall performance in the previous season or seasons of any player(s) who is alleged to be comparable to the party player whose salary is in dispute; and (G) the compensation of any player(s) who is alleged to be comparable to the party player.1 Any evidence may be submitted in this brief or at argument as long as it is relevant to the above listed criteria, and such weight shall be assigned to the above criteria, as the arbitration panel deems appropriate. The arbitration panel shall not consider the financial position of the Club, press comments and press material on the performance of Pavelec, and any offers made by either party prior to the arbitration hearing.2

The representation for Quincey submits this brief in support of its argument that he should receive a salary of $3,800,000.

1 NHL CBA - Article 12, Part 9 subsections g (ii) 2 NHL CBA - Article 12, Part 9 subsections g (iii) Page 3

B. A PROFILE OF KYLE QUINCEY

Kyle Quincey, age 27 was born August 12, 1985 in . He is a 6’2, left shooting offensive for the Detroit Red Wings. In 2008–09, Kyle was placed and claimed off waivers by the LA Kings. He quickly became an important part of a young Kings defensive squad. He finished his breakthrough season leading the Kings defence in scoring with 34 assists and 38 points in 72 games before finally succumbing to a herniated disc on April 1, 2009. On

July 3, 2009, Quincey was traded to the Avalanche. Kyle again quickly established himself within the re-building Avalanche defence to lead the team in average ice time and record a career high of six goals for 29 points in 79 games. On July 2, 2010, he was signed by the

Avalanche to a two-year contract. On February 21, 2012 he was traded back the Red Wings.

Kyle Quincey is a true warrior as he has had to work hard and prove himself time and time again, battling injuries such as a broken hand and a herniated disc. In 257 career games with the Wings, Avalanche, and Kings he has acquired 95 points (18 goals and 77 assists)3. Last year between the Avalanche and the Wings he came out with 7 goals and 19 assists for a total of 26 points, and 89 minutes4. He is a strong leader, having captained the Canadian team in a three game series in July-August 2011,5 and can transform the defensive look of any team.

Fans have been critical of Kyle Quincey for taking penalties and suspensions6, but with an increased awareness of how his penalties have affected the overall defence of the team,

Quincey will likely make improvements in this aspect of his play in the upcoming seasons.

3 NHL.com - NHL.com - http://www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8470724#&navid=nhl-search 4 NHL.com - http://www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8470724#&navid=nhl-search 5 http://avalanche.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8470724&view=news 6 http://www.rotoworld.com/recent/nhl/1937/kyle-quincey Page 4 i. Early Career

Quincey began playing with in the (OHL) with the London

Knights in 2001. He played with the Knights until he was traded to the IceDogs in

2003.

He performed well as a defenceman for the IceDogs, and was named to the OHL All Star team in the 2004-05 season. In the same season, he was named as the Eastern Conference’s ‘Best

Defensive Defenceman’, tied for the hardest in the league in the Hardest Shot Competition

(with a shot of 95 mph), and finished third in voting for the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the league’s top defenceman.7

After being signed to the Detroit Red Wings, Quincey spent several seasons playing with the Red Wings’ (AHL) affiliate, the . Quincey spent much of his initial professional career in Grand Rapids, before being traded to the LA

Kings in 2008. ii. NHL Career Overall NHL Career Statistics8 Year GP G A P +/- PIM 2011-12 18 2 1 3 0 29 Red Wings 2011-12 54 5 18 23 -1 60 Avalanche 2010-11 21 0 1 1 -5 18 Avalanche 2009-10 79 6 23 29 9 76 Avalanche 2008-09 72 4 34 38 -5 63 Kings 2007-08 6 0 0 0 -3 4

7 http://avalanche.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8470724&view=bio 8 http://avalanche.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8470724&view=stats Page 5

Red Wings 2006-07 6 1 0 1 0 0 Red Wings 2005-06 1 0 0 0 0 0 Red Wings Totals 257 18 77 95 -5 150

Quincey was drafted in in the 4th round in 2003, 132nd overall, by the Detroit Red Wings.

He played minimal games with the Red Wings in his first few seasons, after being signed to an entry level contract with the Red Wings in 2005.9 He was claimed off waivers by the LA Kings in 200810, where he performed very well. He led the Kings defencemen in scoring, after scoring

38 points in 72 games. He also ranked first on the team in power play points.11 Quincey’s overall NHL career statistics are indicative of a player who is capable of being a top notch defenceman with an ability to perform well offensively. 2010-11 season was plagued by injury, but he returned to have a successful season in 201-12.

Quincey has yet to be given a fair shot with a single team in the NHL. Despite his excellent play with the LA Kings, he was traded. Despite his successful 2011-12 season with the

Avalanche, he was traded. A return to Detroit will likely see ameliorating effects on Quincey’s play. iii. Platform Year

2011/2012 Platform Year Statistics Team GP G A P +/- PIM

Red Wings 18 2 1 3 0 29

9 http://avalanche.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8470724&view=bio 10 http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?id=3471 11 http://avalanche.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8470724&view=bio Page 6

Avalanche 54 5 18 23 -1 60

Quincey spent much of the platform year playing with the before being traded to Tampa Bay and on to the Detroit Red Wings. Despite this unsettling disruption,

Quincey performed well as a defenceman for both teams. He continued on to the playoffs with the Red Wings, in which he played in 5 games and recorded 2 assists. This was not Kyle

Quincey’s best season; however, he managed to record a solid 18 assists for the Avalanche, illustrating again his ability to make plays from the blue line. iv. Injuries

Admittedly, injuries have historically had a deleterious effect on Kyle Quincey’s play. In

2008, he suffered a back injury which caused him to miss 10 games. In 2010, he suffered a concussion which caused him to miss several games. In December of 2010, he injured his shoulder, causing him to miss 53 regular season games. In 2011, he missed 3 games due to a groin injury, which resurfaced later that season and caused him to miss a game in March of

2012.12

This history has a few weak points; however, Quincey has managed to recover well from his injuries and has a proven ability to bounce back. After returning to play from his shoulder injury, Quincey recorded high regular minutes with the Avalanche. On his first game back after his groin injury in 2012, he finished the game at +3.13 He has shown that he is capable of recovering, and despite some unfortunate luck, can recover and continue to perform post-injury.

12 http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?id=3471 13 http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/q/quincky01/gamelog/2012/ Page 7

C. SELECTION OF COMPARABLE PLAYERS

The following players have been selected as comparable to Kyle Quincey based on their performance and salary range relative to Quincey’s.

Player Team Age 2011/2012 Salary Contract Length

Kyle Quincey DET 27 $3,775,000

Mike Green WAS 26 $5,000,000 4 years

Matt Niskanen PIT 25 $1,750,000 2 years

Erik Johnson COL 24 $3,000,000 2 years

i. MIKE GREEN (EXHIBIT 1)

Mike Green is a 26 year old 6’1 defenceman for the . While his career numbers are fantastic and better than Quincey’s, the fact that he is injury riddled makes a case for Quincey who is on the rise as opposed to on the decline. The past two seasons Green has played in only 49 and 32 games whereas Quincey has played 72 games last season. Green was an elite defenceman, but after the multitude of injuries sustained in the last two seasons, it is highly improbable that he will ever return to form. The last time he played a nearly full season was in

2009. He has missed 116 games in just six NHL seasons, including 50 last year. Quincey has proven that he has bounced back from his injuries, missing just a couple games due to a sore groin. He is ready to play for the upcoming season, whereas Mike Green is still largely a gamble at this point. Mike Green will be making $5,000,000 with his health and injury history a huge gamble. It is safe to say that Quincey has recovered from his major injuries, is on the rise, fulfills Page 8 the same niche role as Green in being an offensive defenceman, and thus deserves a salary of

3,800,000.

2011/2012 Platform Year Comparison

Player GP G A P +/- PIM

Kyle Quincey 72 7 19 26 -1 8914

Mike Green 32 3 4 7 5 1215

ii. MATT NISKANEN (EXHIBIT 2)

Matt Niskanen is a 25 year old defenceman for the Penguins. Quincey has almost the same number of points as Niskanen but has played over a hundred games less than him. There are very few offensive defenceman in the NHL who can put up points. Quincey placed 54 in defenceman scoring out of 297 defenders that played last season. Each team plays with at least six defencemen in the lineup, some of which need to be able to put up points particularly in powerplay situations. Quincey is tied for 16th in playoff goals amongst defenceman last season. 16 Players like that are scarce, particularly in this restricted free agent climate. As a result, Quincey deserves a high salary as the quality of defencemen tapers off very quickly.

Career Comparison

14 Id. 15 NHL.com - http://www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8471242#&navid=nhl-search 16 NHL.com - http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?fetchKey=20122ALLDADALL&sort= powerPlayGoals&viewName=scoringLeaders Page 9

Player GP G A P +/- PIM

Kyle Quincey 257 18 77 95 -5 250

Matt Niskanen 370 21 86 107 2 203

2011/2012 Platform Year Comparison

Player GP G A P +/- PIM

Kyle Quincey 72 7 19 26 -1 8917

Matt Niskanen 75 4 17 21 9 4718

iii. ERIK JOHNSON (EXHIBIT 3)

Erik Johnson is a 24 year old defenceman for the Colorado Avalanche. He ranks 236 out of 297 last season with regards to +/-. He has similar points statistics compared to Quincey except his +/- indicates that he is in a lower defensive class. He makes $3,000,000 but is not solid defensively. There is a dearth of skilled offensive defencemen in the NHL who can both score points and defend. After the minimal number of elite defenders, the quality drops off very quickly and very noticeably. This will be discussed in the next section.

Career Comparison

Player GP G A P +/- PIM

Kyle Quincey 257 18 77 95 -5 250

Erik Johnson 298 27 100 127 -28 189

17 NHL.com - http://www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8470724#&navid=nhl-search 18 NHL.com - http://www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8471702#&navid=nhl-search Page 10

2011/2012 Platform Year Comparison

Player GP G A P +/- PIM

Kyle Quincey 72 7 19 26 -1 8919

Erik Johnson 73 4 22 26 -7 2620

D. OVERVIEW OF THE COMPARABLES

While the comparable players may have better numbers and/or have lower salaries, this should not really detract from the fact that Quincey deserves $3,800,000 if not more. The reason for this is that he plays for the Detroit Red Wings who would be in major defensive trouble in they didn’t sign him and pay a premium for the fact that he is one of the only remaining competent defenders left as a free agent this summer. On top of all that, he can score points.

Quincey isn't exactly deserving of such a large dollar value on his contract under normal circumstances., however letting him walk would mean letting a fourth defender walk with no free agents left who could replace that loss either. This makes Quincey invaluable. Without

Quincey, Detroit has only five NHL defencemen signed right now (Kronwall, Ericsson, White,

Smith and Kindl) and the inexperience on the blue line is fairly obvious21. But overshadowing this inexperience is the lack of depth after these five defencemen. After Nick Lidstrom and Brad

Stuart left this offseason, Detroit's need for talent on the blue line remains as clear as ever.

19 NHL.com - http://www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8470724#&navid=nhl-search 20 NHL.com - http://www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8473446#&navid=nhl-search 21 http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120718/SPORTS0103/207180421 Page 11

Quincey is a talented player, young enough to be just coming into his prime, and is a big body at

6’2, 210 pounds.

So what does it all mean? Quincey has good reason to expect somewhere around

$3.8M for his services and possibly more. If the Red Wings don't want to pay that, then it leaves

Detroit extremely vulnerable with the need to fill a gap on the 2nd pair, 1st/2nd PK unit, and 2nd

PP unit with a puck-moving defenceman who can put up big minutes every night and can still be a physical presence. It will be very hard to find someone else out there who fits that mold and isn’t in his late 30s.

E. CONCLUSION

Through an analysis of Quincey’s performance on ice and an analysis of comparable players, it becomes clear that Quincey is a good fit for the Detroit Red Wings. Quincey is a solid defensive player who has also proven that he is capable of scoring and making plays. He is valuable as an all-around player who is effective on the power play. Quincey will be excited to play a full season with the Red Wings after having been traded around the League. A certain future in Detroit is likely to help Quincey in developing as the solid player he promises to be.

Quincey is an experienced defensive player in a league where defensive players are in high demand. Quincey’s value to the Red Wings is certainly high because of the lack of players in his market within the league. The Red Wings will need a solid defender, and Quincey promises to be just that. It is thus submitted that Quincey should earn a salary of $3,800,000.