Shattenkirk Brings Experience, Leadership and Excitement to Anaheim

Sunlight danced off the trees that swayed gently in the breeze behind Kevin Shattenkirk, providing a picturesque background for a Zoom call with media roughly 24 hours after agreeing to terms on a
three-year contract with the Ducks
. Fall foliage was in full effect for the New Rochelle, New York native, who spends his offseasons in Eastern Long Island. Though his new digs won't have nearly the same amount of yellow, orange, red, purple and brown hues at this time of year, the 31-year-old defenseman says he's just as happy to soak in the mild, almost summer-like conditions Southern California has to offer instead.

Fresh off a Stanley Cup championship with the Tampa Bay Lightning that capped off a season unlike any other, Shattenkirk is excited for this new chapter in his career. He sees it as an opportunity to help a team reclaim its ticket to the big dance - also known as the Stanley Cup Playoffs - and guide it even further. His time in Tampa Bay was invaluable. There, he learned what it takes to become a champion.
"Getting the opportunity to have that experience last year with Tampa Bay only breeds confidence into you as a player when you get to go that far and win it," he says. "It's my job to bring that to Anaheim and let a lot of the guys there who, maybe are younger and haven't had too much playoff experience, know that this team is fully capable of doing it. We'll do it the right way. We have everything in place to succeed. If we just believe and play a great team game, we're going to be fine."
Shattenkirk gives the Ducks something they've sort of lacked over the years - a right-shot defenseman that can quarterback a power play. But it's not just his work with the man advantage that should hype up Ducks fans. His addition gives the Ducks a deep top-four on defense, along with Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson. In his call with media after the signing, Ducks Executive Vice President/General Manager Bob Murray praised Shattenkirk's hockey IQ and puck-moving abilities. "He's just a very, very smart (defenseman)," he said. "He moves the puck. He gets the puck up ice to the forwards. In today's game, you got to get it up to your forwards. We got to get it in some of our young kids' hands."
In Shattenkirk, the Ducks are also getting a player who knows what it means to be a leader. "It's a role I've always been happy to be a part of," he says. "When I was in my days in St. Louis, I grew into a leadership role and I was taught by a lot of older guys what it takes to win and how hard it is to win. Now, in this part of my career, I'm going to be 32 in January, you realize you don't have a choice. You're a veteran in the league."

Shattenkirk says he prides himself on being a good professional and positive role model. "You can't really be vocal in the locker room if you're not carrying your weight on the ice," he says. "To me, that's how true leaders lead. You have to do things the right way in order for guys to respect you. When you speak up, they know they can count on you to do exactly what you're saying."
He's the kind of guy you want in the postseason. In his playoff career, Shattenkirk has 47 points (8g/39a) in 85 postseason games with Tampa Bay, Washington and St. Louis, ranking tied for second in overtime goals (2), tied for eighth in power-play points (17), tied for ninth in points and tied for 10th in assists among all defensemen since his playoff debut in 2012. In the 2020 playoffs, he had 13 points (3g/10a) with a +8 rating in 25 games, ranking seventh in scoring and assists, and tied for seventh in goals among all defensemen. In the last 20 years (2000-2020), Shattenkirk is one of five defensemen to score an overtime game-winning goal in the Stanley Cup Final, including Ruslan Salei (2003 with Anaheim), Brent Seabrook (2013), Alec Martinez (2014) and Carl Gunnarsson (2019).
"As professional hockey players, our goal every year is making the playoffs," he says. "That's the reason why I came here. To make the playoffs and make a run at the Stanley Cup for the next three years and even past that. I'm super excited to get out West to join this group of guys and be a part of Ducks nation. I know how great this franchise can be and how great this fanbase can be because I remember the years when the Ducks were knocking on the door. That's what I'm coming [here] for."
He'll be joining a Ducks locker room with a few familiar faces from years gone by. He and Fowler have played together on the international stage, including the 2011 IIHF World Championship, and both were teammates with David Backes and Ryan Miller at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Backes was also captain of the Blues during nearly all of Shattenkirk's time in St. Louis.
He'll have some family nearby. His older brother, Keith, used to work for the Ducks in the organization's sponsorship department and these days resides in Pasadena. "He was probably the family member who was the happiest because he was finally going to get some family on the West Coast to join him," Shattenkirk says with a smile. "He's silently been rooting for the Ducks ever since he worked there, always kind of wishing I could finally end up there so he could really show how much he loved the team. For me, it's just great we're going to be able to be close by. He just had a baby boy in April. Our two kids will finally be able to hang out."
As the younger brother, Kevin couldn't help but take a jab at Keith's hockey skills, even though the elder Shattenkirk played four years at Princeton. "To me, he was never that good," he says with a laugh. "There was a certain point where I passed him and, at that point, I didn't think he was that good anymore. He's still playing as much as he can, which I give him I credit for."
Kevin and wife Deanna have one child, son Connor, born July 2, 2019 and are expecting baby No. 2 in February. "It's going to be under two years of each other, so I'm not sure if we really thought about that before we decided to do this thing," he says with a big chuckle. "We're super pumped to get out to California and bring on a new addition to the family."
As far as hobbies go, Shattenkirk will do just fine here. "I'm a big golfer. I love golf. I love going to the beach, which is perfect given the new location. Most of the time, just chasing my little guy around. I feel like that's a hobby in and of itself now."
For the local purveyors of vinyl and other formats of music, you might see Shattenkirk in your store soon. "Big music guy," he says with pride. "All realms. I've been known to grab the aux cord in the locker room every now and then and throw on the pregame tunes. At the same time, I'm a big indie rock/alternative rock guy. My dad raised us on vinyl and classic rock. I try to keep myself well-versed in the music world."
Of the countless bands Shattenkirk listens to, he singles out the LA-based indie five-piece Mt. Joy as one of his favorites. Concerts are readily enjoyed, though these days seem like distant memories. "Feels like forever ago," he says, when asked who he saw before things got shut down. "In Tampa there weren't too many venues, but at the beginning of last season we went to Post Malone. That was a great show. Saw Mt. Joy in a small little venue in New York. I hit them all."