The younger brother of former NHL forward Anthony Stewart, Chris was selected by the Colorado Avalanche at No. 18 in the 2006 NHL Draft. A hulking 6-foot-2 and 231 pounds, Stewart has a cannon-like shot, good speed for his size and a strong work ethic. Those abilities helped the Toronto native become a first-round pick and go from fourth-line player to feared scorer.

Stewart actually stopped playing hockey in favor of football at 14, but resumed playing at 16 at the urging of Anthony, who arranged a tryout with his junior team, Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League. Chris made the team and eventually followed his brother as captain.

Stewart made his NHL debut Dec. 5, 2008 against the Dallas Stars. Four days later, he got his first two NHL points, on a shorthanded goal and an assist, in the Avalanche's 6-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings. Stewart finished the season with 11 goals and 19 points in 53 games while averaging 12:20 of ice time.

In 2009-10, Stewart led the Avalanche with 28 goals in 77 games, was second with 64 points and ranked 10th in the NHL with 25 even-strength goals. On Oct. 28, 2010, Stewart got his first NHL hat trick in Colorado's 6-5 win against the Calgary Flames. He was leading Colorado with 11 goals when he broke his left hand on Nov. 27, 2010.

The injury sidelined Stewart until mid-January, shortly before the Avalanche traded him to the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 18, 2011. Stewart scored two power-play goals in his Blues debut to help St. Louis to a 9-3 win against the Anaheim Ducks. He finished the season with 28 goals in 62 games, including 15 goals and 23 points in 26 games with the Blues.

Stewart spent three years in St. Louis before a trade to the Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 28, 2014. The Sabres traded Stewart to the Minnesota Wild in March of 2015 and, after the season, Stewart signed as a free agent with Anaheim. In July of 2016, he signed a two-year contract to return to the Wild as a free agent.