Stepan's creative playmaking abilities have always been apparent.

The center burst onto the scene with the New York Rangers in 2010-11 and showcased himself along the way.

Stepan was a second-round pick (No. 51) by the Rangers in the 2008 NHL Draft out of powerhouse prep school Shattuck St. Mary's in Minnesota. He helped the school win back-to-back national championships in 2007 and 2008 and scored 44 goals and 111 points in 60 games as a senior.

After he was drafted, Stepan, whose father, Brad Stepan, was chosen by the Rangers in the fifth round (No. 91) of the 1985 NHL Draft, attended the University of Wisconsin. In two years with the Badgers he combined for 21 goals and 87 points. As a sophomore, Stepan tied for the NCAA lead with 42 assists and was second with 54 points. He also led the Western Collegiate Hockey Association in points, assists and power-play assists (22).

As captain, Stepan helped the United States finish first at the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship. He was the tournament's leading scorer with 14 points (four goals) in seven games.

Stepan left Wisconsin after his sophomore season and signed with the Rangers on July 1, 2010.

In his NHL debut Oct. 9, 2010, Stepan had a hat trick against Ryan Miller and the Buffalo Sabres, becoming the fourth player in NHL history to score three or more goals in his first game, joining Alex Smart (Montreal, 1942-43), Real Cloutier (Quebec, 1979-80) and Fabian Brunnstrom (Dallas, 2008-09).

Stepan was 13th in voting for the Calder Trophy given to the top rookie in the NHL after finishing with 21 goals and 45 points. He put himself in Rangers lore during the 2014-15 season with two memorable moments.

On April 6, 2015 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Stepan scored the tying goal with 27.5 seconds remaining in the third period and then scored in overtime, becoming the first player in Rangers history to score in the final minute of the third and in OT since the NHL adopted the current overtime format in 1983-84.

During the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Stepan scored in overtime in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Second Round against the Washington Capitals to send the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final.

Hours before Stepan's scheduled arbitration hearing, he agreed to a six-year contract with the Rangers on July 27, 2015. After two more seasons in New York, Stepan was traded to the Arizona Coyotes on June 23, 2017. He was named an alternate captain to start the 2017-18 season.

Stepan played his 600th NHL game Oct. 10, 2018 to become the first player in his draft class who was not a first-round pick to reach the milestone.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• Signed as a free agent by Kuopio (Finland), November 11, 2012.
• Traded to Arizona by NY Rangers with Antti Raanta for Tony DeAngelo and Arizona's 1st round pick (Lias Andersson) in 2017 NHL Draft, June 23, 2017.
• Traded to Ottawa by Arizona for a 2nd-round pick in 2021 NHL Draft, December 26, 2020.
• Signed as a free agent by Carolina, July 31, 2021.