Most of the players who wind up wearing Stanley Cup rings actually played for the team that won the Cup. Kindl owns the ring of a Cup champion he never played for.
When the Detroit Red Wings won the Cup in 2008, Kindl was awarded a ring for the role he played as a rookie practice participant following a late-season recall, but he never actually played a game for the Wings.
Most of the players who wind up wearing Stanley Cup rings actually played for the team that won the Cup. Kindl owns the ring of a Cup champion he never played for.
When the Detroit Red Wings won the Cup in 2008, Kindl was awarded a ring for the role he played as a rookie practice participant following a late-season recall, but he never actually played a game for the Wings.
Kindl didn't make his NHL debut until December 2009, when he played three games with the Red Wings before being sent back to the American Hockey League.
A native of Myjava, Czech Republic, Kindl came to North America to play for Kitchener of the Ontario Hockey League in 2004 and settled into a role as a physical, stay-at-home defenseman before being selected by the Red Wings in the first round (No. 19) of the 2005 NHL Draft.
Kindl spent two more seasons with Kitchener and three with Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League before sticking with the Red Wings for the 2010-11 season. He had 16 goals and 68 points in 273 games with the Red Wings before being traded to the Florida Panthers on Feb. 27, 2016.
