Mobility and an ability to transition the puck have been watermarks of Liles' lengthy NHL career.

A product of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program, Liles began a serious push to the NHL after being recruited by Michigan State University in the fall of 1999.

In four seasons, Liles twice led Michigan State in scoring, including a career-high 50 points in his senior season when he was a Hobey Baker award finalist. He also won two CCHA Best Offensive Defenseman awards and participated in the famous Cold War clash between rivals Michigan and Michigan State that drew a then-record 74,544 to Spartan Stadium.

Selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the fifth round (No. 159) in the 2000 NHL Draft, Liles played in only five minor-league games following his final collegiate season before cracking the opening-night lineup for the 2003-04 NHL season.

That season he led all rookie defensemen with 34 points and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team.

In December 2006, Liles became the first defenseman to score 10 goals in each of his first three seasons since Steve Duchesne (1986-89).

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Liles made further League history in the 2010-11 season, registering an assist in each of the first nine games, the longest streak by a defenseman to start a season in history. During his stay in Colorado, Liles proved remarkably consistent offensively, never dipping below the 30-point plateau.

After seven years with the Avalanche, Liles was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on June 24, 2011. He spent two-plus seasons in Canada's hockey hotbed before being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 1, 2014. With the Hurricanes making a concerted effort to get younger, particularly along the blue line, Liles was viewed as a mentor to their emerging talent.

On Feb. 29, 2016, Liles was traded to the Boston Bruins. He finished out the season, and on July 1, 2016, signed a one-year contract rather than test the free agent market.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• CCHA Second All-Star Team (2001)
• CCHA First All-Star Team (2002, 2003)
• NCAA West Second All-American Team (2002)
• NCAA West First All-American Team (2003)
• NHL All-Rookie Team (2004)
• Signed as a free agent by Iserlohn (Germany), December 29, 2004.
• Traded to Toronto by Colorado for Boston's 2nd round pick (previously acquired, later traded to Washington, later traded to Dallas -- Dallas selected Mike Winther) in 2012 NHL Draft, June 24, 2011.
• Traded to Carolina by Toronto with Dennis Robertson for Tim Gleason, January 1, 2014.
• Traded to Boston by Carolina for Anthony Camara, Boston's 3rd round pick (Jack LaFontaine) in 2016 NHL Draft and Boston's 5th round pick (Jack Dugan) in 2017 NHL Draft, February 29, 2016.