Hatcher was known as one of the NHL's best offensive defensemen during the 1990s, and his 34 goals in 1992-93 are the most in a single season by a United States-born defenseman.
Selected by the Washington Capitals in the first round (No. 17) of the 1984 NHL Draft out of North Bay of the Ontario Hockey League, Hatcher made his NHL debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 6, 1985, and scored his first NHL goal against the Penguins one day later.
Hatcher was known as one of the NHL's best offensive defensemen during the 1990s, and his 34 goals in 1992-93 are the most in a single season by a United States-born defenseman.
Selected by the Washington Capitals in the first round (No. 17) of the 1984 NHL Draft out of North Bay of the Ontario Hockey League, Hatcher made his NHL debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 6, 1985, and scored his first NHL goal against the Penguins one day later.
Hatcher would score nine goals as a rookie the following season, and in 1987-88, he began a streak of 12 straight seasons with at least 10 goals. Hatcher scored 24 goals and had an NHL career-high 50 assists in 1990-91, then scored 34 goals and an NHL career-high 79 points in 1992-93. Only three defensemen -- Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey and Doug Wilson -- have scored more goals in a season.
After one more season in Washington, Hatcher was traded to the Dallas Stars prior to the start of the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season, reuniting him with his younger brother, Derian. The two played together for two seasons until Kevin was traded to the Penguins on June 22, 1996.
But before he suited up for the Penguins, Hatcher would get three assists in seven games and help the United States upset Canada in the final of the inaugural World Cup of Hockey in 1996. Hatcher also represented the United States at 1998 Nagano Olympics, where he had two assists in three games.
Hatcher went on to score 45 goals in three seasons with Pittsburgh, then played one season each with the New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes before retiring in 2001. He finished his NHL career with 677 points (227 goals, 450 assists) in 1,157 regular-season games, as well as 59 points (22 goals, 37 assists) in 118 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Hatcher was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- OHL Second All-Star Team (1985)
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (1990, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997)
- Traded to Dallas by Washington for Mark Tinordi and Rick Mrozik, January 18, 1995.
- Traded to Pittsburgh by Dallas for Sergei Zubov, June 22, 1996.
- Traded to NY Rangers by Pittsburgh for Peter Popovic, September 30, 1999.
- Signed as a free agent by Carolina, July 31, 2000.
