Matthew David Duchene (pronounced [dyʃɛːn]; born January 16, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is a forward for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played in the NHL for the Colorado Avalanche, Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Nashville Predators. While with the Predators, he set a new franchise record for most goals scored in a single season.
Duchene was selected third overall by the Avalanche in the 2009 NHL entry draft. He won a gold medal with Canada at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
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Playing career
Minor
Duchene grew up playing minor hockey for the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA)'s Central Ontario Wolves (based in Lindsay) of the Eastern AAA League. He also spent his early hockey years playing for his hometown Haliburton Huskies before moving up to the AAA level. In 2006, Duchene verbally stated he was interested in college hockey in the United States and verbally committed to playing in the NCAA. However, after the 2006–07 season with the Wolves, Duchene was selected by the Ontario Hockey League (OHL)'s Brampton Battalion in the first round of the 2007 OHL Priority Selection.
Junior
Duchene played major junior in the OHL with the Brampton Battalion in 2007–08, scoring 30 goals and 50 points in his rookie campaign. The following season, 2008–09, he improved to 79 points in 57 games, then added 26 points in the playoffs, helping the Battalion to the J. Ross Robertson Cup Finals, where they were defeated by eventual 2009 Memorial Cup champions, the Windsor Spitfires. During his time with the Battalion, Duchene attended Turner Fenton Secondary School.
Entering the 2009 NHL entry draft, Duchene was ranked second overall among North American skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau, behind John Tavares. Swedish defenceman Victor Hedman was also considered a strong candidate with Tavares for the first overall selection. Duchene's well-rounded, two-way game, however, garnered him attention for the top pick as well. After Tavares and Hedman were picked first and second respectively, Duchene was selected third overall by the Colorado Avalanche. Growing up as an Avalanche fan, Duchene quickly became a fan favourite after video footage showed him pumping his fist after Hedman was selected second overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning, effectively sealing his fate as an Avalanche draftee. Having played alongside Vancouver Canucks prospect Cody Hodgson, who had been selected tenth overall the previous year, Duchene sought draft advice from him over the course of the season. While playing in junior, Duchene drew comparisons to such NHLers as Steve Yzerman and Joe Sakic, as well as Mike Richards.
Professional
Duchene recorded his first career NHL point in his Avalanche debut on October 1, 2009, against the San Jose Sharks with an assist on a powerplay goal by John-Michael Liles. Duchene's first goal came later that month on October 17 against Chris Osgood in a 4–3 shootout win over the Detroit Red Wings. The following day, it was announced that Duchene would spend the entire season with the Avalanche instead of being reassigned to the Battalion. On November 30, Duchene compiled his first two-goal NHL game in a 3–0 shutout victory against the Lightning. On December 2, he recorded his second two-goal game and first three-point game in a 6–5 shootout loss to the Florida Panthers. It marked the first time that an 18-year-old recorded back-to-back two-goal games in the NHL since Radek Dvořák did so with Florida in November 1995. Duchene was subsequently selected as the NHL Rookie of the Month for December 2009 after scoring 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points in 14 games.
On April 6, 2010, Duchene scored the game-winning shootout goal in a 4–3 win over Vancouver Canucks to clinch the Avalanche a berth in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Duchene finished his rookie season third on the Avalanche in scoring with 55 points, and second in goals with 24. Among NHL rookies, he finished first in points, ahead of Tavares by one, and tied with Tavares for first in goals. Duchene added three assists in six playoff games as the Avalanche were eliminated by San Jose Sharks in the opening round. After completion of the season, he was selected to the NHL All-Rookie team and placed third in Calder Memorial Trophy voting, the award given to the NHL's top rookie of the year.
On November 15, 2010, Duchene got into his first-career fight, facing St. Louis Blues' forward Vladimír Sobotka. In January 2011, he was chosen to participate in his first NHL All-Star Game. During the contest, he became the first player in All-Star Game history to be awarded a penalty shot when Washington Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin tossed his stick toward Duchene on a breakaway. However, Duchene's attempt was turned away by Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers. Soon thereafter, Duchene recorded his 100th career NHL point on January 26 with a goal against Phoenix Coyotes goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov in a 5–2 loss. Duchene finished the season with 67 points and became the youngest player in Avalanche history to lead the team in scoring.
On November 4, 2011, Duchene tallied his first career hat-trick (and first career four-point game) in a 7–6 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars. Injuries plagued his campaign as he played a mere 58 games.
International play
Duchene made his international debut at the 2008 World U-17 Hockey Challenge. He scored ten points in six games to help Team Ontario to a gold medal. The same year, he was named to Canada's under-18 team for the 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships in April and was selected as captain at the 2008 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in August; he won gold at both tournaments. Playing in his second major junior season, Duchene participated in Canada's junior camp ahead of the 2009 World Junior Championships, but was ultimately cut from the team's final roster.
Following his rookie season in the NHL, Duchene was named to the senior Canadian team's roster for the 2010 IIHF World Championship in Germany. He made his full international debut, recording a goal and an assist, in a 5–1 preliminary round win against Italy on May 8, 2010. Duchene finished the tournament with four goals for seven points in seven games after Canada was eliminated in the quarter-final by Russia.
Duchene was again added to Canada's World Championship team for the 2011 edition of the tournament following the Avalanche's failure to make the 2011 playoffs. He was unable to repeat his point scoring performance from the previous year, going scoreless in seven games as Canada finished in fifth place.
After signing an NHL lock-out contract in Switzerland with HC Ambrì-Piotta in 2012, Duchene was added to Canada's roster for the annual 2012 Spengler Cup. In four games, Duchene scored five points and was selected as the centre to the All-Star Team in helping his nation win the Spengler Cup for the first time since 2007.
On January 7, 2014, Duchene was named to the Canadian roster for participation at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. He was initially used as Canada's extra forward or as a healthy scratch in Canada's round robin stage, though after a tournament-ending knee injury to John Tavares suffered in the quarter-finals, Duchene was inserted as the fourth line centre for the tournament semi-final, as well as Canada's gold medal-winning game against Sweden on February 23.
At the 2015 World Championship, where Canada won the gold medal for the first time since 2007 with a perfect 10–0 record, Duchene finished in a tie for third in scoring with four goals and eight assists.
Personal life
Duchene is a committed Christian and is featured on the Breakaway Hockey New Testament by Hockey Ministries International. He is the nephew of Anaheim Ducks assistant coach Newell Brown. He was a die-hard Avalanche fan growing up and had jerseys for Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy, his former general manager and head coach, respectively, with Colorado.
On July 8, 2017, Duchene married his long-time girlfriend, Ashley Grossaint. Their first child, Beau David Newell Duchene, was born on January 9, 2019. Their second child, daughter Jaymes Olivia Duchene, was born on November 9, 2020. They have one other daughter named Ellie.
Duchene announced on February 28, 2024, that he had become a brand ambassador for Can-i Wellness oral spray supplements.