Before Duncan Keith was a three-time Stanley Cup champion, a Conn Smythe winner, two time Norris Trophy winner and a twice-over gold medalist with Team Canada, he was a Michigan State Spartan during the 2001-2002 season and played 15 games for the Spartans in 2002-03.
Now, the former defenseman is a National Hockey League Hall of Famer.
On Tuesday, June 24, the list of inductees into the NHL Hall of Fame was announced, placing icons such as Keith, Joe Thornton, Zdeno Chara and five others into the iconic Toronto, Ontario, Canada Hockey Hall of Fame.
The defenseman played 41 games in the green and white from 2001-02, putting up three goals and 12 assists during the freshman campaign. In 15 games, Keith notched three goals and nine points before forgoing his NCAA eligibility to head to the Western Hockey League, immediately flourishing with 11 goals and 35 assists.
Keith had a stellar career in the National Hockey League after being drafted in 2002 in the second round by the Chicago Blackhawks – where he played the majority of his career. He played during the golden years of Chicago, winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015, as well as the Conn Smythe trophy – signifying him the MVP of the playoffs – in 2015 after scoring the ultimate-cup winning goal.
The defenseman played in 1,192 games in the Blackhawks jersey, leading Chicago defenseman in games played in the jersey. He was second in assists with 520 and second with points (625) while ranking third in defensive goals with 105. He finished his career during the 2021-2022 season with the Edmonton Oilers. In total, Keith played in 1,256 games in the show.
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