Kyle McLaren

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Position	Defenseman
Shoots	Left
Height Weight	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 230 lb (105 kg)
NHL Team F. Teams	San Jose Sharks Boston Bruins
Nationality	Canada
Born	June 18, 1977, Humboldt, Saskatchewan
NHL Draft	Rnd 1, 9th overall, 1995 Boston Bruins
Pro Career	1995 – present

Kyle McLaren( Born June 18, 1977 in Humboldt, Saskatchewan) is a professional ice hockey defenceman.

[edit] Career

McLaren was drafted by the Boston Bruins in the first round, ninth overall, during the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He played his first NHL season when he was just eighteen in the 1996 season, and was the youngest player on an NHL roster that year. McLaren currently plays for the San Jose Sharks.

A hard-hitting first-pairing defenseman, he "is a feared and imposing figure along the blueline" who "uses his size to deliver bone-jarring hits," "excels in the shot-blocking department," and "possesses a hard shot from the point" (TSN).

McLaren was traded to San Jose along with a fourth round draft pick for young defenseman Jeff Jillson and goaltender Jeff Hackett in the 2003 season season after getting into a dispute with the Bruins' management. Reportedly, they offered McLaren a two-way contract, meaning that McLaren would make less money than if he were playing in the American Hockey League. An established NHL player at that point, McLaren was insulted and demanded a trade.

In recent years, McLaren has developed a reputation for having one of the best hip checks in the league. His most notable hip check was in the the first round of the 2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs when he pinned St. Louis Blues winger Petr Cajanek into the boards near the Sharks' blue line. The hit sent HP Pavilion into an uproar. Cajanek would not play for the remainder of the series. Other memorable hip check recipients include Petr Prucha and Trevor Letowski.

McLaren is in a three-year-contract worth US$7.5 million; the deal expires in June 2009. McLaren signed that deal citing how happy he was in San Jose and how much his family loved it there.

[edit] Controversy

In the 2002 playoffs, McLaren injured Richard Zednik of the Montreal Canadiens with a vicious elbow/arm to the face after being caught out of position in the defensive zone. This prompted many to condemn the violence of the hit, and Montreal fans became enraged at McLaren for what they perceived to be a use of unnecessary excessive force towards Zednik. The event created a dislike for the Sharks defenseman that endures to this day. McLaren received a three-game suspension from the league, however many felt that the punishment was not nearly enough.