In the days before the trade deadline, the Maple Leafs would also complete a deal with the Vancouver Canucks, which would see Luke Schenn return to Toronto, where it all began for him. The Canucks received a third-round 2023 draft pick in exchange for the veteran defenceman. The trade was confirmed on February 28th, 2023.
Who Is Luke Schenn?
Luke was born in Saskatoon, SK, Canada, on November 2nd, 1989, making him 33. He and his brother Brayden were born to parents Jeff and Rita Schenn. Luke also has two younger sisters named Madison and Macy. The Los Angeles Kings drafted his brother Braden in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, and then was later traded to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Luke and his wife, Jessica, have two sons, Weston and Kingston. At the time of the trade, they were expecting their third child, a baby girl. She was born on March 10th, 2023.
From The Start
Schenn’s father, Jeff, coached his first minor hockey team, the Saskatoon Red Wings 2004-2005 season. Luke would play AAA midget hockey For the Saskatoon Contacts. That year the Contacts would win the Telus Cup at Canada’s National Midget Hockey Championships. While still a team member of the Contacts, Schenn would be selected 20th overall in the 2004 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft by the Kelowna Rockets.
Junior Journey
The Rockets invited him to experience the memorial cup run at the end of the 2004-2005 season to learn more about his future role on the team. Luke made his Kelowna rockets debut in the 2005-2006 season, where he eventually received the Rookie of the Year acknowledgment. In the 2007-2008 season, Luke received the alternate captain role and was also named on the WHL’s roster for the ADT Canada- Russia challenge. He also served as captain for the Canada Hockey League Top Prospects Game. He would also be on the WHL’s second All-Star team that same season.
International Ice
Schenn was selected to be on Canada’s roster to participate in the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in 2008. Luke also participated in the IIHF World Championships in 2009, 2011, and 2013. All those years, the Canadian team was eliminated before medal contention.
Professional Whirlwind
In anticipation of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Schenn would be highly sought after, given that he was placed 50 among draft-eligible North American skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. At the time of the draft, the Toronto Maple Leafs traded with the New York Islanders for a higher draft pick, which they would later use to select Schenn.
On October 7th, 2008, the Maple Leafs presented Luke Schenn with a contract and a salary of $850,000 per season, along with performance bonuses that could raise the value as high as $1.25 million per season.
With the conclusion of the training season at the end of that summer, Schenn would find himself on the roster for the opening 2008-2009 season. He made his NHL debut on October 9th, 2008, against the Detroit Red Wings. He recorded his first assist on October 29th against New Jersey Devils. He scored his first goal that same season against the Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey price.
In January 2009, he missed 12 games due to a lower-body injury, and these were the only 12 games he would miss in his rookie season. Luke would record two assists on March 14th of that year, his first multipoint game. That was an 8-6 win over the Calgary Flames. Schenn would complete his first NHL season with two goals in 12 assists in 70 games. He would also be named to the All-Rookie team that year.
The Maple Leafs head coach at the time, Ron Wilson, named Luke one of the team’s top 4 defensemen. However, as the season went on, looks performance began to slowly decline, and he was kept out of the lineup for a game in October and a three-game stretch that December. Schenn had his first multi-goal game in a match against the Ottawa Senators, and it was safe to say that sitting him out began to change his game positively. He finished that season with a career-high of five goals and 17 points.
In the season following, Luke was named an alternate captain While the team was awaiting another teammate returning from injury. Schenn would play all 82 games in that season for the Maple Leafs and tie his personal record of 17 assists and totaling 22 points.
In June of 2012, Schenn would be a piece of a trade to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for James Van Riemsdyk. This trade would make him teammates with his brother Brayden.
In the 2015-2016 season, after accumulating five points in 29 games, Schenn would be traded with teammate Vincent Lacavalier to the Los Angeles Kings.
On July 23rd, 2016, the Arizona Coyotes presented Luke with a two-year $2.5 million contract, which he signed.
At the conclusion of his contract with the Coyotes, Schenn became a free agent and agreed to a one year $800,000 contract with the Anaheim Ducks. he was placed on waiver by the ducks on November 17th, 2018. He was not picked up and was assigned to the mirror and Hockey League for the first time in his career. There he recorded 10 points in 22 games for the San Diego Gulls. Soon after, he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Michael Del Zotto on January 16th, 2019. From there, he was immediately assigned to the AHL affiliate of the Canucks, the Utica Comets.
Luke Schenn was a free agent as of the summer of 2019. The Tampa Bay Lightning would present him with a contract of one year and $700,000. There he would be a healthy scratch, placed on waivers, and eventually assigned to their AHL affiliate team, the Syracuse Crunch. Schenn Was a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning when they won the Stanley Cup at the end of the 2019-2020 season. Schenn extended his day in Tampa and signed another year contract on October 29th, 2020. The team would win their second consecutive Stanley Cup that season.
As a free agent in the summer of 2021, Schenn would return to Vancouver to sign a two-year $1.7 million contract on July 28th, 2021.
On December 3rd, Luke would deliver six hits to the Arizona Coyotes. With this, Schenn would become the all-time leader in hits delivered by an NHL defenseman. This would provide the Canucks blue line call mom with some heavy, reliable influence. With that said Vancouver still remains outside of playoff contention. Leading to Schenn’s trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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