Back
when he was with the Boston Bruins, Kyle McLaren was summed up in one
sentence by Mike O'Connell, then Boston's general manager:
"We know what Kyle is. We know he brings an element that all
the very best teams have."
That element combines a hard-nosed, gritty disposition with a killer
instinct, and the formula has made McLaren a steady fixture on National
Hockey League blue lines for the past 11 years, despite him not possessing
highlight-reel skill or dazzling moves. McLaren has achieved success
by working hard and finding his niche.
As TSN, Canada's leading sports TV network, describes him, he "is
a feared and imposing figure along the blue line and uses his size
to deliver bone-jarring hits. Excels in the shot-blocking department
and possesses a hard shot from the point." He's known to have
one of the best hip checks in hockey.
Since his childhood in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, McLaren has achieved
success off his opportunism. Instead of resting on his laurels after
getting selected in the first round, ninth overall in the 1995 NHL
Draft by the Bruins, McLaren set to work, and skipped minor league
hockey completely, starting his career in Boston at age 18.
Even as a defensive minded defenseman, McLaren still contributes
to his team with 43 career goals and 153 assists while playing on
the top defensive unit and logging over 20 minutes of ice time per
game for both the Boston Bruins and the San Jose Sharks, where he
went in a trade in 2002. The past three seasons, McLaren has been
part of impressive playoff performances by the Sharks.
McLaren, who is 29 years old, met his wife, Helga, while he was with
Boston. The couple has three children (daughters Samantha and Madison
and son Aidan), two dogs, and a fish, and the family is known for
taking road trips in a customized RV.
