Ron Hainsey
Ronald Martin Hainsey is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played seventeen years in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, Columbus Blue Jackets, Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets, Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators, playing over 1,100 career NHL games.
Hainsey played in the NHL for nearly 16 years before a late season trade to the 2016–17 Pittsburgh Penguins saw him play on a team that made the playoffs, longer than any other player in league history, beating the previous record of 799 games held by Olli Jokinen. He won that season's Stanley Cup with the Penguins in his debut playoff appearance, finishing second in ice time for the playoffs in place of the injured Kris Letang. His non-playoffs record was passed by Jeff Skinner in 2023.
Early life
Hainsey was born on March 24, 1981, in Bolton, Connecticut, to Marty and Kerry Hainsey. He learned how to skate at the Bolton Ice Palace.Playing career
Early career
As a youth, Hainsey played in the 1995 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Springfield, Massachusetts.Hainsey was drafted in the first round, 13th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, from the University of Massachusetts Lowell of the Hockey East NCAA conference. He began his professional career with Montreal's American Hockey League affiliates, the Quebec Citadelles and Hamilton Bulldogs, and played in the Calder Cup finals against the Houston Aeros, which the Bulldogs lost. Hainsey made his NHL debut for the Canadiens on October 11, 2002, versus the New York Rangers in New York.
Columbus Blue Jackets
After spending three seasons with the Canadiens organization, Hainsey was claimed off waivers on November 29, 2005, by the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he established himself as a solid two-way defenseman.Atlanta Thrashers / Winnipeg Jets
On July 2, 2008, as a free agent, Hainsey signed a five-year, $22.5 million contract with the Atlanta Thrashers. He recorded 6 goals and 33 assists in his first season in Atlanta. He would go on to record 45 points in the next two seasons with the Thrashers. After their relocation to Winnipeg, Manitoba, to become the Winnipeg Jets to start the 2011–12 season, Hainsey recorded 10 assists in 56 games.Hainsey also played a role in the negotiations of the 2012–13 NHL lockout. After a day of marathon bargaining sessions on December 5, 2012, Hainsey emerged to tell the media that both sides planned to meet again the next day. He was a key part of the negotiating team for the National Hockey League Players' Association in the lockout. On January 6, 2013, an agreement was reached to end the lockout. He finished the 2012–13 season with no goals and 13 points in 47 games with the Jets.