Ron Hainsey

Ronald Martin Hainsey (born March 24, 1981) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played seventeen years in the National Hockey League (NHL) 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 (907 games) before playing 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 then won the 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 record was later 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.

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 (1999-2001) of the Hockey East NCAA conference. He began his professional career with Montreal's American Hockey League (AHL) 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 (NHLPA) 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.



Carolina Hurricanes
On September 12, 2013, Hainsey signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Carolina Hurricanes after the team announced that a defenseman Joni Pitkänen would miss the season due to injury. On June 24, 2014, Hainsey signed a new three-year, $8.5 million contract with the Hurricanes. Hainsey was named an alternate captain of the Hurricanes during the 2015–16 season. He marked his 200th NHL assist against the Pittsburgh Penguins on January 20, 2017.



Pittsburgh Penguins
On February 23, 2017, Hainsey, in the final year of his contract, was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and Danny Kristo. It was the first time that he had been traded in his career. It was with the Penguins that on April 12, 2017, after 907 career NHL games and surpassing Olli Jokinen's previous playoff games drought "record", Hainsey made his Stanley Cup playoff debut, doing so against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Hainsey and the Penguins went on to win the Stanley Cup over the Nashville Predators in the Finals. He was the first player captain Sidney Crosby handed the trophy to, following the victory.

Toronto Maple Leafs
An unrestricted free agent following the season, Hainsey signed a two-year, $6 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 1, 2017. He was signed to replace the departing Matt Hunwick, who coincidentally signed with the Penguins that same day. Hainsey was often played alongside Morgan Rielly on the Leafs top defence pairing. On November 1, 2018, Hainsey played in his 1,000 career NHL game.

Ottawa Senators
On July 1, 2019, Hainsey signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Ottawa Senators. For the 2019–20 season, Hainsey was named an alternate captain for the Senators. On December 10, 2019, Hainsey played in his 1,100th game, playing against the team which drafted him, the Montreal Canadiens in Montreal. On December 19, 2019, it was announced that Hainsey suffered a knee injury in the 5–4 overtime victory over the Nashville Predators. He missed seven games before returning to the ice on January 9, 2020. On April 1, 2021, Hainsey announced his retirement from the NHL.

Personal life
Hainsey and his wife Hayley have three children. Hainsey met his wife in Hamilton, Ontario, when he was playing for the Hamilton Bulldogs. Following his retirement from the NHL, Hainsey became an executive in the NHLPA.