Danny DeKeyser Daniel Christopher DeKeyser ( born March 7 , 1990 ) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman , who is currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . Playing career . Amateur . DeKeyser grew up playing minor hockey in the Detroit area and played his Midget U18 hockey with the Compuware AAA program from 2006 – 2008 before signing with the Trail Smoke Eaters of the British Columbia Hockey League ( BCHL ) for the 2008 – 09 season , where he recorded eight goals and 17 assists in 58 games . He was named the Trail Smoke Eaters ' Defenseman of the Year . During the 2009 – 10 season , DeKeyser played for the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League ( USHL ) , where he recorded one goal and ten assists in 41 games . Following the 2009 – 10 season , DeKeyser committed to play college ice hockey for the Western Michigan Broncos . During the 2010 – 11 season , DeKeyser appeared in 42 games , where he recorded five goals and 12 assists . He was named to the Central Collegiate Hockey Association ( CCHA ) All - Rookie team , and named to the CCHA All - Tournament Team for tallying two assists and helping shut down Michigan ’ s high - powered offense during the CCHA Semfinals and Finals . DeKeyser ranked second on the team in plus - minus with a + 12 rating , and led the team in blocked shots with 54 . DeKeyser recorded his first collegiate goal on October 8 , 2010 , in a game against Canisius . During the 2011 – 12 season , DeKeyser appeared in 41 games , where he recorded five goals and 12 assists . He was named to the Second Team All - American , Second Team All - CCHA , CCHA Best Defensive Defenseman , and CCHA All - Tournament Team . He became just the second Bronco player in program history to be named CCHA Best Defensive Defenseman . During the 2012 – 13 season , DeKeyser appeared in 35 games , where he recorded two goals and 13 assists . He was named to the First Team All - CCHA , and became the first Bronco to be named CCHA Best Defensive Defenseman twice after winning it in consecutive seasons . In three seasons with the Broncos , DeKeyser racked up 12 goals and 37 assists in 118 games . Professional . After three years with Western Michigan , DeKeyser was being pursued by multiple teams around the NHL . Eventually , he decided to play for his hometown team and signed a two - year contract with the Red Wings on March 29 , 2013 . He began playing for Detroit one week later , and recorded his first NHL point against Nashville on April 14 , 2013 , assisting on a Henrik Zetterberg goal . DeKeyser appeared in 11 regular - season and two postseason games for the Red Wings during the 2012 – 13 season . Following the conclusion of Detroit ' s postseason run in 2013 , he joined the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League ( AHL ) during the 2013 Calder Cup playoffs , where he recorded one assist in six games , and helped the team capture their first - ever Calder Cup championship . On November 4 , 2013 , DeKeyser scored his first career NHL goal in a game against the Winnipeg Jets . During the 2013 – 14 season , DeKeyser recorded four goals and 19 assists , and a plus - 10 rating in 65 games . DeKeyser ranked among the NHL ' s top rookie blueliners in points ( 8th ) , plus - minus ( T4th ) and ice time ( 2nd ) . He also placed third among all rookies , and second on Detroit overall , with 116 blocked shots . On September 16 , 2014 , the Detroit Red Wings signed DeKeyser to a two - year , $ 4 . 375 million contract . DeKeyser was named the 2014 Detroit Red Wings - Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association ( DSBA ) Rookie of the Year and will receive his award in a pre - game ceremony November 9 , 2014 at Joe Louis Arena . International play . DeKeyser represented the United States at the 2014 IIHF World Championship , where he finished the tournament with two assists in eight games . Personal life . DeKeyser , a native of Macomb , Michigan , is the son of Michael and Linda DeKeyser . He was a communications major at Western Michigan and graduated from De La Salle Collegiate High School .