Duncan Keith Duncan Keith ( born July 16 , 1983 ) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who is an alternate captain for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . Keith is known as a two - way defenceman , capable in both shutdown and offensive roles . Following his freshman year with Michigan State University , Keith was selected 54th overall by Chicago in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft . After splitting the next year between Michigan and the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League ( WHL ) , he spent two seasons with the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League ( AHL ) . In 2005 – 06 , he played his NHL rookie season with the Blackhawks . Four years later , he won the James Norris Trophy as the league ' s best defenceman and helped the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup . Internationally , he has represented Canada on two occasions , winning a gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver . Keith resides in Chicago with his wife , Kelly - Rae Keith . In 2011 , he became recognized for his philanthropic efforts when he and Kelly - Rae created The Keith Relief Foundation , a charity dedicated to alleviating the financial and emotional burdens of families and individuals suffering from medical crisis . One of the first organizations to benefit will be the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicago and Northwest Indiana . Early life . Keith was born to Dave and Jean Keith . He was a middle child , with older brother Cameron ( born in 1981 ) and younger sister Rebecca ( born in 1984 ) . His family moved to Fort Frances , Ontario , in 1985 after his father was transferred from Winnipeg for an assistant manager position at a Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce ( CIBC ) branch . Keith ' s mother worked in the health field at Rainycrest Home for the Aged in Fort Frances . He grew up as a Boston Bruins fan , singling out defenseman Ray Bourque and forward Cam Neely as his favorite players , as well as Wayne Gretzky . Keith played minor hockey in the Fort Frances Minor Hockey Association along with his brother . Initially beginning as a forward with the Fort Frances Times Tigers , he has recalled switching to defense at the age of eight or nine . He went on to play AA Atom with Pinewood Sports and Marine Ltd and PeeWee with the Knights of Columbus . After Keith established himself in the NHL , the town of Fort Frances recognized his success by declaring July 17 , 2008 , " Duncan Keith Day . " While Keith began to be recruited for AAA Bantam in Thunder Bay , Ontario , his father obtained a managerial position at a branch in Summerland , British Columbia . At 14 - years - old , his family moved once again to nearby Penticton , British Columbia , where he finished his last two years of minor hockey . He then earned a spot on the local Junior A team , the Penticton Panthers of the British Columbia Hockey League ( BCHL ) , as a 16 - year - old . Playing career . Junior and college hockey . Keith played three years for the Penticton Panthers from 1999 – 00 through 2000 – 01 , scoring 78 goals and 148 assists for 226 points in 163 games . He was recruited by Michigan State University and played college hockey there for two years with the Michigan State Spartans of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association ( CCHA ) . He scored a goal in his Spartans debut in the Cold War , an outdoor game at Spartan Stadium against the state - rival University of Michigan Wolverines on October 6 , 2001 , that set a record for attendance at a hockey game . He completed his freshman year with three goals and 15 points in 41 games , ranked fourth among team defencemen behind John - Michael Liles , Brad Fast and Andrew Hutchinson . During Keith ' s second college season , he left the Spartans after 15 games to join the major junior ranks . He returned to British Columbia to play for the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League ( WHL ) and amassed 46 points ( 11 goals and 35 assists ) over 37 regular season games with a + 32 plus - minus in his single season there . He also added 14 points in 19 post - season games . Chicago Blackhawks . He was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round , 54th overall , of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft . He signed with Chicago prior to the 2003 – 04 season and spent his first two seasons after junior in the American Hockey League ( AHL ) with the team affiliate Norfolk Admirals . He recorded 7 goals and 25 points over 75 games in his professional rookie season in 2003 – 04 . Keith ' s chances of earning a spot with the Blackhawks the following season were eliminated due to the 2004 – 05 NHL lockout . Remaining with the Admirals , he continued his pace with 26 points in 79 games . Following two seasons in the AHL , Keith made the Blackhawks squad out of the 2005 training camp . He played in his first NHL game on October 5 , 2005 , against the Anaheim Ducks . He made an immediate impact on the club , scoring nine goals and 25 points , while averaging over 23 minutes of ice time in 81 games during his 2005 – 06 NHL rookie season . The Blackhawks re - signed him in the off - season to a four - year contract extension . In 2006 – 07 , he played in all 82 games for the Blackhawks and once again led the team in average ice time at 23 minutes . He had two goals and 31 points , while leading the team in blocked shots with 148 . For the 2007 – 08 season , Keith saw even more ice time as injuries wracked the Blackhawks ' defensive corps . He began the season on the top - defensive pairing with Brent Seabrook . By mid - January , he was averaging 24 : 31 minutes of ice time and had a team leading plus - minus of + 14 . He was rewarded for this effort by a selection to his first NHL All - Star Game in 2008 . Keith went on to finish the season with 12 goals and 32 points , along with a + 30 plus - minus rating , despite being on a non - playoff team . On October 8 , 2008 , Keith was named an alternate captain along with forward Patrick Sharp to the start the 2008 – 09 season . He helped a rejuvenated Blackhawks team , led by second - year forwards Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane , back into the playoffs , recording eight goals and 44 points , second among team defencemen to Brian Campbell . He added six points in 17 post - season games as the Blackhawks advanced to the Western Conference Finals , where they were eliminated by Central Division rivals , the Detroit Red Wings . With Keith having established himself with Seabrook as one of the top shutdown pairings in the league , he made significant offensive improvement in 2009 – 10 . On December 3 , 2009 , the Blackhawks announced having extended Keith ' s contract simultaneously with Toews and Kane . At $ 72 million over 13 years , Keith ' s contract was the most lucrative in team history , surpassing Marián Hossa ' s 12 - year , $ 62 . 8 million contract signed several months prior in July 2009 . He completed the season with 14 goals and 69 points , ranked second among league defencemen behind Mike Green of the Washington Capitals . It was also the highest total for a Blackhawks defenceman since Chris Chelios ' 72 - point season in 1995 – 96 . His 26 : 35 minutes of average ice time was the second highest in the league . Entering the 2010 playoffs as the second seed in the Western Conference , the Blackhawks eliminated the Nashville Predators , Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks in the first three rounds . During Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the Sharks , Keith had seven teeth knocked out by a puck . He returned minutes after the incident to help the Blackhawks complete a four - game sweep of the Sharks and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1992 . Matched against the Philadelphia Flyers , they won the Stanley Cup in six games . Keith finished the post - season with 17 points ( 2 goals and 15 assists ) over 22 contests . Nominated for the James Norris Trophy for his regular season performance , he outvoted Green and Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings to earn the award as the league ' s best defenceman in the off - season . As a result of several Blackhawks players , including Keith , entering the first year of lucrative contracts in the 2010 – 11 season , the team was forced to deal away several components of their Stanley Cup winning team to fit under the salary cap . With a diminished roster , Chicago qualified for the playoffs by two points as the eighth and final seed in the West . Keith ' s production decreased to 7 goals and 45 points over 82 games . Facing the Canucks in the first round , the Blackhawks were eliminated in seven games . Keith recorded 4 goals and 2 assists during the series . International play . Keith debuted internationally for Team Canada at the 2008 World Championships . He contributed two assists in nine games as Canada won a silver medal , losing in the gold medal game to Russia . On December 30 , 2009 , Keith was selected to play for Team Canada at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver . He was named to the squad along with Blackhawks teammates Brent Seabrook and Jonathan Toews . Although Keith was expected to retain Seabrook as his defensive partner from the NHL to Team Canada , Seabrook ended up as the designated seventh defenceman , while Keith formed a pairing with Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings . He finished the tournament with six assists , while leading Canada in ice time , as Canada won the gold medal over the United States 3 - 2 in overtime on February 28 , 2010 . It was Keith ' s first international gold medal .