Anthony Stewart Anthony Stewart ( born January 5 , 1985 ) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . He was born in Quebec , and his family moved to Toronto while he was a child . Stewart played minor hockey in Toronto , winning three all - Ontario championships . After his minor hockey career , he was selected by the Kingston Frontenacs in the first round of the Ontario Hockey League ( OHL ) draft . After two seasons with Kingston , he was drafted by the Florida Panthers in the first round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft , at 25th overall . He spent four years in the Panthers ' system , dividing his time between the NHL and the American Hockey League ( AHL ) , after which he joined the Atlanta Thrashers for two years . When the Thrashers moved to Winnipeg to become the new Winnipeg Jets , they did not offer him a new contract , and he signed with the Hurricanes as a free agent . His younger brother Chris also plays in the NHL , for the St . Louis Blues . Stewart has represented Canada internationally in two World Junior Championships , in the 2003 IIHF World U18 Championships , and twice in the ADT Canada - Russia Challenge . He was the leading goal scorer for Team Canada when they won the World U18 Championships . In the 2004 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships , in which Canada won a silver medal , Stewart tied for the tournament points lead . In the 2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships , he helped Team Canada win a gold medal . Representing the OHL at the Canada - Russia Challenge , Stewart helped his team go unbeaten in both tournaments ( 4 - 0 ) , helping Canada to win the Challenge two years running . Early life . Stewart was born in LaSalle , Quebec , in 1985 , the oldest of seven children of Norman and Sue Stewart . Norman immigrated to Canada from Jamaica in 1974 , taking mainly seasonal jer such as landscaping or construction , and Sue was a stay - at - home mother . The family moved to Toronto the year after Stewart ' s birth . During his childhood they were evicted from their home and moved to a subsidized shelter in what has been described as a " rough " neighbourhood of Scarborough , Toronto . Stewart began skating at the age of four and playing hockey at five . As a young hockey player , he would often walk with his father to hockey games and practices . On one such occasion , the two were walking in a blizzard when they were picked up by a fellow hockey parent , Bob Ziemendorf , who was driving his child to the same place . Ziemendorf drove them home again after the practice , and from then on he regularly gave the family lifts and helped them with the cost of hockey and groceries . During a particularly trying time for the family , Stewart moved in with Ziemendorf and his family for over a year and a half . Stewart later stated that he believed that , without this help , he could not have got into the NHL . Playing career . Minor hockey and major junior . Stewart played minor hockey for the North York Canadians . He played so well that the cost of his hockey was subsidized personally by the head of the organization . With Stewart on the team , the North York Canadians won three all - Ontario championships . After finishing his minor hockey career , Stewart was selected by the Kingston Frontenacs in the first round of the OHL draft . In his first season in the OHL , he scored 19 goals and 43 points , and in the 2002 – 03 season he increased his tally to 38 goals and 70 points , then added seven more points in five playoff games . In the off - season , Stewart was named captain of the Frontenacs and was drafted in the first round of the NHL draft . Going into the 2003 NHL entry draft , he was rated as the 19th best prospect among North American skaters . With their second first round draft pick , the 25th overall , the Florida Panthers selected him . While the Frontenacs missed the playoffs the following season , Stewart scored a career high 35 goals . He attended the Panthers ' training camp prior to the start of the 2004 – 05 OHL season . He performed impressively there but was sent back to Kingston to help his growth as a player . In his last OHL season , he led the Frontenacs ' scoring with 67 points . After the Frontenacs failed to make the playoffs for the second consecutive year , Stewart made his professional debut , playing 10 games for the AHL team San Antonio Rampage , during which he scored a goal and two assists . Professional . Stewart began the 2005 – 06 season in the AHL with the Rochester Americans . After four games he was called up by the Panthers , making his NHL debut on October 18 , 2005 , against New Jersey . During the game he recorded his first NHL career point , an assist . Two days later he recorded the first NHL goal of his career , against Washington Capitals ' goaltender Olaf Kolzig . He played ten games , scoring two goals and three points , before injuring his wrist when he crashed into the boards after a check by Carolina Hurricanes ' defenceman Mike Commodore . The injury required surgery and ended Stewart ' s season . The following year was spent mainly in the AHL , playing in 62 games and registering 13 goals and 27 points . Stewart appeared in ten games with the Panthers , registering just one assist . In the 2007 – 08 season he spent more time in the NHL , playing in 26 games for Florida and again only registering one assist . While in the AHL , he played against his brother Chris , then a member of the Lake Erie Monsters . It was the first time they had faced each other in an organized hockey game . Anthony scored a goal and an assist in the game , and Rochester defeated Lake Erie 3 – 2 . He finished the season with 31 points from 54 games . In the 2008 – 09 NHL season , for the first time in his career , Stewart played no games in the minor leagues . He played in 59 games for the Panthers , scoring 2 goals and 7 points . In the off - season Stewart left the Panthers as a free agent and signed with the Atlanta Thrashers . After the 2009 pre - season he was assigned to the Thrashers ' AHL affiliate , the Chicago Wolves . In his first year with them , he achieved AHL career highs in games played ( 77 ) and assists ( 19 ) , and equalled his career high in points ( 31 ) . Stewart played the entire 2010 – 11 season with the Thrashers , scoring his first career hat - trick in a game against the Anaheim Ducks . His third goal tied the game 4 – 4 , and the Thrashers went on to win the game in a shootout . In that season Stewart set both NHL career highs and professional career highs in games played and in every major offensive statistical category . When the Thrashers moved to Winnipeg , the Winnipeg Jets opted not to submit a qualifying offer for Stewart , making him an unrestricted free agent . He signed a two - year , US $ 1 . 8 million contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on July 2 , 2011 . International play . Stewart made his international debut playing for Canada in the 2003 IIHF World U18 Championships in Yaroslavl , Russia . During the tournament he scored six goals , tying for fourth place in tournament scoring . His scoring success ranked him as the top goal - scoring Canadian ; however , he contributed no assists , and finished third on the team in points . The Canadian team finished the preliminary round with a 2 – 2 – 1 record . In the elimination round they defeated the Slovakian team 3 – 0 to win the gold medal . Later that year Stewart represented the OHL in the 2003 ADT Canada - Russia Challenge . He scored one goal , helping the OHL win both their games , which contributed to a 5 – 1 series win for the Canadian Hockey League ( CHL ) . The following year Stewart was selected to play for Canada in the 2004 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Helsinki and Hämeenlinna , Finland . Canada were unbeaten in the preliminary round and advanced to the final of the elimination round , where they faced the United States team . During the second period of the final , Stewart scored a goal to put Canada ahead 3 – 1 . It was his third point of the game , as he had made assists in the two previous goals . However , Canada conceded three goals in the third period , losing 4 – 3 and receiving the silver medal . Stewart finished the tournament with 11 points , tying teammate Nigel Dawes and US player Zach Parise for the tournament lead in points scored . Having scored one more goal than Stewart and Parise , Dawes was officially named the tournament ' s leading scorer . Later in the year Stewart was selected to play in the 2004 ADT Canada - Russia Challenge as part of the OHL All - Stars team , and later he was named an alternate captain . He scored a short handed goal in the OHL ' s second game of the series , a 5 – 2 win . The OHL won both of its games in the series , helping the CHL to a 4 – 2 win in the series . In 2005 Stewart was again selected to play for Canada in the World Junior Championships in Grand Forks , North Dakota . Unlike in previous years , Stewart struggled at this tournament , and in the second game he was relegated to 13th forward . An injury to teammate Jeremy Colliton allowed Stewart to play in the following game , in which he scored two goals , contributing to a 9 – 0 defeat of the German team . Once more , Canada had an undefeated run to the final , where they faced Russia . In the final Stewart scored the fifth goal in a 6 – 1 win for Canada , earning him his second international gold medal . Personal . Stewart is engaged and the couple has one child , a son , Mason Stewart , born in September of 2011 . During the off - season the couple lives in Toronto . After signing his first contract with the Panthers , Stewart bought a new house for his family . His younger brother Chris currently plays for the NHL ' s St . Louis Blues . External links . bserver