Brett Kulak

Brett Kulak (born January 6, 1994) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). Kulak was selected by the Calgary Flames in the fourth round, 105th overall, of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. He played junior hockey for the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL).
==Playing career==
===Junior===
Kulak played four seasons of junior hockey for the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL) between 2010 and 2014. In 216 games with the Giants, he scored 35 goals and added 93 assists. The Calgary Flames selected Kulak with their fourth round pick, 105th overall, at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Following the conclusion of his WHL seasons in both 2012–13 and 2013–14, Kulak joined the Flames' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Abbotsford Heat, on amateur try-out agreements; he played four and six games in each respective season.
===Professional===
On March 18, 2014, the Flames signed Kulak to a three-year, entry-level contract. He began the 2014–15 season with the ECHL's Colorado Eagles before earning a promotion to the AHL's Adirondack Flames. Kulak was then recalled to Calgary and made his NHL debut on April 11, 2015, in the Flames' final regular season game, a 5–1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets.
On October 18, 2016, against the Buffalo Sabres, Kulak recorded his first career point, assisting on Michael Frolík's first period goal. The Flames won the game 4-3. Kulak finished the 2016–17 season with 3 assists in 21 games.
On August 28, 2017, the Flames re-signed Kulak (who was a restricted free agent) to a one-year, two-way contract worth $650,000.
On October 1, 2018, the Flames traded Kulak to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Matt Taormina and Rinat Valiev. Kulak was subsequently assigned to the Canadiens' AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket. On November 22, he was called up by the Canadiens after an injury to defenseman Noah Juulsen. He was immediately put into the line-up. A few games later, star defenseman Shea Weber was activated from injury reserve and the Canadiens sacrificed veteran defenseman Karl Alzner before Kulak by putting him on waivers. On December 29, 2018, Kulak scored his first goal for Montreal in a 5-6 defeat to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He scored his first game-winning goal in a 3-0 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on January 12, 2019.
On May 25, 2019, the Canadiens signed Kulak to a three-year, $5.55 million contract extension with an annual average of $1.85 million.
==Career statistics==
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
2010–11 	Vancouver Giants 	WHL 		3 	0 	0 	0 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2011–12 	Vancouver Giants 	WHL 		72 	9 	15 	24 	28 		6 	0 	4 	4 	2
2012–13 	Vancouver Giants 	WHL 		72 	12 	32 	44 	34 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2012–13 	Abbotsford Heat 	AHL 		4 	0 	0 	0 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2013–14 	Vancouver Giants 	WHL 		69 	14 	46 	60 	51 		4 	1 	2 	3 	7
2013–14 	Abbotsford Heat 	AHL 		6 	1 	2 	3 	2 		4 	0 	0 	0 	2
2014–15 	Adirondack Flames 	AHL 		26 	4 	9 	13 	27 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2014–15 	Colorado Eagles 	ECHL 		39 	9 	21 	30 	15 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2014–15 	Calgary Flames 	NHL 		1 	0 	0 	0 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2015–16 	Calgary Flames 	NHL 		8 	0 	0 	0 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2015–16 	Stockton Heat 	AHL 		59 	3 	14 	17 	36 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2016–17 	Calgary Flames 	NHL 		21 	0 	3 	3 	12 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2016–17 	Stockton Heat 	AHL 		22 	2 	8 	10 	14 		5 	0 	4 	4 	4
2017–18 	Calgary Flames 	NHL 		71 	2 	6 	8 	27 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2018–19 	Laval Rocket 	AHL 		19 	3 	8 	11 	4 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2018–19 	Montreal Canadiens	NHL 		57 	6 	11 	17 	31 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2019–20 	Montreal Canadiens	NHL 		56 	0 	7 	7 	12 		10 	0 	3 	3 	0
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		214 	8 	27 	35 	84 		10 	0 	3 	3 	0
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==Awards and honours==
Award 	Year	
WHL 	WHL 	WHL
CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game	2012	The Province
==References==
==External links==
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Category:1994 births
Category:Abbotsford Heat players
Category:Adirondack Flames players
Category:Calgary Flames draft picks
Category:Calgary Flames players
Category:Canadian ice hockey defencemen
Category:Colorado Eagles players
Category:Ice hockey people from Alberta
Category:Laval Rocket players
Category:Montreal Canadiens players
Category:Stockton Heat players
Category:Vancouver Giants players