Kirby Dach

Kirby Dach (born January 21, 2001) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). Dach was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks with the third overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
==Playing career==
===Junior===
During the 2016 Western Hockey League (WHL) Bantam Draft, Dach was selected second overall by the Saskatoon Blades. He played in 19 games, scoring 10 points. Dach joined the Blades full-time for the 2017–18 season. In 52 games, he recorded seven goals and 39 assists.
In January 2019, Dach was named as an alternate captain for the Blades for the remainder of the season. He was named captain for Team Orr for the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. Team Orr defeated Team Cherry 5–4, with Dach recording one assist. He finished the season with 25 goals and 48 assists in 62 games.
Dach was ranked third among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting Services (CSS)' final draft rankings for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft; Dach was selected third overall by the Chicago Blackhawks. He signed his three-year, entry-level contract with the club on July 8.
=== Professional===
====Chicago Blackhawks (2019–2022) ====
Dach began his professional playing career immediately with the Blackhawks after training camp. He made his NHL debut on October 20, 2019, against the Washington Capitals. Dach scored his first NHL goal against Marc-André Fleury of the Vegas Golden Knights in a 2–1 loss on October 22. Dach finished the pandemic-shortened 2019–20 NHL season with 8 goals and 15 assists in 64 games. He also skated in nine playoff games where he recorded one goal and five assists.
Dach missed much of the 2020–21 NHL season after sustaining a wrist injury in the 2021 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He rejoined the Blackhawks on March 27, 2021. Dach appeared in 18 games where he tallied two goals and eight assists. He reaggravated his wrist injury and missed the final three games of the season.
The 2021–22 season was a struggle for both Dach and the team, as he returned to the roster full-time but struggled to produce, in the midst of a disastrous season for the Blackhawks that saw wholesale management turnover. He managed only 9 goals and 17 assists in 70 games, while also struggling in the faceoff circle. With new general manager Kyle Davidson initiating a team rebuild, there were discussions of trading Dach elsewhere.
====Montreal Canadiens (2022–present)====
On July 7, 2022, during the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, Dach was traded by the Blackhawks to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for the thirteenth overall pick and a third-round selection. The Canadiens had in turn traded defenceman Alexander Romanov to the New York Islanders to acquire the thirteen overall pick in order to make the trade, as general manager Kent Hughes said that he believed Dach could live up to his potential despite his struggles in preceding seasons.
On September 7, 2022, Dach signed a four-year, $13.45 million extension with the Canadiens. Dach scored his first goal for the team in overtime on October 17, giving them a 3–2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. He said afterward that "I felt like I got a couple of opportunities in previous games to get my first one. But no better feeling than getting your first one on a new team at home." Though the Canadiens had initially acquired Dach to play centre position, after a few games he was experimentally moved to the wing on the top line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. The configuration garnered strong initial results.
==International play==
In 2018, Dach was named to Team Canada for the Hlinka Gretzky Cup where he scored 2 goals and 5 assists in 5 tournament games. In the gold medal game against Sweden, Dach scored a first period goal, helping Team Canada to a 6–2 victory.
He was loaned by the Blackhawks to Canada's 2021 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships roster, where he was eventually named captain. On December 23, in Canada's lone pre tournament game which was played against Russia, Dach bumped into Russian forward Ilya Safonov. The impact was enough to injure Dach, who left the game immediately and did not return. X-rays later confirmed Dach had sustained a fracture in his wrist, and would miss the rest of the tournament.
==Personal life==
Kirby's brother Colton Dach is an ice hockey forward with the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League as a prospect of the Chicago Blackhawks, who drafted him in the 2nd round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. According to Colton, the biggest difference in their playing styles is that "(Kirby is) pass-first and I’m a shoot-first player.”
==Career statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs===
 	 	 		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
2015–16 	Fort Saskatchewan Rangers	AMHL 		34 	14 	21 	35 	12 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2016–17 	Fort Saskatchewan Rangers	AMHL 		22 	6 	20 	26 	6 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2016–17 	Saskatoon Blades 	WHL 		19 	6 	4 	10 	4 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2017–18 	Saskatoon Blades 	WHL 		52 	7 	39 	46 	12 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2018–19 	Saskatoon Blades 	WHL 		62 	25 	48 	73 	40 		10 	5 	3 	8 	6
2019–20 	Rockford IceHogs 	AHL 		3 	0 	0 	0 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2019–20 	Chicago Blackhawks 	NHL 		64 	8 	15 	23 	24 		9 	1 	5 	6 	4
2020–21 	Chicago Blackhawks 	NHL 		18 	2 	8 	10 	4 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2021–22 	Chicago Blackhawks 	NHL 		70 	9 	17 	26 	43 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		152 	19 	40 	59 	71 		9 	1 	5 	6 	4
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
===International===
Year 	Team 	Event 	Result 		GP	G	A 	Pts	PIM
2017 	Canada Black 	U17 	7th 		5 	1	6 	7 	2
2018 	Canada 	HG18 	 		5 	2	5 	7 	0
Junior totals	Junior totals	Junior totals	Junior totals		10	3	11	14 	2
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==References==
==External links==
*
Category:2001 births
Category:Canadian ice hockey centres
Category:Chicago Blackhawks draft picks
Category:Chicago Blackhawks players
Category:Montreal Canadiens players
Category:Ice hockey people from Alberta
Category:National Hockey League first-round draft picks
Category:Rockford IceHogs (AHL) players
Category:Saskatoon Blades players