Former NHL player Kyle Calder, who played the first six of his 10 seasons in the league for the Chicago Blackhawks, died Monday. He was 47.
His daughter Madison announced her father’s death in a social media post. The Los Angeles Jr. Kings, the team Calder coached from 2020-22, said he died after a brief illness.
“Never in a million years would I have thought this day would come,” Madison Calder wrote on Instagram. “There will forever be a void in my heart but forever a spot just for you.”
Calder played 608 regular-season and playoff games as a winger from 1999-2009. The Manville, Alberta, native spent a majority of that time with the Hawks, who selected him in the fifth round of the 1997 draft. He had 210 points (85 goals, 125 assists) in 359 regular-season games for the Hawks, including 50-plus-point seasons in 2001-02 and 2005-06.
He also played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks.
“Kyle embodied the values that make our alumni family so special: his loyalty, toughness, generosity and an unwavering commitment to those around him,” the NHL Alumni Association said in a post Tuesday memorializing him. “He was tough as nails on the ice, a fierce competitor who never backed down, yet behind that grit was a teddy bear heart.
“Kyle cared deeply for his teammates, friends and everyone fortunate enough to know him. He was a protector, a loyal friend and someone who always put others before himself.”
Calder had coached youth teams in Chicago, Los Angeles and Boston since 2018.
“Kyle approached life with the same passion, intensity and incredible dedication that defined his play,” Hawks Chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz said in a statement. “His commitment to the game remained strong long after his professional career ended, sharing his love for hockey with all generations of players.”