| HISTORY |
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2003-04:
- Led Manitoba Junior B Hockey League in scoring with Selkirk Fishermen (34-39-32-73).
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2004-05:
- Didn't produce much in WHL rookie season with Medicine Hat (72-10-14-24).
- Often matched up against opposition top lines, and had outstanding playoff (13-2-6-8).
- Picked in the fourth round (132nd overall) by the Red Wings in the NHL draft in July.
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2005-06:
- Had outstanding breakthrough campaign, leading Medicine Hat in scoring (70-41-38-79).
- Finished eighth in the WHL scoring race and was fifth in goals.
- Medicine Hat won WHL regular-season title with 47-16-9 record for 103 points.
- Medicine Hat swept opening two rounds of WHL playoffs, but lost 4-1 in semifinals to Moose Jaw.
- Production dipped in playoffs (13-5-4-9, seventh on team).
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2006-07:
- Signed three-year entry-level contract with Detroit on Sept. 27 following training camp.
- Returned to WHL with Medicine Hat and finished second in team scoring (59-25-39-64).
- Assistant captain tied for third in WHL with plus-32 rating and went 2-for-2 on shootouts.
- Won gold with Canada at world junior championship in second- and third-line role (6-2-0-2).
- Led Medicine Hat to 52-17-3-0 regular-season record, second in WHL.
- Helped Medicine Hat go 16-7 in playoffs en route to WHL title.
- Led team and finished second in WHL in playoff scoring (23-10-12-22, plus-8).
- Tied for first in WHL with four game-winners and led league with three shorthanded goals.
- Scored lone goal in Memorial Cup final as Medicine Hat lost 3-1 to host Vancouver.
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2007-08:
- Missed most of training camp with shoulder injury, which he admitted "took the wind out of" him.
- Assigned to AHL's Grand Rapids and played well early, but production was slow to follow (41-5-5-10).
- Exploded in second half, lighting it up from January on (26-11-11-22).
- Finished with 16 goals, 31 points, a minus-13 and 181 shots in 67 games.
- Earned seven-game NHL call-up in March (7-0-0-0, seven minutes per game).
- Played his way onto Detroit's playoff roster with strong performances.
- Served as fourth-line center for Detroit en route to Stanley Cup (18-2-2-4).
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