Not only was he steady as they come on the blueline, ‘Eggo’ showed a penchant for defending his teammates in all situations, a role he would come to embrace as time went on at the Moose Jaw Civic Centre. And not only was he willing, he was good at the job of enforcer, reaching the point that few would take the chance of challenging the 6-foot-2, 200-pound-plus rearguard.
That led to the National Hockey League coming calling in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, when the New Jersey Devils selected Engelland in the sixth round, 194th overall.
On Tuesday, 11 years after he played his first game with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2009-10 season, Engelland officially retired from NHL.
And to say he left an impact would be an understatement.
After putting up 14 goals, 48 points and 520 penalty minutes in 243 Western Hockey League games with the Warriors, Engelland would suit up for 671 games in the NHL. All told, Engelland would rack up 30 goals and 127 points over that span, along with his customary rack of PIMs, 579 in total. He’d play five seasons with the Penguins, another three with the Calgary Flames.
And then, Engelland landed in Vegas, where he had played two seasons with the ECHL’s Las Vegas Wranglers just after graduating from the Warriors. He met his wife Melissa at that time and decided to make the desert city his off-season home.
Chosen by the Golden Knights in the expansion draft prior to the 2017-18 season, Engelland’s presence in the community led a remarkable and heart-touching moment prior to their first-ever game in their brand new arena on Oct. 10, 2017
Only days earlier, a gunman had opened fire on an outdoor concert, killing 60 people and wounding more than 400, with over 860 people suffering injuries in the ensuing panic.
Engelland took the microphone before the opening face-off and addressed the crowd with heartfelt words, exhorting the Knights’ supporters to remain ‘Vegas Strong’ in the face of such a tragedy.
That act -- and his ensuing play during Vegas’ storybook run to the NHL final -- led to Engelland receiving the NHL’s Mark Messier Leadership Award that season. It was only the start, as Engelland would take part in numerous charitable initiatives in his three seasons with the Golden Knights.
“"Deryk Engelland epitomizes what it means to be a Golden Knight,” said Vegas Golden Knights Chairman and CEO Bill Foley in a press release. “A no-ego, selfless, hardworking player who has an unwavering commitment to protecting those who are unable to protect themselves. Since he joined our organization in 2017, Deryk's service to our community has been exemplary. On behalf of the entire Vegas Golden Knights organization, we would like to congratulate Deryk on an outstanding career. He has made an indelible mark on our city and we are excited for this next chapter, as he stays with the Golden Knights family and continues the outstanding work he has done in our community."
The good news is Engelland isn’t done with the Golden Knights and Las Vegas -- he’ll serve as a special assistant to the owner through the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation. And if you think that's just an honorary title, read this piece by Gary Lawless of VegasGoldenKnights.com to see just how much Engelland meant to the team and Las Vegas in general.
His new role will mean a lot of time in the community and a lot of time with charitable ventures.
A perfect fit for a player who has a huge heart, both on and off the ice.
