Christopher C. Summers (born February 5, 1988) is an American professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...

defenseman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the latter a reference to ...

who is currently an

unrestricted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is ...

. He most recently played under contract with the then

Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the ...

of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).

Playing career

As a youth, Summers played in the 2002

Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament (french: Tournoi international de hockey pee-wee de Québec) is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, ...

with the Detroit Honeybaked

minor ice hockey Minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body contact, vary from c ...

team. A native of

Milan, Michigan Milan ( ) is a city in Monroe and Washtenaw counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,079 at the 2020 census. The community was settled as early as 1831. Milan incorporated as a village in 1885 and much later as a city in ...

, graduating Milan High School in 2006, Summers was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round, 29th overall, in the

2006 NHL Entry Draft The 2006 NHL Entry Draft was the 44th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, on June 24, 2006. The draft order for the first 14 picks was decided during a lottery held on April 20, 2006. The draft was ...

. Drafted from the

USA Hockey National Team Development Program The United States National Team Development Program (NTDP) was started in 1996 by USA Hockey as a way to identify elite ice hockey players under the age of 18, and centralize their training. There are two teams in the program: under-17 and under- ...

in Ann Arbor, Summers was recruited to play collegiate hockey with the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

. During the 2008–09 season, Summers was named an Alternate Captain for the Wolverines, but was promoted to co-captain after

Mark Mitera Mark Mitera (born October 22, 1987) is an American former professional ice hockey player. Mitera was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the first round, 19th overall, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. He last played for the Reading Royals of the ECHL in ...

was injured. The following season, his last season with the Wolverines, Summers was named team captain. After his senior year in 2009–10, Summers signed a two-year entry level contract with the Coyotes on March 31, 2010. He was then assigned to AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage on an amateur try out contract for the remainder of the season. During the 2013–14 season, Summers scored his first NHL goal on March 15, 2014, against Joni Ortio of the

Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...

. On March 1, 2015, Summers was included in a trade by the Coyotes to the

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...

along with defenseman

Keith Yandle Keith Michael Yandle (born September 9, 1986) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played for the Arizona Coyotes, New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, and Philadelphia Flyers. Yandle was drafted by the Coyotes in the fourt ...

and a 2015 fourth round pick in exchange for defenseman John Moore, Anthony Duclair, and two draft picks (2016 first round and 2015 second round). On April 20, 2016, Summers was recalled by the New York Rangers from the team's AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. On July 1, 2017, Summers left the Rangers as a free agent and signed a two-year, two-way $650,000 contract with the

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...

. Summers played the duration of his contract exclusively with AHL affiliate, the

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are the AHL affiliates of the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins. They play at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barr ...

. As a free agent from the Penguins, Summers signed his first contract abroad, agreeing to a two-year deal with German club, Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers of the DEL, on July 24, 2019.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

References

External links

* 1988 births American men's ice hockey defensemen Arizona Coyotes draft picks Arizona Coyotes players Hartford Wolf Pack players Ice hockey people from Ann Arbor, Michigan Living people Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey players People from Milan, Michigan National Hockey League first-round draft picks New York Rangers players Phoenix Coyotes players Portland Pirates players San Antonio Rampage players Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers players Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins players {{US-icehockey-defenceman-stub