David Michael Tanabe (born July 19, 1980) is an American former

professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and ski ...

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 ...

. Tanabe was drafted in the first round, 16th overall, by the

Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...

in the

1999 NHL Entry Draft The 1999 NHL Entry Draft was the 37th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 26 at the FleetCenter in Boston. According to ''Sports Illustrated'' and other sports news agencies, at the time the 1999 draft was considered one of the deepest in talen ...

. After being forced into early retirement due to an injury, he now works for 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- ...

Playing career

Tanabe was in the first group of US high school hockey players to train in Ann Arbor, Michigan at the Cube, site of the National Team Development Program. After graduating from high school in Ann Arbor in 1998, Tanabe played one year of Division 1 Hockey for the

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...

, Wisconsin. Tanabe was drafted 16th overall by the

in the

becoming the first graduate of the National Team Development Program to be drafted in the first round. During his first NHL game on October 11, 1999, Tanabe scored his first goal during a power play against 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 August 5, 2006 the

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...

decided to "walk-away" from a contract of $1.275 million that was awarded to Tanabe by an arbitrator on August 3, 2006. Under NHL rules Tanabe became an immediate 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 a ...

. On August 29, 2006, Tanabe was signed by the Hurricanes. In December 2007, Tanabe suffered a concussion against the

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

. On October 18, 2008, the Hurricanes reached a settlement with Tanabe on the last year of his contract, at which time his agent stated that Tanabe had been advised by his doctor to not play hockey again.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and honors

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tanabe, David 1980 births Living people American men's ice hockey defensemen American sportspeople of Japanese descent Boston Bruins players Carolina Hurricanes draft picks Carolina Hurricanes players Cincinnati Cyclones (IHL) players Ice hockey players from Minnesota EHC Kloten players Sportspeople from White Bear Lake, Minnesota National Hockey League first-round draft picks Phoenix Coyotes players SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers players USA Hockey National Team Development Program players Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey players