Kevin Labanc (born December 12, 1995) 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 ...

right wing Right-wing politics describes the range of Ideology#Political ideologies, political ideologies that view certain social orders and Social stratification, hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this pos ...

for the

San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...

of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

(NHL). He was drafted by the Sharks in the sixth round, 171st overall, in the

2014 NHL Entry Draft The 2014 NHL Entry Draft was the 52nd NHL Entry Draft. The draft was held on June 27–28, 2014 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The top three selections were Aaron Ekblad, Sam Reinhart and Leon Draisaitl, going to the F ...

Playing career

Labanc got his first taste of hockey at the Staten Island Skating Pavilion. As a youth, he played in the 2008

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 New Jersey Devils

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. He later played amateur junior hockey in New Jersey through the Youth Hockey League, to the Atlantic Junior Hockey League with the New Jersey Rockets before he was selected to play in the U.S. National Development Team Program through the

United States Hockey League The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the midwestern United States, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. The USHL is strictl ...

. At the conclusion of his tenure in the U.S. Development Program, Labanc opted to forgo collegiate hockey and pursue a major junior career in the

Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; french: Ligue de hockey de l'Ontario (LHO)) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 16–19. There are exceptions for overa ...

with the Barrie Colts. He was originally drafted by the Colts in the 2011 Priority Selection in the sixth round, 103rd overall. He scored 35 points in 65 games as a rookie in the 2013–14 season with the Colts and was drafted by the

in the

, 171st overall. In the following two season with the Colts, Labanc broke out offensively with back-to-back 100-point seasons. In the 2015–16 season, his overage year, Labanc led the Colts and the League with 88 assists and 127 points. He was awarded the

Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy The Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy is awarded each year to the best overage player in the Ontario Hockey League, as selected by the teams' general managers. The trophy was donated by the trainers of the league in memory of Leo Lalonde, former chief ...

and the

Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy The Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy is awarded annually by the Ontario Hockey League since 1972, to the right winger who scores the most points in the regular season. The Peterborough Petes donated the Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy in his memory to the top s ...

as the top scoring right winger in the OHL. He completed his junior career with the Colts amongst franchise leader's in points-per-game games and finished fourth overall in scoring with 269 points in just 198 games. On March 9, 2016, Labanc was signed by the

to a three-year entry-level contract. He was assigned to join AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, for their post-season run, making his professional debut in a solitary game. After attending the Sharks' training camp in preparation for his first full professional season in 2016–17, Labanc was assigned to begin the year with the Barracuda. After scoring 10 points in just 6 games in the AHL, Labanc received his first recall to the San Jose Sharks on November 7, 2016. He made his debut, featuring on a scoring line, alongside

Logan Couture Logan Couture (born March 28, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Sharks ninth overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, where he established ...

and

Joonas Donskoi Joonas Donskoi (born 13 April 1992) is a Finnish professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has also played for the San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche. Playing career Don ...

, in a 3–0 victory over the

Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, a ...

on November 8. In his fifth game, Labanc scored his first NHL goal, assisted by Joe Thornton, against Jake Allen, in a 3–2 defeat to the

St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the ...

on November 17, 2016. On February 9, 2019, Labanc scored his first NHL hat-trick in a 5–2 victory against the

Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...

. He finished the 2018–19 season with 17 goals and 56 points in 82 games. In Game 7 of the Sharks' first-round series against the

Vegas Golden Knights The Vegas Golden Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference. Founded in 2017 as an expa ...

, Labanc contributed on all four Sharks' third period goals (one goal and three assists). The team eventually won the game in overtime, advancing to the second round. The feat made Labanc the first player in NHL postseason history to record four points in a single period of a Game 7. For the 2019 postseason, the Sharks were eliminated in six games by the eventual champions, the

, during the Western Conference Finals. Overall, Labanc recorded four goals and five assists in 20 games. On July 8, 2019, the Sharks re-signed Labanc to a one-year, $1 million contract extension. On October 10, 2020, the Sharks re-signed Labanc to a four-year, $18.9 million contract extension.

Personal life

Kevin Labanc is the son of Milan Labanc, a former Slovak professional ice hockey player and his wife Anika. They emigrated from

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

to the United States in 1994 and settled in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. He speaks Slovak.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and honours

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Labanc, Kevin 1995 births Living people American men's ice hockey right wingers American people of Slovak descent Barrie Colts players Ice hockey players from New York (state) San Jose Barracuda players San Jose Sharks draft picks San Jose Sharks players Sportspeople from Staten Island USA Hockey National Team Development Program players