Brandon Michael Harry Yip (Chinese: 葉勁光; pinyin: Yè Jìnguāng; Jyutping: Jip6 Ging6 Gwong1; born April 25, 1985) is a Chinese-Canadian professional ice hockey right wing who is currently playing with HC Kunlun Red Star of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He has previously played in the National Hockey League for the Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators, and the Phoenix Coyotes. He is of 3/4 Chinese and 1/4 Irish descent.[1]
| Brandon Yip | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Born |
April 25, 1985 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb) | ||
| Position | Right Wing | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| KHL team Former teams |
Kunlun Red Star Colorado Avalanche Nashville Predators Phoenix Coyotes Adler Mannheim Düsseldorfer EG Jukurit | ||
| National team |
 China | ||
| NHL draft |
239th overall, 2004 Colorado Avalanche | ||
| Playing career | 2009–present | ||
Playing career
editThe Avalanche drafted Yip in the 8th round, 239th overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He played junior hockey with the Coquitlam Express of the BCHL before enrolling to play collegiate hockey with Boston University of the Hockey East. In his freshman year in 2005–06, Yip scored 31 points in 39 games and was named Hockey East rookie of the year.[2] In his junior year with the Terriers in 2007–08, Yip served an indefinite suspension for breaking team rules before returning to finish with 23 points in 37 games.[3] After winning the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship with the Terriers in his senior year in 2008–09, Yip graduated from Boston University with high honors with a B.S. in criminal justice.[4]
On July 22, 2009, Yip signed a one-year entry-level contract with the Avalanche.[5] Before his first pro season in 2009–10, Yip suffered a broken hand in a pre-season game that sidelined him for the first two months of the year.[6] He made his professional debut with the Avalanche's American Hockey League affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters, for a six-game stint. Colorado recalled him on December 19, 2009, to make his NHL debut in a 5-2 home win against the Columbus Blue Jackets.[7] Yip scored his first goal three days later against Jonas Hiller of the Anaheim Ducks.[8] In his first 22 games he scored 11 goals before suffering a separated shoulder against the Detroit Red Wings on March 1, 2010.[9] Yip ended his 2009-10 campaign leading all rookies in goals per game average. After finishing second on the Avalanche in playoff scoring with four points against the San Jose Sharks in the conference quarterfinals, Yip was re-signed to a two-year contract on July 7, 2010.[10] On November 6, 2010, he registered a Gordie Howe hat trick during a 5-0 victory over the Dallas Stars.
During the 2011–12 season, after ten scoreless games with the Avalanche, Yip was placed on waivers and claimed by the Nashville Predators on January 19, 2012.[11] On January 24, he had his debut for the Predators in a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.[12] Yip established a role on the Predators lower checking lines, scoring 3 goals, including two in two games against his former club Colorado, and 7 points in 25 games.
The Predators re-signed Yip to a one-year contract on June 21, 2012.[13] In the lockout shortened 2012–13 season, Yip transitioned quickly to contribute 5 points in his first ten games of the campaign before finishing with 8 points in 34 games. He missed the final eight games of the year due to injury.[citation needed]
On July 19, 2013, Yip was signed as a free agent by the Phoenix Coyotes to a one-year, two-way contract.[14] After attending the Coyotes training camp, Yip failed to make the opening night roster and was assigned to the AHL for the first time since 2009 with affiliate, the Portland Pirates. In the early stages of the 2013–14 season, Yip was recalled to Phoenix to appear in 2 games before he was reassigned to the Pirates for the remainder of the campaign.
Unsigned into the off-season, Yip accepted an invitation to attend the Anaheim Ducks 2014 training camp on a professional try-out contract on September 18, 2014.[15] Yip failed to earn an NHL contract with the Ducks, however, was reassigned and signed with AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals to begin the 2014–15 season. Yip produced 12 points in 31 games with the Admirals before he was loaned to play in the ECHL for the first time in his career with the Utah Grizzlies on January 15, 2015.
After seven games with the Grizzlies, Yip sought a release from his contract with Norfolk, and on February 6, 2015, it was announced that Yip had signed his first contract abroad with German club Adler Mannheim for the rest of the DEL season.[16] On October 20, 2016, he inked a deal with another German side, putting pen to paper on a contract for the remainder of the 2016–17 campaign with Düsseldorfer EG.[17]
As a free agent, with the ambition to follow his Chinese origins and represent at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Yip left Germany and signed a contract with Chinese club, HC Kunlun Red Star of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) on June 5, 2017.[18]
As team captain in two of his three seasons with Kunlun, Yip was left un-signed leading into the pandemic affected 2020–21 season. On January 9, 2021, he was belatedly signed to join Finnish club, Mikkelin Jukurit of the Liiga, for the remainder of the season.[19] He made 15 regular season appearances, recording 2 goals and 6 points, in his short tenure in the Liiga.
As a free agent heading into an Olympic year with ambitions to appear with the Chinese national team, Yip returned to his former club, Kunlun Red Star of the KHL, on a one-year deal on July 26, 2021.[20]
International play
editDue to his tenure in China, Yip was formally called up to represent the China men's national ice hockey team for the 2022 Winter Olympics on January 28, 2022.[21]
Career statistics
editRegular season and playoffs
edit| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2001–02 | Ridge Meadows Flames | PJHL | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Ridge Meadows Flames | PJHL | 38 | 25 | 37 | 62 | 71 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Coquitlam Express | BCHL | 56 | 31 | 38 | 69 | 87 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 14 | ||
| 2004–05 | Coquitlam Express | BCHL | 43 | 20 | 42 | 62 | 92 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 12 | ||
| 2005–06 | Boston University | HE | 39 | 9 | 22 | 31 | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Boston University | HE | 18 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Boston University | HE | 37 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Boston University | HE | 45 | 20 | 23 | 43 | 118 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Lake Erie Monsters | AHL | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 32 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 22 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 2010–11 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 71 | 12 | 10 | 22 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 25 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 20 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 2012–13 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 34 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Portland Pirates | AHL | 66 | 14 | 20 | 34 | 87 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 31 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Utah Grizzlies | ECHL | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Adler Mannheim | DEL | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 38 | ||
| 2015–16 | Adler Mannheim | DEL | 44 | 10 | 6 | 16 | 134 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2016–17 | Düsseldorfer EG | DEL | 41 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 118 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Kunlun Red Star | KHL | 48 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Kunlun Red Star | KHL | 62 | 21 | 15 | 36 | 89 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Kunlun Red Star | KHL | 50 | 15 | 16 | 31 | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Jukurit | Liiga | 15 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Kunlun Red Star | KHL | 46 | 13 | 14 | 27 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Kunlun Red Star | KHL | 59 | 21 | 21 | 42 | 57 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Kunlun Red Star | KHL | 67 | 13 | 16 | 29 | 89 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 174 | 29 | 27 | 56 | 130 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 | ||||
| KHL totals | 332 | 92 | 91 | 183 | 357 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
edit| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | China | OG | 12th | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2022 | China | WC D2A | 27th | 4 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2023 | China | WC D1B | 25th | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | |
| Senior totals | 13 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 14 | ||||
Awards and honours
edit| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| All-Hockey East Rookie Team | 2005–06 | |
| HE Rookie of the Year | 2006 | [2] |
References
edit- ^ Frei, Terry (September 12, 2009). "Rookie Yip looking to make impression, big club". Denver Post. Retrieved November 2, 2009.
- ^ a b "BC, BU dominate Hockey East awards". USCHO.com. March 16, 2006. Archived from the original on January 11, 2013. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
- ^ "BU suspends four indefinitely". USCHO.com. December 6, 2007. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2010.
- ^ "Yip signs with NHL's Avalanche". bclocalnews.com. July 22, 2009. Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
- ^ "Avalanche signs Brandon Yip". Colorado Avalanche. July 22, 2009. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
- ^ Joe Nguyen (March 11, 2010). "FacetoFace with Colorado Avalanche rookie Brandon Yip". asiaxpress.com. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
- ^ Dater, Adrian (December 19, 2009). "Yip receives his dream call". Denver Post. Retrieved December 20, 2009.
- ^ "Getzlaf lifts Ducks to late win over Avalanche". Yahoo.com. December 22, 2009. Retrieved December 30, 2009.
- ^ Terry Frei (April 11, 2010). "Avalanche looks for Yip to regain his scoring touch". Denver Post. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
- ^ "Avalanche give Yip two-year, $1.45 million deal". Denver Post. July 7, 2010. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
- ^ "Predators claim Yip off waivers". The Sports Network. January 19, 2012. Archived from the original on January 22, 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
- ^ "Predators 3, Blackhawks 1". Nashville Predators. January 24, 2012. Archived from the original on May 1, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- ^ "Preds sign Brandon Yip to one-year contract". Nashville Predators. June 21, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
- ^ "Coyotes ink Yip to one-year, two-way deal". The Sports Network. July 19, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
- ^ "Anaheim Ducks 2014-15 training camp roster" (PDF). Anaheim Ducks. September 18, 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
- ^ "Eagles take Brandon Yip under contract" (in German). Adler Mannheim. February 6, 2015. Archived from the original on February 8, 2015. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
- ^ "DEG announce signing of former NHL player Brandon Yip" (in German). Düsseldorfer EG. October 20, 2016. Archived from the original on October 21, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
- ^ "A new season on the horizon, a new team taking shape". HC Kunlun Red Star. June 5, 2017. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
- ^ "Welcome Brandon Yip to Jukurit" (in Finnish). Mikkelin Jukurit. January 9, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
- ^ HC Kunlun Red Star (July 26, 2021). "True Leader Brandon Yip returns to Kunlun". Twitter. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ^ "China's Olympic hockey hopes rest on North American talent". sports.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
External links
edit- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database