Introduction
Wyatt Kaiser (born July 31, 2002) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing for the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Kaiser was drafted 81st overall by the Blackhawks in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
Playing career
Kaiser, as a Minnesota native, played high school hockey with Andover Huskies in the Minnesota State High School League (USHS). In his final high school year, he joined the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League (USHL) for parts of the 2019–20 season, having committed to a collegiate career with Minnesota Duluth in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.
Before joining the Bulldogs as a freshman in the 2020–21 season, Kaiser was selected in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, in the third-round, 81st overall, by the Chicago Blackhawks.
In his first season with Minnesota-Duluth, Kaiser was leading the blueline in scoring with 10 assists through 28 games before the season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, Kaiser was selected to the NCHC All-Rookie Team.
Following his junior season with the Bulldogs in 2022–23, Kaiser opted to conclude his collegiate career by signing a three-year, entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on March 15, 2023. Reporting directly to the rebuilding Blackhawks roster, Kaiser made his professional and NHL debut in a 4–2 defeat to the Arizona Coyotes on March 18, 2023. He registered his first NHL point, an assist on a goal to Tyler Johnson, in a 4–1 defeat to the Dallas Stars on March 28, 2023. He completed the 2022–23 season, posting 3 assists through 9 regular season games with Chicago.
International play
Kaiser represented the United States at the 2022 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, where he recorded an assist in the opening round-robin game before the tournament was cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. He later returned for the revised tournament and posted 2 goals and 3 points as Team USA finished out of medal contention in 5th place.
Personal life
Kaiser's younger sister, Madison, plays collegiate hockey at the University of Minnesota.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2017–18 | Andover High School | USHS | 22 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19 | Andover High School | USHS | 25 | 9 | 20 | 29 | 28 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | Andover High School | USHS | 25 | 9 | 25 | 34 | 26 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 8 | ||
| 2019–20 | Dubuque Fighting Saints | USHL | 11 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | U. of Minnesota-Duluth | NCHC | 28 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | U. of Minnesota-Duluth | NCHC | 34 | 2 | 17 | 19 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | U. of Minnesota-Duluth | NCHC | 35 | 5 | 18 | 23 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 9 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 9 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | United States | HG18 | 6th | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2022 | United States | WJC | 5th | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||||
Awards and honors
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| NCHC All-Rookie Team | 2021 | |
| NCHC Honorable Mention All-Star Team | 2021 | |
| All-NCHC Second Team | 2023 | |