Kevin Connauton Bio
Kevin Connauton is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who plays for the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Utah Mammoth of the National Hockey League (NHL). A left-shooting blue-liner, Connauton has spent more than a decade in professional hockey after being chosen 83rd overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Across his career, he has suited up for the Dallas Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets, Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, and Los Angeles Kings organizations in addition to his current AHL and NHL affiliations.
Early Life and Background
Kevin Connauton was born on February 23, 1990, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, to William Connauton and Glenna Demco. He grew up in Edmonton during a formative era for hockey in the city, and the family followed the Edmonton Oilers. His father, a prominent Edmonton attorney, represented Daryl Katz, the owner of the Oilers, during Connauton’s adolescence, which helped connect the family closely with the National Hockey League. Standing 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing 205 pounds, Connauton developed the frame that would later suit a power-play defenceman’s role.
Connauton’s older brother, Sean Connauton, played college ice hockey as a defenceman for Brown University, giving Kevin an early household connection to the position he would eventually master. Growing up around the rink in Alberta, he was immersed in the Canadian hockey culture that feeds the country’s professional ranks. The combination of family athletic background and exposure to the NHL through his father’s law practice shaped Connauton’s competitive outlook from a young age.
Path to Hockey
Connauton began his junior career in 2007–08 with the Spruce Grove Saints of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), where his offensive game quickly stood out. He recorded 13 goals and 45 points over 56 games, finishing first among rookie defencemen and third among all AJHL defencemen. The performance earned him a unanimous selection to the AJHL North All-Rookie Team and a Rookie of the Year nomination, while the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL) placed him on their protected list in October 2008.
Opting first for the college route, Connauton signed with the Western Michigan Broncos of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) in April 2008. He joined the Broncos for the 2008–09 season after defenceman Jesse Perrin left for the Central Hockey League, and produced a 7-goal, 18-point freshman campaign that earned him an honourable mention to the CCHA All-Rookie Team. Entering the 2009 NHL Entry Draft ranked 202nd among North American prospects, Connauton was selected in the third round, 83rd overall, by the Vancouver Canucks, becoming the highest-drafted CCHA player in his class. Canucks scouts Stan Smyl and Thomas Gradin highlighted his break-out pass and skating as core strengths at the time of his selection.
Kevin Connauton Career
Early Career (2010–2013)
On April 28, 2010, Connauton signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Canucks, skipping his remaining NCAA eligibility at the urging of the club. After spending his 2009–10 WHL season with the Vancouver Giants, where he set franchise records for goals and points by a defenceman and was named a WHL West First Team All-Star, he was assigned to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. Connauton scored the game-winning goal in his AHL debut on October 8, 2010, and finished his rookie professional season with 23 points in 73 games.
The following year, Connauton joined the Chicago Wolves, the Canucks’ new AHL affiliate, and was selected to the 2012 AHL All-Star Game. He won the hardest-shot competition at the skills event with a 99.4 mile-per-hour slapshot. On April 2, 2013, the Canucks traded him and a 2013 second-round pick to the Dallas Stars for centre Derek Roy, ending his time in the Vancouver organization.
Dallas Stars Era (2013–2014)
Connauton started the 2013–14 season with the Dallas Stars and made his NHL debut on October 24, 2013, against the Calgary Flames. He recorded his first NHL point shortly after joining the lineup, establishing himself as a depth defenceman in Dallas. The Stars used him primarily in a third-pair role, and he continued to develop his two-way game in the NHL environment.
On November 18, 2014, Connauton was placed on waivers by Dallas with the intent of assigning him to the minors. Before he could drive to Austin, Texas, he was claimed off waivers by the Columbus Blue Jackets. The unexpected move launched the most productive stretch of his early NHL career, as Columbus relied on him to fill a top-four role.
Columbus Blue Jackets Era (2014–2016)
Upon joining the Blue Jackets, Connauton went pointless in his first three games before being scratched. After returning to the lineup, he produced seven goals in his first 21 appearances and finished the season tied for 12th among NHL defencemen in ice time. His strong play influenced the club to trade James Wisniewski to the Anaheim Ducks, which handed Connauton a regular top-four role. On January 13, 2016, he was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Coyotes, ending his Blue Jackets tenure.
Arizona Coyotes Era (2016–2019)
Connauton joined the Coyotes as a depth defenceman and provided steady play in a bottom-six role from the blueline. On June 27, 2018, he signed a two-year contract extension with the organization, signaling Arizona’s continued confidence in his services. In 2018–19, he appeared in 50 games for the Coyotes, recording 1 goal and 8 points while remaining a steady defensive presence.
Colorado Avalanche Era (2019–2020)
On June 25, 2019, the Coyotes traded Connauton and a 2020 third-round pick to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Carl Söderberg. He was waived and began 2019–20 with the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, where he led the blueline with 5 goals and 27 points in 38 games. Connauton also made four regular-season appearances with the Avalanche on recall and was added to the team’s return-to-play roster when the COVID-19 pandemic paused the season, registering one assist in four playoff games.
Florida Panthers Era (2020–2021)
As a free agent, Connauton joined the Florida Panthers training camp on a professional tryout basis on December 27, 2020. After impressing during camp, he was signed to a one-year, two-way contract on January 14, 2021, and added to the club’s taxi squad. On June 1, 2021, Connauton was rewarded with a one-year, two-way contract extension, though his time in Florida ended shortly after when the Philadelphia Flyers claimed him off waivers on December 7, 2021.
Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings Era (2021–2024)
Connauton spent the bulk of his time with the Philadelphia Flyers organization, serving primarily as a depth defenceman and an AHL option. On June 6, 2023, he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings as part of a three-team deal that also involved the Columbus Blue Jackets. With the Kings, he played the 2023–24 season exclusively with the Ontario Reign of the AHL, posting 3 goals and 18 points in 61 regular-season games.
Utah Mammoth and Tucson Roadrunners Era (2024–Present)
As a free agent, Connauton signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Utah Mammoth, then known as the Utah Hockey Club, on July 1, 2024. He was assigned to the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL, where he continues to provide veteran leadership and reliable defensive play on the back end. His current contract runs through 2026, keeping him in the Utah system as the franchise enters a new chapter.
Driving Style and Strengths
Connauton is recognized as an offensive-minded defenceman whose greatest attributes are his skating and his ability to start the rush with a clean first pass. Scouts have long praised his break-out skill, and his heavy shot, including the 99.4 mile-per-hour blast at the 2012 AHL All-Star skills competition, remains one of the more memorable moments of his career. Defensively, he has earned trust at the NHL level by logging top-four minutes in spots, including a season tied for 12th in ice time among NHL defencemen during his run with Columbus.
Notable Events and Milestones
Connauton set Vancouver Giants franchise records for goals and points by a defenceman during the 2009–10 WHL season, breaking marks previously held by Jonathon Blum and Brent Regner. He was named a WHL West First Team All-Star, won the AHL’s hardest-shot competition in 2012, and made his NHL debut with the Dallas Stars on October 24, 2013. His 2014–15 run with the Blue Jackets, in which he scored seven goals in his first 21 games, was a career-defining stretch that led to a top-four role.
Kevin Connauton Career Wins
Connauton’s trophy case is built around junior, collegiate, and AHL honours rather than major NHL individual awards. His most celebrated team and league accomplishments came in junior, where he was a WHL West First All-Star and an AJHL All-Rookie selection, and in the AHL, where he earned an All-Star nod. He has added playoff experience at the NHL level with the Colorado Avalanche and has provided veteran stability in the minors with the Manitoba Moose, Chicago Wolves, Colorado Eagles, Ontario Reign, and Tucson Roadrunners.
Junior and Collegiate Highlights
With the Spruce Grove Saints in 2007–08, Connauton was a unanimous AJHL North All-Rookie Team selection and a Rookie of the Year nominee after posting 13 goals and 45 points in 56 games. At Western Michigan, he earned an honourable mention to the CCHA All-Rookie Team as a freshman in 2008–09. His lone WHL season in 2009–10 produced 72 points in 69 games, setting Vancouver Giants franchise records for goals and points by a defenceman and earning him a spot on the WHL West First All-Star Team.
Other Wins & Performances
Connauton helped the Vancouver Giants reach the WHL semifinals in 2010, recording three goals and 13 points in 16 postseason games. He later won the AHL’s hardest-shot title at the 2012 All-Star Game and contributed one assist in four playoff games for the Colorado Avalanche during the 2020 post-season bubble. Across his NHL stops, he has been a reliable depth contributor in the regular season and on taxi squads.
Kevin Connauton Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Kevin Connauton was raised in Edmonton by his father, William Connauton, a prominent local attorney, and his mother, Glenna Demco. His father represented Edmonton Oilers owner Daryl Katz during Kevin’s adolescence, linking the family closely with the city’s NHL franchise. His older brother, Sean Connauton, played college ice hockey as a defenceman at Brown University, giving Kevin a direct family connection to the blue line and the position he plays at the professional level.
Personal Life
Connauton, a Canadian by birth, has spent much of his professional career moving between NHL organizations and their AHL affiliates across North America. Public details about a spouse or children have not been widely reported. His personal interests and residence have remained largely private throughout his time in professional hockey.
2025 Season Performance
Entering the 2025 season, Connauton remains under contract with the Utah Mammoth and continues to anchor the back end for the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. The two-year, two-way deal he signed on July 1, 2024, runs through 2026, providing him with job security as Utah transitions to its new identity. He is expected to log heavy minutes in Tucson while remaining a ready call-up option for the parent club.
Connauton’s veteran presence is particularly valuable for a young Roadrunners blue line, where his experience of more than 100 NHL games can guide prospects. His track record of producing offensively from the back end, combined with his heavy shot, gives Tucson a power-play weapon. Should injuries open a spot on the Utah roster, Connauton has the résumé to step into a depth role at the NHL level.
Looking ahead, the outlook for Connauton in 2025 is one of stability and continued mentorship. With his contract secured, he can focus on steady contributions in the AHL and being prepared for any NHL opportunity. His journey from AJHL rookie to long-term professional defenceman underscores the value of perseverance in a career that has spanned multiple organizations and nearly every level of the sport.
