Height: 6-5
Weight: 225 lbs.
Born: June 4, 1972 in Sterling Heights, Michigan
Drafted: Selected by the Minnesota North Stars in the first round (eighth pick overall) of the 1990 NHL Entry Draft.
Personal: Younger brother of Stars defenseman Kevin...Brother, Mark, also played professional hockey.
1997-98 Season
Second on team in penalty minutes.
Career high in assists.
Missed seven games with arthroscopic knee surgery.
Hatcher plays in all key situations and has developed confidence in his decision-making process. His skating is laboured, so he lets the play come to him instead of, say, trying to chase Pavel Bure all over the ice. He is sturdy and well-balanced. The fewer strides he has to take, the better. He has very good hands for a big man, and he has a good head for the game. Hatcher is fairly effective from the point on the power play--not because he has a big, booming slap shot, but because he has a good wrist shot and will get the puck on net quickly. He will join the rush eagerly once he gets into gear (his first few strides are sluggish), and he handles the puck nicely. Hatcher plays hard in every zone, every night. His skills are just a shade below elite level, but he takes steps forward every season as a leader. He is a character player, and one his teammates look to for setting the tempo and seizing control of a game.
Hatcher is a big force. He has a mean streak when provoked and is a punishing hitter, but he has a long enough fuse to stay away from bad penalties. He is smart enough to realize that opponents target him and want to take him off his game. It's a huge detriment to the Stars when Hatcher is in the box, and not just because he is one of their key penalty killers. He plays physically every night and demands respect and room. He's fearless. He's also a big horse and eats up all the ice time Dallas gives him, which can be 35 minutes a night. The more work he gets, the better.
Hatcher will not provide big numbers, but he and Mike Modano are the cornerstones of the franchise. Hatcher is the kind of player the team looks to for consistent effort and intensity. He is a fine role model for the younger Stars and the veterans respect him as well. He is a quiet player who wants to make a big impact. This is by far the better Hatcher brother.
Hatcher is poised to become one of the top six defensemen in the league, though he will never have the kind of numbers that inspire Norris Trophy voters. Hatcher will be a defenseman you want on your team when you have to win a clutch game. The only thing that has eluded him so far is the Stanley Cup, but with Brett Hull in town, that could change. Expect a 30- to 40-point season.
