Steve Begin

Born:	June 14, 1978	Draft:	1996 Flames, 40th Overall
Hometown:	Trois-Rivières, Quebec	Position:	Centre
Known For:	AHL Calder Cup Champion (2001)	Shoots:	Left
National Team:	Canada	Current Status:	Retired

Steve Begin (born June 14, 1978) is a retired Canadian ice hockey player, having played his final year in the NHL with the Calgary Flames during the 2012-13 season. Drafted 40th overall in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft by the Flames, Begin got his first taste of the NHL during the 1997-98 season, playing in five games. He would split the following three seasons with the Flames and their AHL affiliate Saint John’s Flames, before becoming a regular in the lineup. Begin’s tenure in Calgary would come to an end after the 2002-03 season, and he signed with the Montreal Canadiens the following season.

In six seasons with the Canadiens, Begin quickly became a fan favourite on the team’s fourth line, with his crash-and-bang style and unwillingness to give up on a play. After six seasons, he was traded to the Dallas Stars in the 2008-09 season. After stints with the Nashville Predators and Boston Bruins, Begin sat out for the 2011-12 season due to hip injury concerns, before playing one more season with the Flames in the 2012-13 season. Unable to play for the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat the following season due to injuries side-lining him for the season, Begin announced his retirement from hockey on January 16, 2014.

Begin represented Team Canada at the 1998 IIHF World Junior Championship, accumulating 10 penalty minutes in seven games. Canada was eliminated in the quarterfinal match-up against Russia. At a young age, Begin was instructed to play a defensive-style of play, adapting to the grinder role and becoming an efficient bottom-six player. His efforts earned him the Jacques-Beauchamp Molson Trophy during the 2006-07 season, an award given by the Canadiens to the “Unheralded dominant player”.