Darcy Kuemper is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who has played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for several teams. He was born on May 5, 1990, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Kuemper began his hockey career in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Red Deer Rebels in 2006. He played for the Rebels for four seasons, from 2006 to 2010, and was named the WHL Goaltender of the Year in 2011.
Kuemper was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the sixth round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut with the Wild in 2012 and played for the team until 2018. During his time with the Wild, Kuemper served as a backup goaltender and played in 102 games, recording a 41-34-14 record with a 2.60 goals-against average (GAA) and a .912 save percentage.
In 2018, Kuemper was traded to the Arizona Coyotes, where he became the team's starting goaltender. He played in 55 games for the Coyotes in the 2018-19 season, recording a 27-20-8 record with a 2.33 GAA and a .925 save percentage. Kuemper's strong performance helped the Coyotes make the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
Kuemper continued to be the Coyotes' starting goaltender in the 2019-20 season, but his season was cut short due to injury. He played in 29 games, recording a 16-11-2 record with a 2.22 GAA and a .928 save percentage. Despite missing significant time due to injury, Kuemper was named to the NHL All-Star Game for the first time in his career.
In the 2020-21 season, Kuemper played in 27 games for the Coyotes, recording a 10-11-3 record with a 2.56 GAA and a .907 save percentage. He was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in March 2021, where he served as a backup goaltender for the remainder of the season.
Overall, Kuemper has played in 265 NHL games, recording a 118-97-28 record with a 2.46 GAA and a .917 save percentage. He has also played in 10 playoff games, recording a 4-6 record with a 2.60 GAA and a .914 save percentage. Kuemper is known for his athleticism, quick reflexes, and ability to make difficult saves.
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