Karson Kuhlman

Karson Kuhlman (born September 26, 1995) is an American professional ice hockey center currently playing for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Karson Kuhlman
Born	September 26, 1995 Esko, Minnesota, U.S.
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position	Center
Shoots	Right
NHL team	Boston Bruins
NHL Draft	Undrafted
Playing career	2018–present

Playing career

Amateur

Kuhlman began his career playing with Cloquet High in the Minnesota State High School League (USHS) from 2010 to 2013. He was selected in the 2011 United States Hockey League (USHL) Futures Draft 48th overall by the Dubuque Fighting Saints. He made his USHL debut with the Fighting Saints in the 2011–12 season, appearing in five games before splitting the following 2012–13 season between high school hockey and the USHL, joining the Dubuque for the entirety of the playoffs in their eventual Clark Cup championship.

Kuhlman played one full season in 2013–14 with the Dubuque Fighting Saints, where he scored 25 goals and 19 assists for 44 points in 56 appearances, and was selected to play in the USHL All-Star Game. He committed to play collegiate hockey at the University of Minnesota Duluth for the Bulldogs men's ice hockey team in the NCAA's National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC).

In his freshman season with the Bulldogs during the 2014–15 season, Kuhlman scored 8 goals and 10 assists for 18 points as the team earned a bid in the NCAA Tournament. Showing early leadership potential, he served as an alternate captain as a sophomore in the 2015–16 season, scoring 12 goals and 20 points in 40 games.

Kuhlman enjoyed a successful junior campaign in the 2016–17 season, scoring 6 goals and 16 assists for a career-high 22 points in 42 games, as the Bulldogs advanced to the Frozen Four before falling to the University of Denver in the NCAA Championship game. Approaching his final collegiate season, Kuhlman was announced as team captain for the 2017–18 season.

Kuhlman continued to contribute in playing as a two-way forward, collecting 13 goals and 20 points in 44 games. He was named the 2018 NCAA Tournament MVP after leading the Bulldogs with a goal and an assist in the team's 2–1 victory over the University of Notre Dame in the NCAA Championship. He completed his collegiate career ranking seventh all-time in the NCAA with 166 consecutive collegiate games played.[1]

Professional

Having been unselected in any NHL Entry Draft, and following his championship title with the Bulldogs, Kuhlman signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins on April 11, 2018.[2] He immediately joined Boston's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Providence Bruins, on an amateur try-out contract to conclude the 2017–18 season.

After attending the Bruins' training camp ahead of the 2018–19, Kuhlman was assigned to begin the year with Providence.[3] After a slow offensive start to the season, Kuhlman began contributing as a rookie with Providence, scoring 12 goals and 25 points before earning his first call-up to Boston on February 14, 2019, following an injury to David Pastrňák.[4] He made his NHL debut in a 4–2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center on February 17.[5] He scored his first NHL goal in his second game with the Bruins in a 6–5 overtime victory over the San Jose Sharks on February 19.[6]

On April 15, 2019, Kuhlman recorded his first career Stanley Cup playoff point with an assist on a goal by David Krejčí in a 3–2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. On June 9, he scored his first Stanley Cup playoff goal with a goal against the St. Louis Blues in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2010–11	Cloquet High	USHS		25	16	34	50	6		2	1	1	2	2
2011–12	Cloquet High	USHS		25	27	27	54	0		1	0	1	1	0
2011–12	Dubuque Fighting Saints	USHL		5	0	4	4	0		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Cloquet High	USHS		25	25	22	47	6		2	2	2	4	0
2012–13	Dubuque Fightning Saints	USHL		16	1	8	9	0		11	4	2	6	2
2013–14	Dubuque Fighting Saints	USHL		56	25	19	44	12		7	1	2	3	5
2014–15	University of Minnesota Duluth	NCHC		40	8	10	18	8		—	—	—	—	—
2015–16	University of Minnesota Duluth	NCHC		40	12	8	20	10		—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	University of Minnesota Duluth	NCHC		42	6	16	22	11		—	—	—	—	—
2017–18	University of Minnesota Duluth	NCHC		44	13	7	20	18		—	—	—	—	—
2017–18	Providence Bruins	AHL		2	0	1	1	2		1	0	1	1	0
2018–19	Providence Bruins	AHL		58	12	18	30	8		—	—	—	—	—
2018–19	Boston Bruins	NHL		11	3	2	5	2		8	1	2	3	0
2019–20	Boston Bruins	NHL		25	1	5	6	13		5	0	0	0	0
2019–20	Providence Bruins	AHL		9	4	1	5	0		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				36	4	7	11	15		13	1	2	3	0

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2012	United States	IH18	7th		4	0	0	0	0
Junior totals					4	0	0	0	0

Awards and honors

Award	Year
USHL
Clark Cup (Dubuque Fighting Saints)	2013
All-Star Game	2014
College
NCHC Sportsmanship Award	2018
NCAA All-Tournament Team	2018
NCAA Tournament MVP	2018	[7]
NCAA Championship (UMD Bulldogs)	2018

References

1. "Kuhlman provides needed spark for UMD Hockey". The Globe. April 3, 2018. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
2. "Bruins sign Karson Kuhlman to 2-year NHL contract". Boston Bruins. April 11, 2018. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
3. "Bruins announce training camp transactions". Boston Bruins. September 26, 2018. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
4. "Bruins recall Karson Kuhlman". Boston Bruins. February 14, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
5. "Bruins move into second place in Atlantic with win over Kings". National Hockey League. February 17, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
6. "Former Bulldog Captain Kuhlman scores first NHL goal". Duluth News Tribune. February 19, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
7. "Most Outstanding Player Kuhlman helps UMD navigate difficult season". USCHO.com. April 7, 2018. Retrieved April 7, 2018.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database