Dion Phaneuf Siblings: Get to Know Dane Phaneuf

Dion Phaneuf, born April 10, 1985, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman whose impactful career spanned 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Known for his physicality, powerful shot, and leadership, Phaneuf became a household name among hockey fans.

Drafted ninth overall by the Calgary Flames in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, he played for four NHL teams: the Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, and Los Angeles Kings.

Off the ice, Phaneuf is married to Canadian actress Elisha Cuthbert, with whom he has two children, and has transitioned into a corporate sales role with AEG Worldwide since retiring in 2021.

Siblings

Dion has a younger brother, Dane Phaneuf, who also pursued a career in hockey, though at a different level than his older brother.

Dane played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for the P.E.I. Rocket, showcasing the family’s passion for the sport.

Growing up in a close-knit family, Dion and Dane were raised by their parents, Paul and Amber, both originally from Prince Edward Island.

Paul, a construction worker, maintained a backyard rink each winter where the brothers honed their skills, while Amber, a nurse and former figure skater who competed at the 1975 Canada Winter Games, taught them to skate.

Career

Phaneuf’s hockey journey began in earnest with the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League (WHL), where he was selected in the third round of the 2000 WHL Bantam Draft.

Joining the Rebels for the 2001–02 season, he recorded 17 points in 67 games, followed by a stronger 2002–03 season with 30 points in 71 games.

His breakout came in 2003–04, earning him the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the WHL’s top defenseman and a spot on the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) First All-Star Team.

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The 2004–05 NHL lockout kept him in the WHL for one more year, where he amassed 56 points in 55 games, again winning the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy and solidifying his reputation as one of the best junior defensemen of his era.

Phaneuf made his NHL debut with the Calgary Flames in 2005, setting a franchise record for most goals by a rookie defenseman with 20 and finishing third in Calder Trophy voting for the NHL’s top rookie.

His sophomore season saw him notch 50 points and earn his first NHL All-Star Game appearance in 2007.

The following year, he signed a six-year, $39 million contract extension with Calgary and posted a career-high 60 points, earning a spot on the NHL First All-Star Team and a runner-up finish for the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league’s top defenseman.

In 2010, Phaneuf was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a seven-player blockbuster deal, becoming their captain in June 2010.

He played 423 games for Toronto, contributing 196 points, before being traded to the Ottawa Senators in 2016 in another major nine-player trade.

With Ottawa, he was a key part of their 2017 playoff run to the Eastern Conference Finals.

His final NHL stint was with the Los Angeles Kings, where he played until 2019.

Phaneuf retired in 2021, reflecting fondly on his career and expressing regret only for the 2014 “Salute-gate” incident, where he, as Leafs captain, did not lead the team in saluting fans after a game, a decision that lingered with him.

Since retiring, Phaneuf has transitioned to a corporate sales role with AEG Worldwide, leveraging his leadership skills in a new arena.

His $84 million in career NHL earnings, coupled with endorsements and ventures like his role as a strategic advisor for CaniBrands, have contributed to an estimated net worth of $1–4 million as of 2022.

Accolades

In junior hockey, Phaneuf won the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the WHL’s top defenseman in 2004 and 2005, was named to the WHL First All-Star Team both years, and earned CHL First All-Star Team honors.

Internationally, Phaneuf represented Canada five times, securing a silver medal at the 2004 World Junior Hockey Championship, a gold medal in 2005 (where he was named the tournament’s outstanding defenseman), and a gold medal at the 2007 Men’s World Ice Hockey Championships, where he recorded eight assists in seven games.

In the NHL, he was a three-time All-Star (2007, 2008, 2012), named to the NHL First All-Star Team in 2008, and finished as a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2006 and the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 2008.