- Born
- July 5, 1995, Langley
- From
- Grew up in Langley, played minor hockey here, Langley Christian class of 2013
- Position
- Left wing
- Draft
- 2014, fourth round, 116th overall, Boston Bruins
- Latest club
- Columbus Blue Jackets (one-year extension signed July 23, 2026)
- Last checked
- October 23, 2026
Danton Heinen wasn’t on the NHL’s final draft rankings in 2014. Boston took him anyway, in the fourth round, and he has played in the NHL since his debut in 2016-17.
He was born in Langley in July 1995 and grew up here, playing his minor hockey in town and graduating from Langley Christian in 2013. The local papers have covered him from the start: the Surrey Now-Leader’s draft-day story noted he was the second Langley Minor Hockey product in two years to be picked by an NHL team.
The junior years
Heinen didn’t take the WHL route. He played for the Richmond Sockeyes of the Pacific Junior Hockey League, leading them to the league title in 2012-13 with 63 points, then jumped to the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles. As a rookie there in 2013-14 he led the team and every first-year player in the league with 29 goals and 62 points in 57 games, took the captaincy halfway through, and won both rookie of the year and the league’s most sportsmanlike player award. He took four minor penalties all season.
That kept his college eligibility intact, and he took a scholarship to the University of Denver. He was the NCHC’s rookie of the year in 2014-15 and its forward of the year in 2015-16. In April 2016 he left school to sign with the Bruins, after talking it over with his family, as the Advance Times put it.
In the NHL
His first two NHL goals came in one game, against San Jose on October 26, 2017. He was part of the Boston team that reached the 2019 Stanley Cup Final. Since then:
- Anaheim Ducks, traded there in February 2020
- Pittsburgh Penguins, two seasons from 2021
- Boston Bruins again in 2023-24, after a tryout, with his first hat trick on January 20, 2024, against Montreal and a career-best 36 points
- Vancouver Canucks, signed July 2024, a season closer to home
- Pittsburgh again from January 2025
- Columbus Blue Jackets, acquired December 29, 2025, and re-signed for 2026-27
Where to see the next one
Langley’s minor hockey runs through the Langley Minor Hockey Association. The BCHL route he took is open in town too: the Langley Rivermen play at the Langley Events Centre. Follow him on the Blue Jackets roster.
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Last checked October 22, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
