David Steckel is a centre-capable left winger for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League.http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=bio Selected in the first round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings, Steckel signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Capitals organization on August 25, 2005, http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?id=2505 after a year with Kings American Hockey League affiliate Manchester Monarchs, on the recommendation of then- Monarchs head coach Bruce Boudreau, who also moved to the Capitals franchise to coach farm team, Hershey Bears. http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=bio

Steckel made his first NHL appearance in the 2005-06 season, playing in seven games for Washington on four separate occasions--the first came on New Year's Eve against the Philadelphia Flyers. http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=bio

Born on March 15, 1982, the Milwaukee, Wisconsin native spent four years playing for Ohio State in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=bio Steckel helped lead the Buckeyes to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments in 2002-03 and in 2003-04, and was named to the CCHA All-Rookie Team in his freshman year in 2000-02. http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=bio

Away from the ice, Steckel enjoys landscping, reading and golfing. He also supports the American Cancer Society. http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=bio

Steckel is a +1 in two post-season games against the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal. http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=stats In the series' first game, the forward administered a game-high six hits, and won 11 of 15 faceoffs (73%). http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=notes

In a a career-high 79 regular season games, Steckel was a +4 and tallied 16 points (5 goals, 11 assists), http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=stats including a game winning goal in a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on January 19. http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&season=20092010&view=gamelog

Steckel had points in back-to-back games on January 7 versus the Ottawa Senators and January 9 at the Atlanta Thrashers, scoring a goal and an assist. http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&season=20092010&view=gamelog Just days later, he notched three points in two consecutive games, on January 19 (1G, 1A)--the same night he tallied a season-high 15:44 on ice--and against conference rival Pittsburgh Penguins on January 21. http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&season=20092010&view=gamelog

Steckel signed a three-year contract with the Capitals on January 6. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?id=2505

In his second full NHL season, Steckel recorded career numbers in points (19), goals (8), assists (11), and shots (103). http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=bio He was a +2 in in 76 regular season games, http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=stats and won a team-high 57.9 percent of faceoffs taken, good enough for fifth in the NHL. http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=bio He also led the Capitals and was third among forwards league-wide in shorthanded ice time (3:48), during which he notched three shorthanded points (2G, 1A). http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=bio The forward's offensive versatility helped Washington to a 6-2-0 record when he tallied a goal, and 15-2-1 when he found the scoresheet, including five game-winning assists, which tied him for fourth-best on the team. http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=bio

Steckel played his 100th career game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on November 29. He went on a career-best three-game points streak just a month later, potting a goal and two assists from December 30 through January 3. http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=bio

In 14 Stanley Cup Playoff games, Steckel scored five points, three of which goals all scored in the Eastern Conference Semifinal against the Pittsburgh Penguins. http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=bio His overtime Game 6 game-winner kept the Caps' playoff drive alive, as did winning 73 percent of his faceoffs, although Washington fell to the eventual Stanley Cup champions in Game 7. http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=bio The forward was the team's most successful on the faceoff through two rounds of the post-season. A 58.4 percent rates also made him fourth-best in the league. http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=bio

Steckel missed one game on February 3 with a lower-body injury. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?id=2505

He signed to a one-year contract extension on August 6. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/players/bio/?id=2505M

In his first full NHL season, Steckel put up 12 points (5G, 7A) and a +1 in 67 games. http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=stats Even as a rookie, his offensive presence was felt. Washington went 5-0-0 when he scored a goal and 8-2-0 when he notched a point. He also led the team and was seventh in the league in faceoff success, with a 56.3 percentage. 5-0-0 when he registered a goal and 8-2-0 when he had a point On October 13 against the Buffalo Sabres, Steckel won a team-high 18 faceoffs. http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=bio

The forward scored his first NHL goal http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=bio in a 5-3http://espn.go.com/nhl/teams/schedule?team=was&year=2008 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on October 24. His first assist came a month later on November 24 http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=bio in a 5-2 http://espn.go.com/nhl/teams/schedule?team=was&year=2008 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=bio Steckel scored the fastest Caps goal to start a period this season, eight seconds into the second period against the Tampa Bay Lightning, http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=bio en route to a 3-2 http://espn.go.com/nhl/teams/schedule?team=was&year=2008 win.

Four of Steckel's five goals came against the Lightning, and three different Tampa Bay goalies, making him the first player to score his first three goals against the same team, but different goaltenders, since Raimo Summanen of the Edmonton Oilers in the 1984-85 season. http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=bio

Steckel had an even or better plus-minus rating in 51 games, and recorded over 15 minutes of ice time on 17 occasions, including a career-high 22:26 against the Atlanta Thrashers on November 16. http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=bio

In seven post-season games, Steckel recorded two points (1G, 1A). He tallied his first career NHL playoff goal in his first playoff game in the league on [[April 11], Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal against the Philadelphia Flyers. http://capitals.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8469483&view=bio