Kevin Hatcher
A powerful, offensive-minded defenseman who broke scoring records from the blue line and anchored American hockey for a generation.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American ice hockey player·Birthday: September 9·Generation X
Biography
Kevin Hatcher emerged from Michigan as part of a formidable hockey family, carving his own path as a prototype of the modern, puck-moving defenseman. For 17 NHL seasons, his 6-foot-4 frame and cannonading shot made him a constant threat. While he spent his prime with the Washington Capitals, his game truly blossomed under coach Bryan Murray, who unleashed his offensive instincts. The 1990-91 season was a landmark, as Hatcher shattered the Capitals' single-season scoring record for defensemen, a feat that announced his arrival among the league's elite. Though a Stanley Cup eluded him, his consistency and power made him a cornerstone for every team he played for, including a memorable stint with the Dallas Stars where he reunited with his brother Derian. His induction into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame cemented his status as a defining American blueliner of his era.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Kevin was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kevin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Kevin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Set the Washington Capitals franchise record for points by a defenseman in a single season with 79 in 1990-91.
- Played in five NHL All-Star Games (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997).
- Inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010 alongside his brother Derian.
- Recorded 227 goals and 677 points over his 17-season NHL career, ranking him among the highest-scoring defensemen of his time.
Did You Know?
He and his brother Derian are the only siblings to be inducted together into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.
He scored his first NHL goal on his first shot in his first game.
Hatcher wore number 4 for most of his career as a tribute to his childhood idol, Bobby Orr.
He was originally drafted by the Washington Capitals in the first round (17th overall) of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft.
“A good defenseman joins the rush, but never forgets what he's leaving behind.”
