Dan Bylsma (born 19 September 1970, in Grand Haven, Michigan) is a former National Hockey League forward. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, by the Winnipeg Jets. September 19 is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years). ... 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Grand Haven is a city located in Ottawa County, Michigan. ... State nickname: Wolverine State or Great Lakes State Other U.S. States Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Governor Jennifer Granholm Official languages English Area 250,941 km² (11th)  - Land 147,255 km²  - Water 103,687 km² (41. ... The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional sports organization composed of ice hockey teams in the United States and Canada, where it is also known by its French name, Ligue Nationale de Hockey. ... This article or section should be merged with Phoenix Coyotes The Winnipeg Jets were a WHA and then an NHL franchise who are now the Phoenix Coyotes. ...

Early Life

During his high-school days, Bylsma was a standout in many sports, including golf, baseball, and hockey. He played four years of college hockey for Bowling Green before being drafted by the Jets. Golfer teeing off at the start of a hole Golf is an outdoor game where individual players or teams play a small ball into a hole using various clubs. ... Hockey is any of a family of sports in which two teams compete by trying to maneuver a hard, round ball or a puck into the opponents goal, past the goalkeeper or goaltender (often abbreviated goalie), using a stick. ... Bowling Green is the name of some places in the United States of America: Bowling Green, Florida, named after the town in Kentucky. ...

Playing Career

Despite being drafted by the Jets, Bylsma never played a game for them, and was signed by the Los Angeles Kings in the summer of 1994. He would play parts of five seasons for the Kings, acting as a defensive forward. In his first season, when he played only four games for the Kings, he was captain of their International Hockey League affiliate. During his time in Los angeles, Bylsma got to play with Wayne Gretzky. The Los Angeles Kings are a National Hockey League team based in Los Angeles, California, USA. Founded: 1967 Arena: Staples Center Uniform colors: Purple, black, and silver Logo design: A silver crown outlined in purple Stanley Cups won: // Franchise history The Pacific Coast Hockey League had many teams in the... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... The International Hockey League (IHL) was a minor league professional ice hockey league of the triple-A level in the United States and Canada from 1945 to 2001. ... Wayne Gretzky playing for the New York Rangers in 1997 Wayne Douglas Gretzky, OC (born January 26, 1961) is a former professional ice hockey player. ...

Signed by a free agent by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the summer of 2000, Bylsma was a steadying influence on a rebuilding Anaheim team, and was made assistant captain. In his second season, he set a career high in points (17). The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim are a National Hockey League team based in Anaheim, California. ... 2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Bylsma struggled his entire career to stay in the NHL, mostly due to a lack of natural offensive ability (his primary roll in the NHL had always been penalty killing. Injuries took a toll in later years, and before being put on waivers in January 2004, Bylsma missed 31 games due to knee surgery. He is currently (as of June 20005) an unrestricted free agent. 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Books and charity work

Bylsma, along with his father Jay, has written four books, two on what it takes to make the NHL, and two sports novels, one about baseball, the other basketball. Baseball is a team sport, in which a fist-sized ball is thrown by a defensive player called a pitcher and hit by an offensive player called a batter with a round, smooth stick called a bat. ... Basketball Basketball is a ball sport in which two teams of five players each try to score points by throwing a ball through a hoop. ...

For 11 years Bylsma has run a hockey camp in Michigan, and he also runs a charity to assist youths with the expense of playing hockey. State nickname: Wolverine State or Great Lakes State Other U.S. States Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Governor Jennifer Granholm Official languages English Area 250,941 km² (11th)  - Land 147,255 km²  - Water 103,687 km² (41. ...