His mother, a former figure skater who competed for Prince Edward Island at the 1975 Canada Winter Games, taught him to skate.
Phaneuf also practised his shot relentlessly in the basement of his family's home, frequently breaking the nets his father bought.
1985
Dion Phaneuf (born 10 April 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenseman who played for the Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Dion Phaneuf was born 10 April 1985, in Edmonton, Alberta, to Paul, a construction worker, and Amber, a nurse, both originally from the province of Prince Edward Island.
Dion attended Harry Ainlay Composite High School before Hunting Hills High School while with the Red Deer Rebels.
Dion has a younger brother, Dane, who played for the P.E.I. Rocket of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
Paul and Amber Phaneuf describe their family as close-knit.
Paul Phaneuf maintained a backyard rink each winter on which the young Phaneuf practiced.
1998
As a youth, he played in the 1998 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Edmonton.
2000
The Red Deer Rebels selected Phaneuf in the third round of the 2000 WHL Bantam Draft.
2001
One year later, he joined the Rebels for the 2001–02 season and recorded 17 points in 67 games.
He added two assists in 21 games as the Rebels lost in the WHL Final against the Kootenay Ice.
2002
He improved to 30 points in 2002–03 as the Rebels again reached the WHL Finals, again losing, this time to the Kelowna Rockets.
Phaneuf's development earned him comparisons to Hall of Famer Scott Stevens, as he was lauded by scouts for his physical style and ability to excel both defensively and offensively.
2003
He was drafted ninth overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by Calgary and made his NHL debut in 2005 after a four-year junior career with the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League (WHL), in which he was twice named the Defenceman of the Year.
Then-Calgary Flames general manager Darryl Sutter valued Phaneuf so highly in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft that he attempted to trade up from his ninth overall selection in the Draft, though to no avail.
Nonetheless, he was able to select Phaneuf with Calgary's first selection in the draft.
Phaneuf established himself as the junior hockey team's top player following the draft, earning the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the top defenceman in the WHL.
He was also named an Eastern Conference All-Star by the WHL, and a First Team All-Star by the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).
2004
He represented Canada internationally five times in his career, winning a silver medal and a gold medal at the World Junior Hockey Championship in 2004 and 2005, respectively, as well as a gold medal at the 2007 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships.
Phaneuf is active in the community; the Flames honoured Phaneuf for his role as an ambassador to the Alberta Children's Hospital, where he participated in events that help sick and injured children during his time in Calgary.
Phaneuf was a common sight at Toronto events, often appearing at fundraisers, promotional activities or visiting patients at Sick Kids Hospital.
He was considered a candidate to join the Flames in 2004.
However, the 2004–05 NHL lockout forced Phaneuf to play one final year of junior hockey.
He scored 56 points in 55 games to finish his junior career with 146 total points.
He repeated as the WHL's Defenceman of the Year, and was again named to both WHL and CHL All-Star teams.
Prospects Hockey rated Phaneuf as the top player in the CHL in both 2004 and 2005, ahead of Sidney Crosby, naming him one of the best junior defencemen of the previous decade.
2005
Phaneuf set a Flames record for most goals by a first-year defenceman and was named a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy as top rookie in 2005–06.
Two years later, he was a finalist for the James Norris Memorial Trophy as top defenceman.
During his career, Phaneuf was involved in two blockbuster trades.
Phaneuf joined the Flames for the 2005–06 NHL season after signing his first professional contract in September 2005.
He made his NHL debut on 5 October 2005, against the Minnesota Wild.
Five nights later, he scored his first career goal and assist against the Colorado Avalanche.
He was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for November after leading all rookie defencemen with nine points and two game-winning goals.
By January, Phaneuf was being named alongside Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin as a candidate for the NHL's top rookie.
He finished the season with 20 goals, only the third player in NHL history after Brian Leetch and Barry Beck to score 20 as a rookie defenceman.
2009
The first came in late 2009, when he was involved in a seven-player trade that saw him move from Calgary to Toronto.
Six years later, Phaneuf was the centrepiece of a nine-player trade that saw him sent to Ottawa.
2018
He was traded to Los Angeles nearing the trade deadline in February 2018.
