Tony DeAngelo Bio
Tony DeAngelo is an American professional ice hockey player who plays as a defenseman for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). A first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, DeAngelo has also skated for the Arizona Coyotes, New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, and SKA Saint Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Standing 180 cm and weighing 82 kg, he is widely recognized as an offensive-minded blueliner whose career has been marked by both elite playmaking and off-ice headlines.
Born in Sewell, New Jersey, DeAngelo developed into one of the top young defensemen in North America before beginning his professional career in 2015. He has earned individual accolades at the junior and major-junior level, and he has produced multiple strong NHL seasons while also navigating several team changes over a turbulent career path.
Early Life and Background
Anthony DeAngelo, known as Tony DeAngelo, was born on October 24, 1995, in Sewell, New Jersey, shortly after his family moved to the area. He is the youngest of four siblings and grew up in Washington Township, where he began playing minor ice hockey at Hollydell Ice Arena in Sewell. Coaches and teammates quickly noticed his competitive nature, which set the tone for both his development and the discipline issues that would later follow him through junior hockey.
DeAngelo also played for the Mercer Chiefs of the Atlantic Youth Hockey League and dabbled in baseball and basketball as a young athlete. He was especially close to his paternal grandfather, Lou, who would drive him to and from the local rink during his youth hockey career. In 2008, he appeared in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Philadelphia Flyers’ minor hockey affiliate, an early signal of his rising profile in the sport.
Path to Hockey
DeAngelo left Washington Township at the age of 14 to play junior ice hockey for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the United States Hockey League (USHL), becoming the youngest player in USHL history and often competing against college-aged athletes. He played 28 games with the RoughRiders in the 2010–11 USHL season, recording one goal and 14 assists for 15 points, before a broken patella suffered while blocking a slapshot against the Des Moines Buccaneers ended his season early.
Impressed by his performance, the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) selected DeAngelo in the second round, 24th overall, of the 2011 OHL Priority Selection Draft. He chose Sarnia over waiting for a potential USA Hockey National Team Development Program invitation, citing a faster path to professional hockey. After a slow rookie year with 23 points in 68 games, he broke out in 2012–13 with 58 points in 62 games, the fifth-highest total for Sarnia that season.
Going into the 2014 NHL Draft, DeAngelo was considered a top North American prospect. He led all OHL defensemen in scoring with 71 points in 2013–14 and was ranked No. 10 in the NHL Central Scouting Bureau’s midterm report. He also appeared in the 2014 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, and on June 27, 2014, the Tampa Bay Lightning selected him in the first round, 19th overall.
Tony DeAngelo Career
Early Career (2015–2016)
DeAngelo signed a three-year, entry-level contract with Tampa Bay on December 2, 2014. After attending training camp in 2015, he was assigned to the Lightning’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. He produced offensively for the Crunch with six goals and 37 assists in 69 games, but he was also a healthy scratch for eight games amid concerns about his behavior and defensive play.
On June 25, 2016, the Lightning traded DeAngelo to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for the 37th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Recalled from the Tucson Roadrunners to replace an injured Michael Stone, he scored his first NHL goal in his professional debut on November 8, 2016, beating Colorado Avalanche goaltender Calvin Pickard. He finished his first NHL season with five goals and nine assists in 39 games, though a January 2017 suspension for physical assault of a referee added to his growing disciplinary file.
New York Rangers Era (2017–2021)
On June 23, 2017, the Coyotes traded DeAngelo and the seventh overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft to the New York Rangers for center Derek Stepan and goaltender Antti Raanta. He split the 2017–18 season between the Rangers and the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL, finishing with eight assists in 32 NHL games and missing the final weeks with a sprained ankle.
DeAngelo’s performance and character showed signs of improvement during the 2018–19 season, when he scored 30 points in 61 games. His 26 assists tied him with Kevin Shattenkirk and Mats Zuccarello for third on the team, though he also led the Rangers with 77 penalty minutes. After signing a one-year, $925,000 deal in September 2019, he took another leap in 2019–20, recording 53 points in 68 games, fourth among all NHL defensemen, before the season was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. On January 9, 2020, he scored a hat trick in a 6–3 win over the New Jersey Devils, becoming the first Rangers defenseman to do so since Reijo Ruotsalainen in 1982.
On October 15, 2020, the Rangers signed DeAngelo to a two-year, $9.6 million contract extension. The relationship quickly deteriorated, and following a January 31, 2021, physical altercation with goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, the Rangers placed him on waivers. On July 23, 2021, the team bought out the remainder of his contract, making him a free agent.
Carolina Hurricanes Era (2021–2022)
On July 28, 2021, the Carolina Hurricanes signed DeAngelo to a one-year, $1 million contract. After recording eight points in his first seven games, he quickly won over a skeptical PNC Arena crowd. On October 30, 2021, he registered his first Gordie Howe hat trick with a goal, an assist, and a fight with Reese Johnson of the Chicago Blackhawks.
Philadelphia Flyers Era (2022–2023)
On July 8, 2022, the Hurricanes traded DeAngelo to the Philadelphia Flyers for a package of draft picks, and he signed a two-year, $10 million contract the same day. On March 8, 2023, the NHL Department of Player Safety issued him a two-game suspension for spearing Tampa Bay Lightning forward Corey Perry. On July 14, 2023, the Flyers bought out his contract, making him the first player in NHL history to be bought out more than once.
SKA Saint Petersburg Era (2023–2025)
On September 23, 2024, DeAngelo signed a one-year contract with SKA Saint Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League. He added immediate offense from the blueline and was selected to the 2024–25 KHL All-Star Game, recording 6 goals and 32 points in 34 regular-season games before mutually agreeing to terminate his contract on January 14, 2025, for family reasons.
New York Islanders Era (2025–Present)
On January 24, 2025, DeAngelo returned to North America and signed a one-year, league-minimum contract with the New York Islanders for the remainder of the 2024–25 NHL season. On July 1, 2025, the Islanders signed him to another one-year contract for the 2025–26 season, giving him a fresh opportunity to establish himself on a stable roster.
Driving Style and Strengths
Tony DeAngelo is an offensive-minded defenseman whose Rangers coach David Quinn once described as having a world-class skill as a playmaker. Through the first part of 2019–20, he was on the ice for 61.7 percent of all Rangers goals scored, and he ranked third on the team in power-play points behind Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin. His weaker defensive play has historically limited his minutes and influenced roster decisions, but his vision and puck-moving remain his defining traits.
Notable Events and Milestones
DeAngelo became the first player in NHL history to be bought out of his contract twice, with Philadelphia’s 2023 buyout following New York’s 2021 buyout. He also became the first Rangers defenseman since 1982 to score a hat trick when he did so against the New Jersey Devils on January 9, 2020, and he was a KHL All-Star in 2024–25.
Tony DeAngelo Career Wins
Tony DeAngelo has accumulated his most decorated individual honors at the junior level rather than through NHL team championships, and his verified win totals are concentrated in the OHL and the 2014–15 season.
OHL Highlights
After being traded to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in January 2015, DeAngelo won the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the OHL’s Most Outstanding Defenseman of the Year. He led all OHL defensemen in scoring that season with 89 points in 55 games, including 25 multi-point games, and became the fourth Greyhound in OHL history to receive the award. He was also named the CHL Defenceman of the Year for 2014–15.
Other Wins and Performances
At the international level, DeAngelo represented the United States at the 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and was named to the 2015 U.S. junior team for the 2015 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, where he scored against both Canada and Russia before the United States was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Tony DeAngelo Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
DeAngelo is the youngest of four siblings and grew up in a close-knit family in Washington Township, New Jersey. His paternal grandfather, Lou, was a key early influence, regularly driving him to and from Hollydell Ice Arena during his youth hockey years.
Personal Life
DeAngelo has been an active social media presence throughout his NHL career, often using Twitter and Instagram to engage with fans. He has participated in the Checking for Charity tournament in South Jersey, including a 2018 event supporting the Wounded Warrior Project and a 2021 edition alongside fellow NHL players Adam Fox, Joel Farabee, and Oliver Wahlstrom.
2025 Season Performance
DeAngelo’s 2024–25 campaign began in the KHL with SKA Saint Petersburg, where he produced 6 goals and 32 points in 34 regular-season games and earned a selection to the KHL All-Star Game. A midseason mutual contract termination in January 2025 opened the door for his return to the NHL, and the New York Islanders signed him to a league-minimum deal for the remainder of the season.
The Islanders then re-signed DeAngelo to another one-year contract for 2025–26, signaling organizational confidence in his offensive upside and a willingness to give him a stable environment. His role figures to center on power-play deployment and secondary scoring from the back end, with coaches likely to manage his ice time carefully in defensive situations.
Looking ahead, DeAngelo’s outlook for the rest of 2025 depends on staying in the Islanders’ good graces both on and off the ice. If he can pair his playmaking with improved defensive responsibility, he has a realistic chance to climb the depth chart and become a regular top-six contributor rather than a short-term fix.