Dion Phaneuf finished second in the Norris Trophy voting in 2008, captained the Toronto Maple Leafs for six seasons, and played 1,048 NHL games with a reputation for open-ice hits. When he retired, he said he hoped to get back into the game as a scout or in player development. Instead, he took a job that kept him close to the arena, but on the other side of the table.
Where is Dion Phaneuf now?
Dion Phaneuf went into corporate sales. In June 2023, Daily Hive reported that he had spent the previous seven months working in corporate sales in the Global Partnerships group of AEG Worldwide, the entertainment company that co-owns the Los Angeles Kings and runs the Coachella festival. That interview is the most recent public account of his work. As of October 2026, no newer title for him has been reported.
| Dion Phaneuf: then and now | |
|---|---|
| Known for | Maple Leafs captain, 2008 Norris Trophy runner-up, open-ice hits |
| Position | Defence, shoots left |
| Born | 10 April 1985, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| Drafted | 2003, first round, ninth overall, Calgary Flames |
| NHL career | 14 seasons, 1,048 games, four teams |
| Last NHL season | 2018-19, Los Angeles Kings |
| Current role | Corporate sales, AEG Global Partnerships, as reported in June 2023 |
| Employer or business | AEG Worldwide, co-owner of the Los Angeles Kings |
The move made sense to him. “I’ve always been passionate about the business side of sport,” he told Daily Hive, adding that the work kept him involved in sport. His last NHL team is part of the AEG family, and our guide to how to watch the Los Angeles Kings includes the channels for every game.
Sales was not his only business role after hockey. Can-i Wellness, a Canadian CBD and vitamin brand, lists him on its website as a strategic advisor as of October 2026. He married actress Elisha Cuthbert in July 2013.
Is Dion Phaneuf retired?
Yes. Dion Phaneuf played his last NHL game on 6 April 2019 with the Los Angeles Kings and officially announced his retirement on 16 November 2021, more than two years later. In between, he spent time with his old team in a new role. In January 2020, he was seen at Scotiabank Arena job-shadowing Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan, and in 2023 he said the two had a good relationship.
On the day he retired, he made it clear he wasn’t done with hockey. “The game has given me so much and I want to get back in some capacity whether that’s scouting or player development,” he told NHL.com. He chose to return through the business office rather than the scouting staff.
READ MORE: Henrik Zetterberg: Where is he now?
Dion Phaneuf’s draft and his Norris Trophy runner-up season
The Calgary Flames drafted Dion Phaneuf ninth overall in 2003 from the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels. He reached the NHL in 2005-06 and scored 20 goals as a rookie defenceman, finishing third in Calder Trophy voting behind Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby.
Two years later came his best season. In 2007-08, he had 17 goals and 60 points, was named a First Team All-Star, and finished second to Nicklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings in Norris Trophy voting. He played in the All-Star Game in 2007, 2008 and 2012. The Flames’ channels are in our guide to how to watch the Calgary Flames.
The Dion Phaneuf trade to Toronto and the captain’s C
On 31 January 2010, Calgary sent Phaneuf, Fredrik Sjostrom and Keith Aulie to Toronto for Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Ian White and Jamal Mayers. It was a seven-player deal, and it was not the only move the Leafs made that day: an hour later they traded goaltender Vesa Toskala to Anaheim.
The Maple Leafs named him captain on 14 June 2010, and he wore the C until Toronto traded him to the Ottawa Senators on 9 February 2016. He played 423 regular-season games as a Leaf, more than for any other team. In Ottawa, he reached the 2017 Eastern Conference Final, which the Senators lost to Pittsburgh in seven games. A trade to Los Angeles during the 2017-18 season brought him to his last team.
READ MORE: Where Is Mikael Renberg Now? Life After the Legion of Doom
Dion Phaneuf’s stats and his 1,000th game
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | P | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-06 | Calgary | 82 | 20 | 29 | 49 | 93 |
| 2006-07 | Calgary | 79 | 17 | 33 | 50 | 98 |
| 2007-08 | Calgary | 82 | 17 | 43 | 60 | 182 |
| 2008-09 | Calgary | 80 | 11 | 36 | 47 | 100 |
| 2009-10 | Calgary | 55 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 49 |
| 2009-10 | Toronto | 26 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 34 |
| 2010-11 | Toronto | 66 | 8 | 22 | 30 | 88 |
| 2011-12 | Toronto | 82 | 12 | 32 | 44 | 92 |
| 2012-13 | Toronto | 48 | 9 | 19 | 28 | 65 |
| 2013-14 | Toronto | 80 | 8 | 23 | 31 | 144 |
| 2014-15 | Toronto | 70 | 3 | 26 | 29 | 108 |
| 2015-16 | Toronto | 51 | 3 | 21 | 24 | 67 |
| 2015-16 | Ottawa | 20 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 23 |
| 2016-17 | Ottawa | 81 | 9 | 21 | 30 | 100 |
| 2017-18 | Ottawa | 53 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 34 |
| 2017-18 | Los Angeles | 26 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 15 |
| 2018-19 | Los Angeles | 67 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 53 |
| Total | 1,048 | 137 | 357 | 494 | 1,345 |
Figures are from Hockey-Reference, which also credits him with 2,058 hits.
Dion Phaneuf scored 75 of his 137 NHL goals, 55 percent, in a Flames jersey, in only 378 of his 1,048 games. The other 62 came over 670 games with Toronto, Ottawa and Los Angeles.
He played his 1,000th game on 17 November 2018 for the Kings in Nashville. The Kings noted that it was played in the same building where he had been drafted in 2003.
Read more:
