Playing career

Amateur

Eaves attended Shattuck-St Mary's School which is an Episcopal Church-affiliated boarding school in Faribault, Minnesota. He played his collegiate hockey at Boston College. After a very good freshman year the Senators drafted him 29th overall in the first round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He played two more years with the Eagles, where he won several awards, including Hockey East Player of the Year, earned All-America and All-Conference first-team honors, and was a Hobey Baker Finalist. Also during that time he represented his country at the 2004 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, tallied one goal and five assists in six games. In 2005, he decided to leave Boston College to sign with the Ottawa Senators.

Professional

Eaves started the 2005-06 season with the Binghamton Senators in the AHL, and after a good start he was called up to Ottawa, hitting the 20 goal plateau in the NHL. The playoffs, however were a disappointment as they lost to the Buffalo Sabres in the second round.

In the 2006-07 season, Eaves recorded career highs in points (32) and assists (18) which included 10 points (6-4) in 13 games in January. In game three of the first round of the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs on Sunday, April 15, 2007, Eaves took a violent shoulder check to the head after coming around the Penguins' net from Pittsburgh Penguins forward Colby Armstrong, causing him to be carried off the ice on a stretcher. He did not return to play the rest of the series. In the Eastern Conference finals against the Buffalo Sabres, Eaves returned to the lineup in the series-deciding game five.

In the 2007-08 season, Eaves spent much of the season injured. On February 11, 2008, the Senators traded Eaves along with Joe Corvo to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Cory Stillman and Mike Commodore. On June 4, 2008, he signed a three-year contract with the Hurricanes worth $4.2 million.

In the 2008-09 season, Eaves saw his production drop, recording only 6 goals and 8 assists in 74 games, battling shoulder injuries much of the season. On July 24, 2009, Eaves was traded to the Boston Bruins along with a 2010 fourth-round draft pick in exchange for defenseman Aaron Ward. The Bruins then placed Eaves on waivers for the purpose of buying out his contract. On August 4, 2009, Eaves signed a one-year contract, valued at $500,000, with the Detroit Red Wings. Eaves scored his first goal with the Red Wings in a 6-5 shootout loss to the Edmonton Oilers on October 29, 2009. In early January, 2010, he scored his 50th career goal against the San Jose Sharks.

On July 7, 2010, Eaves signed a 1-year extension with the Detroit Red Wings.

On July 1, 2011, Eaves signed a 3-year extension with the Detroit Red Wings. The deal was worth $3.6 million, and had a cap hit of $1.2 million per year.

Eaves played just 10 games in the 2011-12 season before suffering a broken jaw and a concussion in a game against the Nashville Predators on November 26, 2011. Predators defenceman Roman Josi's shot hit him in the side of the face; Eaves missed the rest of the season due to the concussion.

On October 29, 2012, Eaves stated he was "not close" to returning and was still suffering headaches and post-concussion symptoms from the previous year's injury. On January 18, 2013, the official Detroit Red Wings Facebook page announced that Eaves was cleared to return to play.

On March 5, 2014, Eaves was traded to the Nashville Predators, along with Calle Järnkrok, as part of a deal that brought David Legwand to Detroit. Eaves played 5 scoreless games with the Predators to close the 2013-14 season.

Eaves brief tenure with the Predators came to an end on July 1, 2014, when he signed as a free agent to a one-year deal with the Dallas Stars. On July 1, 2015, the Dallas Stars re-signed Eaves to a one-year contract.

Personal life

Eaves was born in Calgary, spent some years in Blackwood, New Jersey, and grew up in Faribault, Minnesota. He is the son of former Calgary Flames and Minnesota North Stars standout Mike Eaves, formerly the head coach of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's men's hockey team, who coached Patrick at the 2004 World Juniors. Patrick and his wife Katie welcomed a daughter, Norah, in July 2010, and welcomed another daughter, Della, in March 2012. The family also has a Newfoundland named Reuben, an occasional visitor to Joe Louis Arena.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2002-03	Boston College	HE		14	10	8	18	61		—	—	—	—	—
2003-04	Boston College	HE		34	18	23	41	66		—	—	—	—	—
2004-05	Boston College	HE		36	19	29	48	36		—	—	—	—	—
2005-06	Binghamton Senators	AHL		18	5	8	13	10		—	—	—	—	—
2005-06	Ottawa Senators	NHL		58	20	9	29	22		10	1	0	1	10
2006-07	Ottawa Senators	NHL		73	14	18	32	36		7	0	2	2	2
2007-08	Ottawa Senators	NHL		26	4	6	10	6		—	—	—	—	—
2007-08	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		11	1	4	5	4		—	—	—	—	—
2008-09	Carolina Hurricanes	NHL		74	6	8	14	31		18	1	2	3	13
2009-10	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		65	12	10	22	26		8	0	0	0	2
2010-11	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		63	13	7	20	14		11	3	1	4	6
2011-12	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		10	0	1	1	2		—	—	—	—	—
2012-13	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		34	2	6	8	4		13	1	2	3	4
2013-14	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		25	2	3	5	2		—	—	—	—	—
2013-14	Grand Rapids Griffins	AHL		8	4	2	6	8		—	—	—	—	—
2013-14	Nashville Predators	NHL		5	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2014-15	Dallas Stars	NHL		47	14	13	27	8		—	—	—	—	—
2015-16	Dallas Stars	NHL		54	11	6	17	27		9	3	3	6	2
NHL totals				545	99	91	190	182		76	9	10	19	39

International

Medal record
Representing United States
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
	2004 Helsinki

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2004	United States	WJC	01 !		6	1	5	6	8
Junior totals					6	1	5	6	8

Awards and honors

Award	Year
All-Hockey East Second Team	2003-04
AHCA East Second-Team All-American	2003-04
All-Hockey East First Team	2004-05
Hockey East Itech "Three Stars" Award	2004-05
Hockey East Player of the Year	2004-05
AHCA East First-Team All-American	2004-05
NHL YoungStars Game	2006-07

[ Source: Wikipedia ]