Kiefer Sherwood Bio
Kiefer Sherwood is an American professional ice hockey right winger who built his NHL career from the undrafted ranks and has played for the Anaheim Ducks, Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators, Vancouver Canucks, and San Jose Sharks. He began playing professionally in 2018 after three years of college hockey at Miami University, and over time he earned a reputation as a capable forward with scoring ability. Sherwood has recorded multiple hat tricks during his career and signed a five-year contract extension with the Sharks in March 2026.
Sherwood was born on March 31, 1995, in Columbus, Ohio, to Roger and Yuko, and is of half-Japanese descent. His younger brother Kole has also appeared in several NHL games, making the Sherwood name increasingly recognizable in professional hockey circles. The Columbus environment offered Sherwood access to youth hockey programs and high-level competition during his developmental years, and his family support helped sustain his commitment to the sport through the demanding college hockey schedule at Miami University.
Sherwood’s path to the NHL began when the Youngstown Phantoms selected him in the seventh round, 99th overall, of the 2012 USHL entry draft, and he then committed to three years of college hockey at Miami University. Despite going undrafted by NHL teams, he earned an invitation to the Columbus Blue Jackets development camp in 2015 before departing without a contract and returning to complete his college career. The combination of USHL experience, college production, and consistent physical play attracted NHL scouts, ultimately leading to his first professional contract.
Kiefer Sherwood Career
Early Career (2018-2020)
Sherwood signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks as an undrafted free agent on March 20, 2018, immediately after finishing his three-year college hockey career at Miami University. He made the Ducks opening night roster out of training camp for the 2018-19 season and recorded his first career NHL point in his debut game on October 4, 2018, helping the Ducks defeat the San Jose Sharks by a score of 5-2. He scored his first NHL goal nine days later in a 5-3 loss to the Dallas Stars on October 13, 2018, and spent the full season on the Anaheim roster.
The Ducks did not tender Sherwood a qualifying offer following the conclusion of his entry-level deal, releasing him to free agency on October 9, 2020, as an impending restricted free agent. He signed a one-year two-way contract with the Colorado Avalanche on the opening day of free agency and earned a second one-year two-way deal from Colorado on July 22, 2021, demonstrating the Avalanche valued his depth contributions and two-way reliability during that period.
Nashville Predators Breakthrough (2022-2024)
The Nashville Predators signed Sherwood to a one-year two-way contract on July 14, 2022, as a free agent entering the 2022-23 season, and his consistent performance earned him additional opportunities with the organization. In the 2023-24 season, Sherwood appeared in 68 games for the Predators, firmly establishing himself as a regular NHL player and putting together his most productive campaign to date. That reliability and demonstrated NHL-level production drew attention from other organizations and set the stage for his next career move.
Sherwood signed a two-year contract worth 3 million dollars with the Vancouver Canucks as a free agent on July 1, 2024, marking his fourth NHL organization and beginning the Vancouver era. During the 2024-25 season with the Canucks, Sherwood recorded his first NHL hat trick, a natural hat trick in a 3-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche on December 16, 2024, scoring in each of the three periods including a shorthanded tally in the second period, and by the end of that game he had already surpassed his career-high single-season goal total.
On January 19, 2026, the San Jose Sharks acquired Sherwood in a trade that sent Cole Clayton and second-round picks in 2026 and 2027 to Vancouver, bringing him to his fifth NHL club. Sherwood quickly found his rhythm in San Jose and delivered another hat trick performance on October 30, 2025, scoring in each of the three periods to lead the Sharks to a 4-3 shootout win against the St. Louis Blues, and the Sharks rewarded that production by signing him to a five-year contract extension on March 4, 2026.
Driving Style and Strengths
Standing 6 feet tall and weighing 194 pounds, Sherwood skates as a right-shooting forward who relies on pace and physicality to generate scoring chances and maintain board presence. He contributes reliably at even strength and on the power play, and his chemistry with linemates and coaching staffs has helped him adapt successfully to five different NHL organizations and systems throughout his career.
Notable Events and Milestones
The natural hat trick against the Colorado Avalanche on December 16, 2024, remains one of the signature moments of his NHL career, and Sherwood joined the relatively small group of undrafted players who have built sustainable long-term NHL careers. He has appeared in more than 130 career NHL games across multiple teams, continuing to add to his résumé as a productive professional forward.
Kiefer Sherwood Career Wins
Sherwood has recorded multiple NHL hat tricks during his professional career, with two confirmed natural hat tricks achieved against the Colorado Avalanche and the St. Louis Blues. He has registered more than 130 career NHL appearances and has scored in dozens of regular season games across five franchises since making his debut in 2018.
The first NHL hat trick came on December 16, 2024, in a 3-1 Canucks victory over the Colorado Avalanche, and the most recent hat trick came on October 30, 2025, in a 4-3 Sharks shootout win over the St. Louis Blues, both featuring goals in each of the three periods.
Kiefer Sherwood Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Sherwood was born in Columbus, Ohio, to Roger and Yuko and is of half-Japanese descent. His younger brother Kole has also appeared in several NHL games, giving the family a meaningful presence in the sport at the professional level.
Personal Life
Sherwood is married to Ariel Sherwood, and the couple maintains a private personal life outside of hockey. He resides in the United States and continues to build his career in the NHL.
Kiefer Sherwood 2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season saw Sherwood with the Vancouver Canucks at the start of his two-year 3 million dollar contract, and his December 2024 natural hat trick against the Colorado Avalanche stood as the most significant individual highlight of that campaign. By the time of the January 19, 2026, trade to San Jose, Sherwood had already surpassed his career-high single-season goal total and was enjoying his most productive season to date.
After arriving in San Jose, Sherwood quickly adapted and delivered another hat trick performance on October 30, 2025, in a 4-3 shootout win against the St. Louis Blues, scoring in each period to lead the Sharks to victory. The Sharks responded by signing him to a five-year contract extension on March 4, 2026, cementing his role in the organization for the long term.