Jim Kyte was a huge 6'5" defenceman who overcame a hearing disability to play in the NHL. He played almost 600 NHL games for five teams and used his size and competitive will to keep the front of the net clear and play the body.
Kyte played two years of junior with the OHL's Cornwall Royals. A top-notch prospect, he was chosen 12th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 1982. After his last junior season ended in 1982-83 he played two games for the Jets. Kyte was stay-at-home defenceman for six years on the speedy Jets.
In June 1989 he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins to help shore up their leaky defence. He played 56 games in 1989-90 before a trade brought him to the Calgary Flames part way through the next season. After playing parts of two seasons in Calgary, he signed as a free agent with Ottawa during their inaugural training camp in September 1992. The Senators opted to go with younger players leaving Kyte to play chiefly in the minors from 1992-93 to 1995. He signed as a free agent with the San Jose Sharks in March1995 providing stability and a physical presence for over a year. Kyte retired after playing 95-96 with IHL's KC Blades.
