Mobility and an ability to transition the puck have been watermarks of Liles' lengthy NHL career.

A product of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program, Liles began a serious push to the NHL after being recruited by Michigan State University in the fall of 1999.

In four seasons, Liles twice led Michigan State in scoring, including a career-high 50 points in his senior season when he was a Hobey Baker award finalist. He also won two CCHA Best Offensive Defenseman awards and participated in the famous Cold War clash between rivals Michigan and Michigan State that drew a then-record 74,544 to Spartan Stadium.

Selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the fifth round (No. 159) in the 2000 NHL Draft, Liles played in only five minor-league games following his final collegiate season before cracking the opening-night lineup for the 2003-04 NHL season.

That season he led all rookie defensemen with 34 points and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team.

In December 2006, Liles became the first defenseman to score 10 goals in each of his first three seasons since Steve Duchesne (1986-89).

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Liles made further League history in the 2010-11 season, registering an assist in each of the first nine games, the longest streak by a defenseman to start a season in history. During his stay in Colorado, Liles proved remarkably consistent offensively, never dipping below the 30-point plateau.

After seven years with the Avalanche, Liles was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on June 24, 2011. He spent two-plus seasons in Canada's hockey hotbed before being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 1, 2014. With the Hurricanes making a concerted effort to get younger, particularly along the blue line, Liles was viewed as a mentor to their emerging talent.

On Feb. 29, 2016, Liles was traded to the Boston Bruins. He finished out the season, and on July 1, 2016, signed a one-year contract rather than test the free agent market.