Jonathan Cheechoo

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Born	July 15, 1980 (1980-07-15) (age 29), Moose Factory, ON, CAN
Height Weight	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shoots	Right
NHL team F. teams	Ottawa Senators San Jose Sharks
NHL Draft	29th overall, 1998 San Jose Sharks
Pro career	2000 – present

Jonathan Earl Cheechoo (born July 15, 1980 in Moose Factory, Ontario) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). Cheechoo was the first member of the Moose Factory Cree First Nation to play in the NHL. During the 2005–06 season, he led the league with 56 goals and gained the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy. He was the first San Jose Sharks player and the only First Nations person to win the "Rocket" Richard Trophy, awarded to the NHL player with the most goals in a season.

[edit] Playing career

[edit] Junior career

Drafted by the Belleville Bulls of the OHL in the 1997 OHL priority selection, Cheechoo had a reasonably strong rookie year in 1997–1998 with 76 points (31 goals + 45 assists) in 64 games, good for third place on his team. In the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, San Jose sent the 2nd overall pick (David Legwand) to Nashville for the third overall pick (Brad Stuart) and the 29th overall pick, which they used to draft Cheechoo. Most had predicted that Cheechoo would be a later-round pick, and San Jose was criticized for picking a lackluster forward who "skated slower forwards than most players skated backwards" instead of the highly-touted Legwand. Presumably, since Cheechoo started playing hockey at a late age, his skating skills took longer to develop.^{[original research?]}

Cheechoo joined the Bulls for the 1998–1999 season and finished with 82 points (35 + 47) in 63 games. Taking off in the playoffs, Cheechoo scored 30 points (15 + 15) in 21 games. Five of those goals were scored during Game 7 of the OHL Final against the London Knights, a game the Bulls would win 9–2 to secure their first OHL Championship. Although he was now eligible for AHL assignment, San Jose chose to leave him unsigned. San Jose was patient with Cheechoo, knowing he still had room to improve in the OHL. In the following season, Cheechoo had his best year, tallying a team-high 91 points (45 + 46) in 66 games. Cheechoo added 17 points (5 + 12) in sixteen games during the playoffs. His high goal total hinted at his sniping capabilities, and his statistical improvement mirrored his development. Notably, Cheechoo never played a full season while in juniors because of minor injuries he gained from his crash-and-bang style of play. For development, Cheechoo joined San Jose's AHL affiliate, the Kentucky Thoroughblades, in the 2000–2001 season before deciding to give the NHL another go and obtained hockey agent Thayne Campbell.

[edit] Pro career

[edit] San Jose Sharks

Cheechoo had a strong rookie season in the AHL with 66 points in 75 games. After going scoreless in the playoffs (in which he was a healthy scratch for two games), Cheechoo rebounded with 46 points (21 + 25) in 53 games (he missed games due to a leg injury).

Cheechoo during the 2005–06 NHL season. He scored a San Jose Sharks team record 56 goals that season

In 2002–03, after scoring seven points (3 + 4) in nine games with the Cleveland Barons (the relocated Kentucky Thoroughblades franchise), Cheechoo was recalled to San Jose to help revitalize the struggling team. Playing mostly on the third and fourth lines, Cheechoo had a modest 16 points (9 goals and 7 assists) in 66 games. During the 2003 offseason, Cheechoo put himself on a power-skating regime and reduced his body fat to single digits, doing everything from weight work to sprinting exercises to increase his skating strength[1].

His hard work paid off, as Cheechoo had 47 points in 81 games in 2003–2004. Playing alongside Mike Ricci and Scott Thornton, Cheechoo had two mentors who taught Cheechoo how to be defensively responsible. Also, Cheechoo became one of San Jose's best grinders; his new upper-body strength allowed him to win many battles along the boards. In the 2004 playoffs, Cheechoo had 10 points in 17 games. San Jose was eliminated by Calgary. During the NHL lockout, Cheechoo played with HV71 of the Swedish Elitserien and had 5 goals in 20 games.

Cheechoo in 2008, after scoring a goal.

In the 2005–06 season, Cheechoo offensive statistics took off, netting a franchise record 56 goals and 93 points. Much of Cheechoo's success was augmented by the Sharks acquisition of superstar Joe Thornton in late November. Before the trade, Cheechoo had 15 points (7 goals, 8 assists) in 24 games. In the 57 games after the trade, Cheechoo had 78 points (49 goals, 29 assists). Thornton knew to get the puck to Cheechoo - who had the skill to score the goals.

In the 2006–07 season, Cheechoo got off to a slow start as he, Joe Thornton, and newly acquired power forward Mark Bell, failed to click. However, after a struggling Bell was demoted to the press box in favor of young speedster Milan Michálek, Cheechoo picked it up somewhat, finishing the season with an impressive 37 goals and 69 points in 76 games. In the playoffs, it was revealed that Cheechoo played with a broken thumb. In 2006, Cheechoo signed a 5-year contract extension worth US$15 million. The deal will pay him US$2.5 million the first two years, US$3 million the third year, and US$3.5 million the last two years. Cheechoo's production dropped to 23 goals the following season, which then fell to just 12 goals in the 2008-09 NHL Season.

[edit] Ottawa Senators

On September 12, 2009, he was traded by the Sharks, along with Milan Michalek and a second round pick, to the Ottawa Senators for Dany Heatley and a fifth round pick.^[1]

[edit] Records

• San Jose Sharks' franchise record for goals in a season (56) - 2005–06
• San Jose Sharks' franchise record for power play goals in a season (24) - 2005–06
• San Jose Sharks' franchise record for hat tricks in a season (5) - 2005–06

[edit] Awards & honors

• 1997–98 OHL - First All-Rookie Team
• 2000–01 AHL - All-Rookie Team
• 2003–04 Played in the NHL YoungStars Game
• 2005–06 NHL - Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy
• 2006–07 Played in NHL All-Star Game

[2]

[edit] Career statistics

[edit] See also

• Notable Aboriginal people of Canada

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jonathan Cheechoo

• Jonathan Cheechoo's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database