Pavol Demitra
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2007) |
| Pavol Demitra | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Born |
November 29, 1974 Dubnica nad Váhom, Czechoslovakia | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team Former teams |
Vancouver Canucks Minnesota Wild Los Angeles Kings St. Louis Blues Ottawa Senators | ||
| NHL draft |
227th overall, 1993 Ottawa Senators | ||
| Playing career | 1993–present | ||
Pavol Demitra (born November 29, 1974) is a Slovak professional ice hockey centre. He currently plays for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Playing career
After playing in the Czechoslovak Extraliga with Dubnica and Trenčín for two years, Pavol Demitra was drafted in the ninth round, 227th overall, by the Ottawa Senators in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. Demitra would play the majority of the next three seasons for Ottawa's American Hockey League affiliate, the Prince Edward Island Senators, making brief appearances in the NHL. In 1995-96, Demitra scored 81 points in the AHL in just 48 games.
On November 27, 1996, Demitra was traded from Ottawa to the St. Louis Blues for Christer Olsson. Demitra would continue to play in the minor leagues with St. Louis' IHL affiliates, the Grand Rapids Griffins and the Las Vegas Thunder before beginning to play full-time with the Blues in 1997-98. The following season, in 1998-99, he emerged as an NHL star, appearing in his first NHL All-Star Game as part of a 37-goal, 89-point campaign. He made two more All-Star Game appearances with the Blues in 2000 and 2002 as well. In 2002-03, he recorded career highs in goals (36), assists (57), and points (93), while finishing sixth in league scoring.
As NHL play was halted in 2004-05 due to the lockout, he returned to Trenčín (now of the Slovak Extraliga) and scored 82 points in 54 games. When NHL play was set to resume the next season, he joined the Los Angeles Kings as an unrestricted free agent on August 2, 2005, with whom he played one season. Demitra left the Blues as the franchise's fifth all-time scorer with 493 points in 494 games.
After a 62-point campaign with the Kings in 2005-06, he was traded to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Patrick O'Sullivan and Edmonton's first round draft choice in 2006 (previously acquired by Los Angeles) on June 24, 2006.[1] Playing with the Wild, he teamed up with fellow Slovak Marian Gaborik and recorded 64 points in 2006-07 and 54 points in 2007-08. As part of the Wild's rotating captaincy, he was named the team captain for the month of October 2007.[2]
As Demitra became an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2007-08 season, he established that his first choice was the Vancouver Canucks. On July 10, 2008, he signed a two-year, $8 million contract with Vancouver.[3]
Awards & achievements
- Lady Byng Memorial Trophy - 2000
- NHL All-Star Game - 1999, 2000, 2002
- Fifth on St. Louis Blues' all-time scoring list - 204 goals, 289 assists, 493 points in 494 games
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1991-92 | ZTS Dubnica | CSFR-2 | 28 | 13 | 10 | 23 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992-93 | ZTS Dubnica | CSFR-2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992-93 | HC Dukla Trenčín | Czech | 46 | 10 | 18 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993-94 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | PEI Senators | AHL | 41 | 18 | 23 | 41 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 16 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | PEI Senators | AHL | 61 | 26 | 48 | 74 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 1995–96 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 31 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | PEI Senators | AHL | 48 | 28 | 53 | 81 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996-97 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 1996-97 | HC Dukla Trenčín | Slovak | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996-97 | Las Vegas Thunder | IHL | 22 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996-97 | Grand Rapids Griffins | IHL | 42 | 20 | 30 | 50 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 61 | 22 | 30 | 52 | 22 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 1998-99 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 82 | 37 | 52 | 89 | 16 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 4 | ||
| 1999–00 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 71 | 28 | 47 | 75 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 44 | 20 | 25 | 45 | 16 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 2001–02 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 82 | 35 | 43 | 78 | 46 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 6 | ||
| 2002-03 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 78 | 36 | 57 | 93 | 32 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 2003–04 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 68 | 23 | 35 | 58 | 18 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2004-05 | HC Dukla Trenčín | Slovak | 54 | 28 | 54 | 82 | 39 | 12 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 14 | ||
| 2005–06 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 58 | 25 | 37 | 62 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 71 | 25 | 39 | 64 | 28 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2007–08 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 68 | 15 | 39 | 54 | 24 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
| NHL Totals | 750 | 281 | 418 | 699 | 264 | 77 | 20 | 30 | 50 | 28 | ||||
International Play
- Played for Team Slovakia in the 1996 Water Polo Championships
- Played for Team Slovakia in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City
- Bronze medal with Slovakia in 2003 Ice Hockey World Championships
- Played for Team Slovakia in the 2004 Ice Hockey World Championships
- Played for Team Slovakia in the 2005 Ice Hockey World Championships
- Played for Team Slovakia in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino
- Team Slovakia - 55 caps / 19 goals
References
- ^ "Kings trade Demitra to Wild". TSN. 2006-06-24. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
- ^ "Pavol Demitra named Wild captain for month of October". HockeyFights.com. 2007-10-02. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
- ^ "Canucks sign Pavol Demitra". Globe and Mail. 2008-07-10. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
See also
External links
- 1974 births
- Grand Rapids Griffins (IHL) players
- Ice hockey players at the 2006 Winter Olympics
- Lady Byng winners
- Las Vegas Thunder players
- Living people
- Los Angeles Kings players
- Minnesota Wild players
- National Hockey League All-Stars
- Ottawa Senators draft picks
- Ottawa Senators players
- Prince Edward Island Senators players
- Slovak ice hockey players
- St. Louis Blues players