Pavol Demitra

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Pavol Demitra
Demitra with the Los Angeles Kings in 2005
Born (1974-11-29)29 November 1974
Dubnica nad Váhom, Czechoslovakia
Died 7 September 2011(2011-09-07) (aged 36)
Yaroslavl, Russia
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position
Center
Shot Left
Played for
HC Dukla Trenčín
Ottawa Senators
St. Louis Blues
Los Angeles Kings
Minnesota Wild
Vancouver Canucks
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
National team  
NHL Draft
 227th overall,
1993
Ottawa Senators
Playing career 1992–2011
Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Representing  Slovakia
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place
2003 Finland
Representing  Czechoslovakia
World Junior Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1993 Sweden

Pavol Demitra (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈpaʋɔl ˈdemitra]; 29 November 1974 – 7 September 2011) was a Slovak professional ice hockey player. He played nineteen seasons of professional hockey, for teams in the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League (CSL), National Hockey League (NHL), Slovak Extraliga (SVK), and Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). A skilled offensive player, Demitra was a top-line forward throughout his career.

After a season with

2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash that involved most of the team prior to the 2011–12 KHL season
.

Internationally, Demitra played in junior tournaments with the

Winter Olympics: 2002, 2006 (where he was captain of the Slovak team), and 2010
, where he led all scorers in points and was named to the tournament's All-Star Team.

Playing career

Czechoslovakia

Initially a

1993 NHL Entry Draft. He came to be considered one of the best draft steals in NHL history.[2]

Ottawa Senators

Demitra began the

1995–96 season in the AHL, but after scoring 81 points in 48 games was recalled to Ottawa permanently.[3]
With Ottawa, Demitra had seven goals and 17 points in 31 games.

To start the

IHL. With the Thunder, Demitra had eight goals and 21 points in 22 games. On 27 November 1996, the Senators parted ways with Demitra, as Ottawa traded him to the St. Louis Blues for Christer Olsson.[4]

St. Louis Blues

The

Phoenix Coyotes. Demitra scored his first two goals with St. Louis on 3 April 1997, scoring twice against Tommy Salo in a 5–5 tie with the New York Islanders. He finished the season appearing in eight games with St. Louis, scoring three goals. Demitra made his NHL playoff debut on 16 April 1997, recording his first playoff point, an assist, in the Blues 2–0 win over the Detroit Red Wings. On 22 April 1997, Demitra scored his first playoff goal, beating Red Wings goaltender Mike Vernon
, and added two assists in a 4–0 win over Detroit. Overall, Demitra had a goal and four points in six playoff games.

Demitra made the NHL full-time in

1997–98
, as he played in 61 games with St. Louis, scoring 22 goals and 52 points to finish fifth in team scoring. In 10 playoff games, Demitra had three goals and six points.

The

Tampa, Florida
, scoring a goal for the World team in an 8–6 loss to North America. In the playoffs, Demitra added five goals and nine points in 13 games.

Demitra continued his success in

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on 12 February 2000 in a 6–3 Blues victory. Demitra suffered a season-ending injury on 24 March 2000, and missed the playoffs. After the season, he was awarded the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
after he accumulated only eight penalty minutes throughout the season.

Injuries cut short Demitra's season in

2000–01 when he appeared in only 44 games with St. Louis. He scored 20 goals and 45 points to finish fifth in team scoring. He scored a hat trick and added two assists for a five-point game against the New York Rangers on 20 December 2000 in a 6–3 win. Less than a week later, on 26 December 2000, Demitra had another high scoring game, scoring two goals and four points against the Columbus Blue Jackets
in a 5–0 victory. On 30 December 2000, Demitra suffered an injury, however, he came back with the team late in the season, and appeared in 15 playoff games, scoring two goals and six points.

In

Los Angeles, California, however, he was held off the scoresheet in an 8–5 World win over North America. In the playoffs, Demitra appeared in 10 games, scoring four goals and 11 points. He had a four-point night against the Detroit Red Wings
on 7 May 2002, scoring a goal and three assists in the Blues 6–1 victory.

The

2002–03 was Demitra's most productive in the NHL, as he set a career high with 93 points, which placed him sixth in NHL scoring, as Demitra scored 36 goals and 57 assists in 78 games. He had a hat trick and a season high four points on 29 November 2002 in a 7–2 win over the Calgary Flames
. In the playoffs, Demitra had two goals and six points in seven games.

Demitra had a disappointing

2003–04
season, scoring 23 goals and 58 points, his lowest totals since his injury plagued 2000–01 season, in 68 games. In the playoffs, Demitra had a goal in five contests. This would be his final season with the Blues, as Demitra left the team fifth in franchise scoring with 493 points in 494 games.

HK Dukla Trenčin

With the 2004–05 NHL lockout cancelling the season, Demitra signed with HK Dukla Trenčín of the Slovak Extraliga on 17 September 2004. Demitra led the league in scoring with 28 goals and 82 points in 54 games. Demitra scored four goals and 17 points in 12 playoff games with the team.

Los Angeles Kings

On 2 August 2005, Demitra signed a three-year, $13.5 million contract with the

2006 NHL Entry Draft
.

Minnesota Wild

Demitra joined the Wild and fellow Slovak

2006–07 season. Demitra played his first game with the Wild on 5 October 2006, recording two assists in a 3–2 win over the Colorado Avalanche. In his next game on 7 October 2006, Demitra scored his first goal with Minnesota, scoring against Tomáš Vokoun of the Nashville Predators in a 6–5 victory. Demitra finished the season tied for first in team scoring, as he had 25 goals and 64 points in 71 games. The 64 points were the highest by Demitra since 2002–03. Demitra played in his first playoff game with Minnesota on 11 April 2007, scoring a goal against Ilya Bryzgalov of the Anaheim Ducks
in a 2–1 loss. Demitra appeared in five playoff games, scoring a goal and four points.

Demitra was named the

2007–08
season. Demitra had a tough season, scoring only 15 goals, his lowest total since 1996–97, and 54 points through 68 games as he finished fourth in team scoring. In the playoffs, Demitra had a goal and three points in six games. At the end of the season, he became an unrestricted free agent.

Vancouver Canucks

Pavol Demitra with the Vancouver Canucks.

On 10 July 2008, Demitra signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks.[7] He played in his first game as a Canuck on 9 October 2008, getting no points in a 6–0 win over the Calgary Flames. In his next game, also against Calgary, Demitra scored his first goal with Vancouver, the game winning overtime goal against Miikka Kiprusoff in a 5–4 win. He finished the season with 20 goals and 53 points in 69 games, finishing fourth in team scoring. Demitra appeared in his first playoff game with Vancouver on 15 April 2009, recording an assist in a 2–1 win over the St. Louis Blues. Demitra scored his first playoff goal with the Canucks on 30 April 2009, scoring against Nikolai Khabibulin of the Chicago Blackhawks in a 5–3 victory. On 2 May 2009, Demitra suffered a shoulder injury against the Blackhawks that would end his season. In six playoff games, Demitra had a goal and three points.

The

2009–10 would be a tough season on Demitra, as he missed most of the regular season with the shoulder injury that occurred in the 2009 playoffs. In 28 games, Demitra had three goals and 16 points, his lowest totals since 1996–97. In the playoffs, Demitra had a three-point game against the Los Angeles Kings
on 23 April 2010, helping Vancouver to a 7–2 win. Overall, Demitra appeared in 11 playoff games, scoring two goals and six points. After the season, he became an unrestricted free agent. This would mark the end of Demitra's NHL career. Demitra played in 847 career games, and scored 304 goals with 464 assists for 768 points.

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl

Demitra joined Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the KHL on 15 July 2010. In his first season with Lokomotiv, Demitra scored 18 goals and 60 points in 54 games to finish fifth in league scoring. He was named Forward of the Month in January 2011. In 18 playoff games with Yaroslavl, Demitra had six goals and 15 assists for 21 points which placed him second in KHL playoff scoring.

Demitra returned to the team for the

2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash
along with the entirety of the team roster and most of the flight crew.

International play

Demitra faces off with Henrik Sedin during the 2010 Olympics

Demitra was named to Team Slovakia for the 2010 Winter Olympics in his NHL hometown Vancouver. On 18 February 2010, he scored in the seventh round of a shootout to help Slovakia beat Russia in the round robin.[8] In the semi-finals against hosts Canada, Slovakia trailed 3–0 after two periods but rallied with 2 goals in the third period, and Demitra nearly scored with 9 seconds remaining in regulation but his shot was stopped by Canucks teammate Roberto Luongo, and the save was dubbed the "Glove from Above".[9] In the bronze medal game against Finland, Demitra assisted twice and scored once in the second period to help his team to a 3–1 lead, though they could not hold on as Finland scored four times (including an empty-net goal) in the third period to claim bronze. Slovakia was ranked in fourth place, as Demitra led the tournament in points with 10 and tied for the lead in assists with seven. His play in the tournament led him to a selection to the all-star team.[10]

Demitra played for Czechoslovakia in the following competitions:

Demitra played for Slovakia in the following competitions:

Awards and achievements

Death

Tribute to Pavol Demitra, Ondrej Nepela Arena, Bratislava, Slovakia.
See also:
2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash

On 7 September 2011, at 4:02 PM local time, a Yakovlev Yak-42 passenger aircraft, carrying Demitra and his Lokomotiv Yaroslavl teammates, crashed near Yaroslavl, Russia, on its way to Minsk, Belarus, to start the 2011–12 KHL season.[11] The airplane caught fire and crashed shortly after take-off, a mere 4 kilometers from the Tunoshna airport. Preliminary reports said that 43 of the 45 passengers on board had been killed, including the entire roster and 4 youth players,[12] and that the remaining one, Alexander Galimov, was in critical condition. Galimov died a few days later.[13]

Demitra was survived by his wife Maja and two children, Lucas and Zara. He was predeceased by his infant son, Tobias.[1]

Following his death, the elementary school in Dubnica nad Váhom which he had attended, and the ice hockey stadium in Trenčín where he started his successful career together with famous Slovak ice hockey players Zdeno Chára, Marián Hossa, Marcel Hossa and Marián Gáborík, were named after him.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Bold indicates led league

Regular season
 Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1991–92
Spartak ZŤS Dubnica nad Váhom
 CSSR-2 28 13 10 23 12 — — — — —
1992–93 CAPEH Dubnica nad Váhom CSSR-2 4 3 0 3 2 — — — — —
1992–93
ASVŠ Dukla Trenčín
 CSSR 46 11 17 28 — — — — — —
1993–94 Ottawa Senators NHL 12 1 1 2 4 — — — — —
1993–94
P.E.I. Senators
 AHL 41 18 23 41 8 — — — — —
1994–95 Ottawa Senators NHL 16 4 3 7 0 — — — — —
1994–95 P.E.I. Senators AHL 61 26 48 74 23 5 0 7 7 0
1995–96 Ottawa Senators NHL 31 7 10 17 6 — — — — —
1995–96 P.E.I. Senators AHL 48 28 53 81 44 — — — — —
1996–97 Dukla Trenčín SVK 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 — — — — —
1996–97 St. Louis Blues NHL 8 3 0 3 2 6 1 3 4 6
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
1999–2000 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 Dukla Trenčín SVK 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
2008–09 Vancouver Canucks NHL 69 20 33 53 20 6 1 2 3 2
2009–10 Vancouver Canucks NHL 28 3 13 16 0 11 2 4 6 4
2010–11 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
KHL
 54 18 42 60 29 18 6 15 21 4
NHL totals 847 304 464 768 284 94 23 36 59 34

International

Year Team Event   GP G A Pts PIM
1992 Czechoslovakia EJC 6 4 8 12 2
1993 Czechoslovakia
WJC
 7 4 4 8 8
1996
 Slovakia
WC
 5 1 2 3 2
1996 Slovakia WCH 3 0 0 0 4
2002 Slovakia
OLY
 2 1 2 3 2
2003 Slovakia WC 5 2 2 4 4
2004 Slovakia WC 9 4 4 8 4
2004 Slovakia WCH 4 0 2 2 2
2005 Slovakia WC 7 2 5 7 2
2006 Slovakia OLY 6 2 5 7 2
2007 Slovakia WC 6 2 2 4 12
2010 Slovakia OLY 7 3 7 10 2
2011 Slovakia WC 6 1 2 3 0
Junior totals 13 8 12 20 10
Senior totals 60 18 33 51 36

All-Star Games

Year Location   G A P
1999
 Tampa 1 0 1
2000
 Toronto 2 0 2
2002
 Los Angeles 0 0 0
All-Star totals 3 0 3

Transactions

Source: "NHL.com – Players: Pavol Demitra, Canucks". NHL.com. Retrieved 11 February 2009.

See also

  • Slovaks in the NHL
  • List of ice hockey players who died during their playing career

References

  1. ^ a b Lozo, Dave (8 September 2011). "Demitra remembered as 'great friend, teammate'". NHL.com. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  2. ^ "NHL Draft - Late Round Steals".
  3. ^ a b AHL (26 December 2006). "AHL stars still shining: Pavol Demitra". theahl.com. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Pavol Demitra Stats".
  5. ^ "Roundup:Demitra to Kings; Bruins ink two forwards". USA Today. 2 August 2005. Retrieved 19 August 2008.
  6. ^ Andresen, Glen (2 October 2007). "Demitra Will Wear The "C"". Minnesota Wild. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  7. ^ "Canucks sign Pavol Demitra". Globe and Mail. 10 July 2008. Archived from the original on 14 July 2008. Retrieved 10 July 2008.
  8. ^ "Slovakia rallies past Russia in shootout for first group win". ESPN.com news services. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
  9. ^ "Canada.Com | Homepage | Canada.Com".
  10. ^ a b "Miller gets MVP honours". iihf.com. 28 February 2010. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011.
  11. ^ "Hockey dealing with aftermath of KHL plane crash".
  12. ^ Plane crash in Russia involves KHL team
  13. ^ СПИСОК экипажа и пассажиров, находившихся на борту воздушного судна Як-42 (Press release) (in Russian). Ministry of Emergency Situations. 7 September 2011. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2011.

External links

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Winner of the
Lady Byng Trophy
2000
 Succeeded by
Sporting positions
Preceded by Minnesota Wild captain
October 2007 		Succeeded by
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