Polish-Canadian ice hockey player
Ice hockey player
Wojciech
"
Wojtek
"
Wolski
(
Polish pronunciation:
[?v?jt?k
?v?lski]
; born February 24, 1986) is a
Polish-Canadian
former professional
ice hockey
forward
who played eight seasons in the
National Hockey League
(NHL) with the
Colorado Avalanche
,
Phoenix Coyotes
,
New York Rangers
,
Florida Panthers
and
Washington Capitals
. After leaving the NHL in 2013, Wolski continued his career in the
Kontinental Hockey League
(KHL), playing for
Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod
,
Metallurg Magnitogorsk
(with whom he won the
Gagarin Cup
in
2016
) and
Kunlun Red Star
.
While he holds dual citizenship, Wolski is a product of the Canadian training system and was ineligible to represent
Poland
internationally.
[1]
He was selected to represent
Canada
at the
2018 Winter Olympics
.
Playing career
[
edit
]
As a youth, Wolski played in the 2000
Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament
with the Toronto Marlboros
minor ice hockey
team.
[2]
Junior
[
edit
]
Wolski was drafted in the first round, 21st overall, in the
2004 NHL Entry Draft
by the
Colorado Avalanche
. It was originally believed he would be the 10th-15th pick, but some teams passed on him because he was charged with
assault causing bodily harm
by
Toronto police
shortly before the draft; Wolski allegedly beat and left hospitalized another young man his age at a birthday party. The case was dismissed when it was learned Wolski was defending his girlfriend, who had been pushed off a porch.
[3]
Prior to being drafted, Wolski attended
St. Michael's College School
and played for the
Buzzers
hockey team in 2001?02. Before making the Avalanche roster, he recorded 14 franchise records as a member of the
Ontario Hockey League
's
Brampton Battalion
and earned the award for OHL's Most Valuable Player in 2006. Wolski was the OHL Player of the Month an unprecedented four months in a row (December, January, February and March). He was also an alternate captain for Ontario's Under-17 team at the 2003 Canada Winter Games. Wolski played for Canada in the 2004 Canada/Russia Series and was voted Player of the Game (Team
Cherry
) for 2004
CHL
Top Prospects Game.
[
citation needed
]
Professional
[
edit
]
Colorado Avalanche
[
edit
]
Wolski made his Avalanche debut in the
2006 Stanley Cup playoffs
and marked a sensational debut with three points (one goal, two assists). In his first full professional season, he played in the NHL YoungStars Game on January 23, 2007, a part of the
2007 NHL All-Star Game
festivities held in
Dallas
. He recorded two points (two assists) for the
Western Conference
.
[4]
In the
2008?09 season
, Wolski demonstrated his scoring talent in shootouts. At season's end, he would score 10 times out of 12 attempts, establishing a single-season record in percentage of shootout goals scored.
[3]
His 14 goals and 28 assists would be good enough to finish third on the Avs with 42 points, behind
Milan Hejduk
and
Ryan Smyth
.
[
citation needed
]
Phoenix Coyotes
[
edit
]
On March 3, 2010, Wolski was traded to the
Phoenix Coyotes
in exchange for
Peter Mueller
and
Kevin Porter
.
[5]
In his first game with the Coyotes, he scored the game-winning goal against his former team, the Avalanche, with just 22 seconds left in the third period.
[6]
Three days later, in his second game with the Coyotes, he scored again in a 4?0 win against the
Anaheim Ducks
. On June 28, 2010, Wolski signed a two-year contract extension with the Coyotes. After joining Phoenix, he switched from the number 8 he wore in Colorado (already in use by
Scottie Upshall
) to number 86, becoming the second NHL player to wear that number (
Jonathan Ferland
played seven games for the
Montreal Canadiens
in 2006 wearing number 86).
[
citation needed
]
New York Rangers
[
edit
]
In the
2010?11 season
, Wolski failed to recapture his scoring pace from after last years trade from Colorado. With a steadily diminished role with the Coyotes, he was traded for the second time within a year to the
New York Rangers
in exchange for
Michal Rozsival
on January 10, 2011.
[7]
[8]
Wolski was slated to play the first line but a hernia injury caused an end to a potentially outbreak season,
[9]
he was a healthy scratch on more than one occasion.
[
citation needed
]
Florida Panthers
[
edit
]
On February 25, 2012, Wolski was traded to the
Florida Panthers
in exchange for
Michael Vernace
and a third-round pick in the
2013 NHL Entry Draft
.
[10]
Washington Capitals
[
edit
]
Wolski joined his fifth team in just over two years when he signed a one-year, $600,000 contract as a free agent with the
Washington Capitals
for the
2012?13 season
on July 11, 2012.
[11]
During the
2012?13 NHL lockout
, Wolski joined
Ciarko PBS Bank KH Sanok
, the top team at the time in the
Polska Liga Hokejowa
, the top-tier hockey league in Poland. He rejoined the Capitals at the start of the NHL season but was not utilized much during the lockout-shortened season. Wolski produced 4 goals and 5 assists in 27 games with the Caps.
[
citation needed
]
Post-NHL Career
[
edit
]
Wolski signed with
Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod
of the
Kontinental Hockey League
(KHL) on May 20, 2013. After two successful seasons within Novgorod, he moved to
Metallurg Magnitogorsk
in signing a lucrative two-year deal on May 1, 2015.
[12]
Wolski won the
Gagarin Cup
in
2016
, his first season with Metallurg. On October 13, 2016, Wolski broke his neck and suffered a concussion in a freak accident during the game between Metallurg and
Barys Astana
, which left him unable to play for the rest of the season.
[13]
In the
2018?19
season, Wolski contributed offensively on the top scoring line with 15 points through his first 18 games. However, with Metallurg exceeding their foreign player quota with the acquisition of
Nick Shore
, Wolski was released from his contract on October 19, 2018.
[14]
As a free agent, Wolski made a return to his previous club, Kunlun Red Star, agreeing to a two-year contract to continue in the KHL on October 27, 2018.
[15]
In the
2019?20
season, Wolski was limited to just 19 games with the Red Star through injury. In returning to health, Wolski left Kunlun and the KHL, securing a release on December 5, 2019.
He signed a short-term contract to appear with Swiss
National League
club
HC Ambri-Piotta
at the 2020
Spengler Cup
before agreeing to a contract for the remainder of the season with Czech club,
HC Ocela?i T?inec
of the
Czech Extraliga
on December 31, 2019.
[16]
During an appearance on the
Spittin' Chiclets
podcast in December 2020, Wolski announced his retirement from professional hockey.
[17]
International play
[
edit
]
During the
2017?18
season, Wolski was selected to represent
Canada
at the
2018 Winter Olympics
in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
[18]
Used in an offensive role, Wolski contributed with 3 goals and 4 points in 6 games to help Canada claim the Bronze medal.
[
citation needed
]
Personal life
[
edit
]
Wolski left Poland with his parents and older brother Kordian in 1989. Two years later, by way of
West Germany
, they finally landed in
Toronto
,
Ontario
. He learned how to skate at a local
outdoor skating rink
in
Etobicoke
using his brother's skates, which were a few sizes too big. In order to make them fit, he would wear three pairs of socks and stuff the front of the boot with newspapers.
[3]
The first NHL game he attended as a young boy saw the Colorado Avalanche face the
Toronto Maple Leafs
at
Maple Leaf Gardens
. He followed the Avalanche as his favourite team ever since then and grew to idolize future teammate
Joe Sakic
before coincidentally being drafted by Colorado himself.
In the
2006-07 season
, Wolski dated Canadian actress
Ashley Leggat
while playing for the Avalanche.
[
citation needed
]
Following his retirement, Wolski competed in the sixth season of the CBC television series
Battle of the Blades
, a contest that paired hockey players with competitive
figure skaters
to develop show routines. He was partnered with former
World champion
Meagan Duhamel
.
[19]
Wolski and Duhamel won the competition.
[20]
Career statistics
[
edit
]
Regular season and playoffs
[
edit
]
International
[
edit
]
Awards and honours
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Wojtek Wolski nie mo?e gra? dla Polski
[Wojtek Wolski cannot play for Poland] (archived version, 2012), Onet.sport, 12 April 2011 (in Polish)
- ^
"Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA"
(PDF)
.
Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament
. 2018
. Retrieved
2019-02-15
.
- ^
a
b
c
Ladysz, Rafal (2009-08-25).
"Overlooked and Underrated: Wojtek Wolski"
.
thehockeywriters.com
. Retrieved
2010-01-02
.
- ^
"Brick road paves way for Wolski"
.
The Rocky Mountain News
. 2007-12-12
. Retrieved
2009-01-02
.
- ^
"Coyotes get Wolski for Mueller, Porter"
.
NHL
. 2010-03-03
. Retrieved
2010-03-09
.
- ^
"Coyotes' Wolski beats former Avs teammates with late goal"
.
The Sports Network
. 2010-03-04
. Retrieved
2011-03-15
.
- ^
"Rangers trade Michal Rozsival for Wojtek Wolski"
.
Daily News
. New York. 2011-01-10
. Retrieved
2011-01-10
.
- ^
"Wojtek Wolski to NY for Michal Rozsival"
.
ESPN
. 2011-01-10
. Retrieved
2011-01-10
.
- ^
Matheson, Jim (April 2, 2011).
"Hockey World"
.
Edmonton Journal
. Archived from
the original
on August 17, 2011
. Retrieved
April 2,
2011
.
- ^
"Panthers acquire Wolski from Rangers for Vernace, pick"
.
The Sports Network
. 25 February 2012
. Retrieved
25 February
2012
.
- ^
"Caps sign Wojtek Wolski to one-year deal"
.
The Washington Post
. 11 July 2012
. Retrieved
12 July
2012
.
- ^
"Metallurg has signed contracts"
(in Russian).
Metallurg Magnitogorsk
. 2015-05-01
. Retrieved
2015-05-01
.
- ^
"Информация о состоянии Войтека Вольски"
.
www.metallurg.ru
(in Russian). October 14, 2016
. Retrieved
October 15,
2016
.
- ^
"Metallurg terminate contract with Wojtek Wolski"
(in Russian).
Metallurg Magnitogorsk
. 2018-10-19
. Retrieved
2018-10-19
.
- ^
"Wolski signs two-year contract with Kunlun"
(in Russian).
Kontinental Hockey League
. 2018-10-27
. Retrieved
2018-10-27
.
- ^
"Wojtek Wolski will strengthen the Steelmakers!"
(in Czech).
HC Ocela?i T?inec
. December 31, 2019
. Retrieved
December 31,
2019
.
- ^
McGonagle, Brian.
"Wojtek Wolski Officially Announces Retirement After 15 Pro Seasons On Latest Spittin' Chiclets"
.
Barstool Sports
. Retrieved
December 16,
2020
.
- ^
"Hockey Canada announces men's olympic roster"
.
Sportsnet.ca
. 2018-01-02
. Retrieved
2018-01-02
.
- ^
Leeson, Ben (October 20, 2020).
"Duhamel skating for more than just bragging rights when Battle of the Blades premieres on Thursday"
.
The Sudbury Star
.
- ^
"Sudbury's Meagan Duhamel wins national skate-off to claim cash for her charity of choice"
.
CBC Sports
. November 27, 2020.
- ^
"Wolski named most sportsmanlike player"
.
oursportscentral.com
.
Ontario Hockey League
. 2006-04-10
. Retrieved
2011-03-15
.
External links
[
edit
]
|
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Seasons
|
- 1
(2009)
- 2
(2010)
- 3
(2011)
- 4
(2013)
- 5
(2019)
- 6
(2020)
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Hosts
| |
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Judges
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Winners
| Hockey players
| |
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Professionals
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Runners-up
| Hockey players
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Professionals
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