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Wojtek Wolski

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Wojtek Wolski
Wolski with the Panthers in 2012
Born (1986-02-24) February 24, 1986 (age 38)
Zabrze, Poland
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb)
Position Left wing
Shot Left
Played for Colorado Avalanche
Phoenix Coyotes
New York Rangers
Florida Panthers
KH Sanok
Washington Capitals
Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod
Metallurg Magnitogorsk
Kunlun Red Star
HC Oceláři Třinec
National team  Canada
NHL draft 21st overall, 2004
Colorado Avalanche
Playing career 2005–2020

Wojciech "Wojtek" Wolski (Polish pronunciation: [ˈvɔjtɛk ˈvɔlski]; 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

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As a youth, Wolski played in the 2000 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Toronto Marlboros minor ice hockey team.[2]

Junior

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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]

Wolski during his final season with the Avalanche

Professional

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Colorado Avalanche

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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

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Wolski at Coyotes' practice in 2010

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

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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 Rozsíval 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

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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

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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

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KHL
[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.

Czech Extraliga
[edit]

He signed a short-term contract to appear with Swiss National League club HC Ambrì-Piotta at the 2020 Spengler Cup before agreeing to a contract for the remainder of the season with Czech club, HC Oceláři Třinec 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

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Medal record
Representing  Canada
Ice hockey
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Pyeongchang

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

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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

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2001–02 St. Michael's Buzzers OPJHL 33 16 33 49 40 — — — — —
2002–03 Brampton Battalion OHL 64 25 32 57 24 11 5 0 5 6
2003–04 Brampton Battalion OHL 66 29 41 70 30 12 5 3 8 8
2004–05 Brampton Battalion OHL 67 29 44 73 41 6 2 5 7 6
2005–06 Brampton Battalion OHL 57 47 81 128 46 — — — — —
2005–06 Colorado Avalanche NHL 9 2 4 6 4 8 1 3 4 2
2006–07 Colorado Avalanche NHL 76 22 28 50 14 — — — — —
2007–08 Colorado Avalanche NHL 77 18 30 48 14 7 2 3 5 2
2008–09 Colorado Avalanche NHL 78 14 28 42 28 — — — — —
2009–10 Colorado Avalanche NHL 62 17 30 47 21 — — — — —
2009–10 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 18 6 12 18 6 7 4 1 5 0
2010–11 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 36 6 10 16 10 — — — — —
2010–11 New York Rangers NHL 37 6 13 19 8 5 1 2 3 0
2011–12 New York Rangers NHL 9 0 3 3 2 — — — — —
2011–12 Connecticut Whale AHL 6 3 2 5 0 — — — — —
2011–12 Florida Panthers NHL 22 4 5 9 0 2 0 0 0 4
2012–13 KH Sanok POL 9 3 7 10 37 — — — — —
2012–13 Washington Capitals NHL 27 4 5 9 6 — — — — —
2013–14 Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod KHL 54 19 19 38 60 7 1 2 3 2
2014–15 Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod KHL 52 23 20 43 36 5 2 2 4 8
2015–16 Metallurg Magnitogorsk KHL 54 18 29 47 22 23 2 8 10 25
2016–17 Metallurg Magnitogorsk KHL 19 5 5 10 6 — — — — —
2017–18 Kunlun Red Star KHL 32 7 21 28 42 — — — — —
2017–18 Metallurg Magnitogorsk KHL 14 5 7 12 10 11 5 6 11 4
2018–19 Metallurg Magnitogorsk KHL 18 6 9 15 0 — — — — —
2018–19 Kunlun Red Star KHL 26 5 8 13 10 — — — — —
2019–20 Kunlun Red Star KHL 19 2 2 4 8 — — — — —
2019–20 HC Oceláři Třinec ELH 13 10 7 17 8 — — — — —
NHL totals 451 99 168 267 113 29 8 9 17 8
KHL totals 288 90 120 210 194 46 10 18 28 39

International

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Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2003 Canada U18 4th 5 1 4 5 4
2018 Canada OG 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 6 3 1 4 0
Senior totals 6 3 1 4 0

Awards and honours

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Award Year
OHL
All-Rookie Team 2002–03
First All-Star Team 2003–04
Top Draft Prospect Award 2003–04
Second All-Star Team 2005–06
Red Tilson Trophy 2005–06
William Hanley Trophy 2005–06 [21]
CHL Canada Post Cup 2005–06
NHL
NHL YoungStars Game 2006–07
KHL
All-Star Game 2015
Gagarin Cup 2016 [citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ Wojtek Wolski nie może grać dla Polski [Wojtek Wolski cannot play for Poland] (archived version, 2012), Onet.sport, 12 April 2011 (in Polish)
  2. ^ "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
  3. ^ a b c Ladysz, Rafal (2009-08-25). "Overlooked and Underrated: Wojtek Wolski". thehockeywriters.com. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  4. ^ "Brick road paves way for Wolski". The Rocky Mountain News. 2007-12-12. Retrieved 2009-01-02.
  5. ^ "Coyotes get Wolski for Mueller, Porter". NHL. 2010-03-03. Retrieved 2010-03-09.
  6. ^ "Coyotes' Wolski beats former Avs teammates with late goal". The Sports Network. 2010-03-04. Retrieved 2011-03-15.
  7. ^ "Rangers trade Michal Rozsival for Wojtek Wolski". Daily News. New York. 2011-01-10. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  8. ^ "Wojtek Wolski to NY for Michal Rozsival". ESPN. 2011-01-10. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  9. ^ Matheson, Jim (April 2, 2011). "Hockey World". Edmonton Journal. Archived from the original on August 17, 2011. Retrieved April 2, 2011.
  10. ^ "Panthers acquire Wolski from Rangers for Vernace, pick". The Sports Network. 25 February 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  11. ^ "Caps sign Wojtek Wolski to one-year deal". The Washington Post. 11 July 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
  12. ^ "Metallurg has signed contracts" (in Russian). Metallurg Magnitogorsk. 2015-05-01. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
  13. ^ "Информация о состоянии Войтека Вольски". www.metallurg.ru (in Russian). October 14, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  14. ^ "Metallurg terminate contract with Wojtek Wolski" (in Russian). Metallurg Magnitogorsk. 2018-10-19. Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  15. ^ "Wolski signs two-year contract with Kunlun" (in Russian). Kontinental Hockey League. 2018-10-27. Retrieved 2018-10-27.
  16. ^ "Wojtek Wolski will strengthen the Steelmakers!" (in Czech). HC Oceláři Třinec. December 31, 2019. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
  17. ^ McGonagle, Brian. "Wojtek Wolski Officially Announces Retirement After 15 Pro Seasons On Latest Spittin' Chiclets". Barstool Sports. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  18. ^ "Hockey Canada announces men's olympic roster". Sportsnet.ca. 2018-01-02. Retrieved 2018-01-02.
  19. ^ Leeson, Ben (October 20, 2020). "Duhamel skating for more than just bragging rights when Battle of the Blades premieres on Thursday". The Sudbury Star.
  20. ^ "Sudbury's Meagan Duhamel wins national skate-off to claim cash for her charity of choice". CBC Sports. November 27, 2020.
  21. ^ "Wolski named most sportsmanlike player". oursportscentral.com. Ontario Hockey League. 2006-04-10. Retrieved 2011-03-15.
[edit]
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Colorado Avalanche first round draft pick
2004 		Succeeded by
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