Miroslav Šatan

Miroslav Šatan (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈmiɾɔslaʊ̯ ˈʃatan]; born October 22, 1974) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey right winger who most recently played for Slovan Bratislava of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

Miroslav Šatan
Born	October 22, 1974 Jacovce, Czechoslovakia
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight	191 lb (87 kg; 13 st 9 lb)
Position	Right Wing
Shot	Left
Played for	Dynamo Moscow Edmonton Oilers Buffalo Sabres New York Islanders Pittsburgh Penguins Boston Bruins
National team	Slovakia
NHL Draft	111th overall, 1993 Edmonton Oilers
Playing career	1992–2014

Playing career

Pre-NHL

In 1991–92, Šatan played for the local HC Topoľčany and did remarkably well, as he scored 30 goals and had 22 assists in just 31 games. He then graduated to the senior division within the same year. When he became 18, he joined Dukla Trenčín rather than enter compulsory army service for Slovakia (which stopped in 2006). He played there for the 1992–93 and 1993–94 seasons.[1]

Edmonton Oilers

Šatan was drafted 111th overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers. Prior to his entry into the NHL, he played in the Czechoslovak and Slovak leagues and he had scored nine goals in eight games representing Slovakia at the 1994 Winter Olympic Games.[2]

In 1994–95, Šatan played a season in the minor leagues, split between four teams including the Oilers' minor league affiliate, the Cape Breton Oilers, and the International Hockey League's Detroit Vipers. While with the Vipers, he scored the winning goal in an exhibition game against Wayne Gretzky's Ninety-Niners, an all-star team put together by Gretzky during the 1994–95 NHL lockout.

Miroslav Šatan

Medal record
Representing  Slovakia
Ice hockey
World Championships
	2012 Finland
	2003 Finland
	2002 Sweden
	2000 Russia

Buffalo Sabres

After two seasons with the Oilers, Šatan was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Craig Millar and Barrie Moore. He would lead the Sabres in scoring on six occasions. During the 2004–05 NHL Lockout, Šatan played for Slovan Bratislava in the Slovak Extraliga. After the lockout, Šatan was not offered a contract by the Sabres.[3]

New York Islanders

Šatan signed as a free agent with the New York Islanders on August 3, 2005.[4] He led the Islanders in goals in the 2005–06 season. His 35 goals during the season were his highest goal-output since the 2001–02 season with the Sabres. Almost half his 35 goals came on the power play (17), also a career personal best.[2] Šatan tied for the team lead in points with 66, shared with captain Alexei Yashin. Also in 2005–06, Šatan went seven for ten (70%) and was third in the NHL in shooting percentage in the shootout.

On December 2, 2006, he scored his 300th career goal, against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Earlier in the season, he had recorded his 300th career assist and his 600th career point.

On March 24, 2007, Šatan missed the Islanders' game in Philadelphia for personal reasons, ending a streak of having played in 305 consecutive games. It was the fourth longest active streak at the time, and marked the second time in his career that he has played over 250 consecutive games. He had a 256-game streak as a member of the Sabres that ended in November 2002.[2]

Pittsburgh Penguins

Šatan with the Pittsburgh Penguins

On July 3, 2008, Šatan signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins.[5] During the 2008–09 season, Šatan was placed on waivers by Pittsburgh on March 4, 2009, the same day as the NHL trade deadline, not long after playing in his 1,000th NHL game. Having not been claimed by another team, Šatan was assigned to the Penguins' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.[6] In Wilkes-Barre, Šatan had three goals and nine points in ten games. Various reports credited him with being upbeat and a good influence, especially with the younger players.

On April 10, 2009, Šatan was recalled by Pittsburgh and cleared re-entry waivers. He re-established himself with the Penguins in the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs when he played against the Washington Capitals in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on April 23.[7] He then played in nine games and won his first ever Stanley Cup as a member of the Penguins.

The Penguins did not re-sign Šatan when his contract expired at the end of the season, and he was not signed during the free agency period.

Boston Bruins

On January 2, 2010, Šatan signed a US$700,000 contract with the Boston Bruins for the remainder of the 2009–10 season. The contract included a no movement clause.[8] He made his Bruins debut against the Ottawa Senators on January 5, finishing with a +2 plus-minus. He scored his first a goal as a Bruin on January 7 against Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Antti Niemi. On April 21, he scored the game-winning goal in double overtime to defeat the Buffalo Sabres and take a 3–1 lead in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. On April 26, Šatan then scored the series-winning goal over the Sabres with 5:11 remaining in the game.[9]

Dynamo Moscow

At the beginning of 2011, Šatan signed with Dynamo Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) until the end of 2010–11 season. The club opted not renew to his contract upon its expiry.[10]

Slovan Bratislava

On September 8, 2011, Šatan moved to the Slovak Extraliga to rejoin former club Slovan Bratislava.[11] In 2012–13, Slovan moved from the Slovak Extraliga to the KHL and named Šatan team captain. He was badly injured by his former Boston Bruins teammate Zdeno Chára in a match against Lev Praha on 3 November 2012.[12] Subsequently, Šatan said he did not know if he would play another hockey match in his life.[13] Šatan would return to play in the 2013 IIHF World Championship.[14]

Retirement

Šatan announced his retirement from professional hockey on May 20, 2014, at age 39.

In September 2015, Šatan was appointed general manager for Team Europe to compete in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.[15] Team Europe finished second in the tournament after losing the final series to Canada.[16]

In June 2019, he was elected President of the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation.[17]

Personal life

Šatan grew up in Topoľčany, Slovakia. He married his long-time girlfriend Ingrid in 2004. They have a son, Miroslav Jr., born in March 2006 and a daughter, Viktoria, born in July 2009. He lives in Jericho, New York.

Because Šatan's name so closely resembles (in English) that of Satan, many devil-related jokes have been made at his expense. During his career, many sports-data sites (including Fox Sports, Sports Illustrated, ESPN and Yahoo) used the number 666 in the URL of Šatan's page.[18] A popular April Fool's joke had Šatan traded to the New Jersey Devils and been made captain of his new team, making Šatan the "leader" of the Devils. After Šatan announced his retirement in 2014, the Yahoo headline read: "Satan be gone!"[19]

Awards

• Champion of Slovak Extraliga in 1994 and 2012.
• Played in NHL All-Star Game – 2000, 2003
• Stanley Cup champion – Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009.
• Played in KHL All-Star Game – 2014
• Introduced into the IIHF All-Time Slovakia Team - 2020

Records

• Led Buffalo Sabres in points six times;
• Tenth place on Buffalo Sabres all-time scoring list with 224 goals and 232 assists (seventh in goals scored).

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1991–92	HC Topoľčany	SVK.2		9	2	1	3	6		—	—	—	—	—
1992–93	ASVŠ Dukla Trenčín	TCH		38	11	6	17	—		—	—	—	—	—
1993–94	Dukla Trenčín	SVK		30	32	16	48	16		9	10	6	16	—
1994–95	Cape Breton Oilers	AHL		25	24	16	40	15		—	—	—	—	—
1994–95	Detroit Vipers	IHL		8	1	3	4	4		—	—	—	—	—
1994–95	Detroit Falcons	CoHL		1	0	2	2	2		—	—	—	—	—
1994–95	San Diego Gulls	IHL		6	0	2	2	6		—	—	—	—	—
1995–96	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		62	18	17	35	22		—	—	—	—	—
1996–97	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		64	17	11	28	22		—	—	—	—	—
1996–97	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		12	8	2	10	4		7	0	0	0	0
1997–98	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		79	22	24	46	34		14	5	4	9	4
1998–99	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		81	40	26	66	44		12	3	5	8	2
1999–2000	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		81	33	34	67	32		5	3	2	5	0
1999–2000	Dukla Trenčín	SVK		3	2	8	10	2		—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		82	29	33	62	36		13	3	10	13	8
2001–02	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		82	37	36	73	33		—	—	—	—	—
2002–03	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		79	26	49	75	20		—	—	—	—	—
2003–04	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		82	29	28	57	30		—	—	—	—	—
2003–04	HC Slovan Bratislava	SVK		7	6	4	10	41		—	—	—	—	—
2004–05	HC Slovan Bratislava	SVK		18	11	9	20	14		18	15	7	22	16
2005–06	New York Islanders	NHL		82	35	31	66	38		—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	New York Islanders	NHL		81	27	32	59	46		5	1	2	3	0
2007–08	New York Islanders	NHL		80	16	25	41	39		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		65	17	19	36	36		17	1	5	6	11
2008–09	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL		10	3	6	9	4		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Boston Bruins	NHL		38	9	5	14	12		13	5	5	10	6
2010–11	HC Slovan Bratislava	SVK		10	10	6	16	22		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Dynamo Moscow	KHL		6	1	2	3	4		2	0	0	0	0
2011–12	HC Slovan Bratislava	SVK		49	23	29	52	127		12	8	14	22	10
2012–13	HC Slovan Bratislava	KHL		21	7	5	12	22		—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	HC Slovan Bratislava	KHL		23	9	3	12	8		—	—	—	—	—
SVK totals				117	84	72	156	222		39	33	27	60	26
NHL totals				1050	363	372	735	464		86	21	33	54	41
KHL totals				50	17	10	27	34		2	0	0	0	0

International

Year	Team	Event		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1994	Slovakia	WJC C		4	6	7	13	4
1994	Slovakia	OLY		8	9	0	9	0
1994	Slovakia	WC C		6	7	1	8	18
1995	Slovakia	WC B		7	7	6	13	4
1996	Slovakia	WC		5	0	3	3	6
1996	Slovakia	WCH		3	0	0	0	2
2000	Slovakia	WC		9	10	2	12	14
2002	Slovakia	OLY		2	0	1	1	0
2002	Slovakia	WC		9	5	8	13	2
2003	Slovakia	WC		9	6	4	10	2
2004	Slovakia	WC		9	4	4	8	4
2005	Slovakia	WC		7	2	2	4	8
2006	Slovakia	OLY		6	0	2	2	2
2007	Slovakia	WC		7	1	7	8	4
2010	Slovakia	OLY		6	1	1	2	0
2010	Slovakia	WC		2	0	0	0	0
2011	Slovakia	WC		6	2	3	5	4
2012	Slovakia	WC		10	4	2	6	4
2013	Slovakia	WC		8	1	2	3	2
2014	Slovakia	WC		7	1	2	3	4
Senior totals				110	46	40	86	58

International play

Šatan captained the Slovak national team to gold, silver, and bronze in multiple world championships:

• Winter Olympic Games – 1994, 2002, 2006, 2010
• World Championships – 1994 (Pool C – gold medal), 1995 (Pool B – gold medal), 1996, 2000 (as a captain won silver medal), 2002 (as a captain won gold medal), 2003 (as a captain won bronze medal), 2004, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012 (silver medal), 2013, 2014
• World Cup of Hockey – 1996, 2004
• Team Slovakia – 180 caps / 86 goals

See also

• List of NHL players with 1000 games played

References

1. http://referaty.atlas.sk/prakticke-pomocky/zivotopisy/1901/miroslav-satan-biography
2. "Miroslav Satan". hockeydraft.ca.
3. "Satan a free agent after Sabres decline option". ESPN. 2005-08-01. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
4. "Satan signs with Islanders". TSN. 2005-08-03. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
5. "Penguins sign Miroslav Satan". Pittsburgh Penguins. 2008-07-03. Archived from the original on 2009-06-01. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
6. "Pittsburgh assign Miroslav Satan to Wilkes-Barre". Pittsburgh Penguins. 2009-03-04. Archived from the original on 2009-06-01. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
7. "Pittsburgh Penguins' Satan rising to the occasion". bleacherreport.com. 2009-05-09. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
8. "Bruins sign Miroslav Šatan for the remainder of the season". 2010-01-02.
9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2010-06-13.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
10. "Dynamo "Moscow release Satan, Strbak, and Chris Simon | Sports.ru in English"".
11. "Miro Šatan v Slovane! Zatiaľ na mesiac". 9 September 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
12. "Slovan zvíťazil v Prahe nad Levom. Chára zranil Šatana". 3 November 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
13. "Miroslav Šatan: "Modlite sa, aby som ešte hral!"". 18 December 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
14. "Age No Obstacle for Miroslav Šatan". 4 May 2013. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
15. Hornby, Lance (9 September 2015). "Satan to run Team Europe for World Cup in 2016". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
16. "Canada rallies to beat Team Europe, wins World Cup of Hockey". ESPN. 30 September 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
17. Daniel Etchells (29 June 2019). "Slovak Ice Hockey Federation elects new President". Inside the Games. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
18. "Miroslav Satan Is Known by the Number of the Beast". Bleacher Report.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or ESPN.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or Legends of Hockey, or The Internet Hockey Database
• Sports Illustrated Player profile
• Miroslav Šatan´s hockey cards gallery