Žigmund Pálffy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Žigmund Pálffy
Pálffy with HK Skalica in 2010
Born	(1972-05-05) 5 May 1972 (age 53) Skalica, Czechoslovakia
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position	Right Wing
Shot	Left
Played for	HK Nitra Dukla Trenčín New York Islanders HK Skalica Los Angeles Kings Slavia Praha Pittsburgh Penguins
National team	Czechoslovakia and  Slovakia
NHL Draft	26th overall, 1991 New York Islanders
Playing career	1990–2013

Žigmund "Ziggy" Pálffy (born 5 May 1972) is a former professional ice hockey player from Slovakia. People also called him "Žigo" in Slovak. He was known as one of the most skilled wingers in hockey.

Pálffy played in the NHL for 12 years. He played for the New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings, and Pittsburgh Penguins. He first announced his retirement in 2006. But he came back to play for his hometown club, HK 36 Skalica, in 2007. He also played for the Slovak national team again at the 2010 Winter Olympics. He officially retired from hockey in 2013. In 2019, Pálffy was added to the IIHF Hall of Fame, which is a great honor for hockey players.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting with the New York Islanders

Žigmund Pálffy played very well in his home country, Czechoslovakia. He also impressed people at the 1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. Because of his talent, the New York Islanders picked him in the 1991 NHL Draft. He was the 26th player chosen overall.

After playing two more years in Slovakia, Pálffy came to North America in 1993. He played most of his first season in a league called the IHL. He also played five games for the Islanders in the NHL.

In the 1995–96 NHL season, Pálffy became a big star. In his first game that season, he scored two goals to help his team win. He ended up scoring 87 points in 81 games. He quickly became the best player on the Islanders team. He continued to score many points in the next two seasons, with 90 and 87 points. In the 1998–99 NHL season, he played fewer games due to injuries. Still, he scored 50 points in 50 games.

Moving to the Los Angeles Kings

After the 1998–99 season, the Islanders traded Pálffy to the Los Angeles Kings. He was traded along with another player, Bryan Smolinski. In return, the Islanders received several players and a draft pick.

Pálffy continued to play strongly with the Kings. He often played on a line with his fellow Slovak player Jozef Stümpel and Canadian star Luc Robitaille. However, injuries, especially to his shoulder, started to limit how much he could play. During the 2003–04 NHL season, his shoulder injury kept him out of most games.

Playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins and First Retirement

After the 2003–04 season, the Kings wanted Pálffy to stay. But Pálffy decided to sign with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He had talked to the Penguins' owner, Mario Lemieux, and promised to join their team.

After playing 42 games with the Penguins in the 2005–06 NHL season, Pálffy suddenly retired. On January 18, 2006, he told the Penguins' general manager that he was retiring. He said it was because of his ongoing shoulder injury. Pálffy finished his NHL career with 329 goals and 384 assists. This gave him a total of 713 points in 684 games over 12 seasons.

Return to HK 36 Skalica and Final Retirement

Pálffy announced he was coming back to hockey in the summer of 2007. He signed a contract to play for his hometown team, HK 36 Skalica. He played for them for the entire 2007–08 season. He became the top scorer in the Slovak Extraliga for four seasons.

In July 2013, Pálffy officially announced his retirement from professional hockey for good. He said he was old enough and did not feel like playing and traveling anymore. He also mentioned that he would miss hockey, as it had been a part of his life for almost 40 years.

International Play

Žigmund Pálffy

Pálffy at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Medal record
Representing  Czechoslovakia
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
Bronze	1991 Saskatoon
Representing  Slovakia
World Championships
Gold	2002 Gothenburg
Bronze	2003 Helsinki

Pálffy also played for his home countries, Slovakia and Czechoslovakia. He won a gold medal with Slovakia at the 2002 IIHF World Championship. In that game, he helped set up Peter Bondra's winning goal with only 100 seconds left. After the 2005 IIHF World Championship, Pálffy said he would no longer play for the Slovak national team.

However, five years later, Pálffy changed his mind. He was chosen to play for the Slovak national team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He had three assists in seven games during the tournament.

Awards and Honours

See also

• Slovaks in the NHL