Dainius Zubrus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dainius Zubrus |
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Zubrus with the New Jersey Devils in 2014
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| Born | June 16, 1978 Elektrėnai, Lithuanian SSR, Soviet Union |
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| Height | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) | ||
| Weight | 225 lb (102 kg; 16 st 1 lb) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Philadelphia Flyers Montreal Canadiens Washington Capitals Buffalo Sabres New Jersey Devils San Jose Sharks |
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| National team |  Russia and Lithuania |
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| NHL Draft | 15th overall, 1996 Philadelphia Flyers |
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| Playing career | 1996–2019 | ||
Dainius Gintas Zubrus (born June 16, 1978) is a former professional ice hockey player from Lithuania. He played as a forward in the National Hockey League (NHL). Zubrus was the first player from Lithuania to play over 1,000 games in the NHL. He was picked 15th overall in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers. During his career, Zubrus played for the Flyers, Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals, Buffalo Sabres, New Jersey Devils, and San Jose Sharks.
Contents
Playing Career in Hockey
Starting Out in Hockey
Dainius Zubrus began his hockey journey at a young age. In 1989, when he was 11, he moved to Kharkiv, Ukraine, to train with a coach named Ivan Pravilov. He played for Pravilov's team, Druzhba-78, for six years. As a young player, he even took part in the 1992 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with his team.
Becoming a Professional Player
The Philadelphia Flyers chose Zubrus as the 15th overall pick in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. He was playing for the Caledon Canadians at the time. This made him one of the highest-drafted players from his junior league. Before joining Caledon, Zubrus played for the Pembroke Lumber Kings.
Zubrus played his first NHL game on October 5, 1996, and even scored a goal against the Florida Panthers. In his very first season, he helped the Flyers reach the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals. On March 10, 1999, the Flyers traded him to the Montreal Canadiens. He scored his first career hat-trick (three goals in one game) on October 14, 2000, against the Chicago Blackhawks. He was later traded to the Washington Capitals on March 13, 2001.
During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, when NHL games were paused, Zubrus played in Russia for Lada Togliatti. He played 42 games and scored 8 goals and 11 assists.
Success with the Capitals and Sabres
Zubrus returned to the Capitals for the 2005–06 NHL season. He had his best season, scoring 57 points while playing with star rookie Alexander Ovechkin. In the 2006–07 NHL season, he continued to play well, getting 52 points in 60 games. On February 27, 2007, he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres.
Years with the New Jersey Devils
On July 3, 2007, Zubrus signed a six-year contract with the New Jersey Devils. This was a big step in his career.
On November 23, 2008, Zubrus had an amazing game for the Devils. He scored four goals, which tied a team record, helping New Jersey win 7–3 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Four years later, in 2012, Zubrus reached the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals again with the Devils, but they lost to the Los Angeles Kings. On July 4, 2013, the Devils signed Zubrus to another three-year contract.
After eight seasons with the Devils, Zubrus left the team on July 29, 2015.
Joining the San Jose Sharks
On October 27, 2015, Zubrus was invited to try out for the St. Louis Blues. However, he was released from that tryout on November 6, 2015.
Then, on November 16, 2015, the San Jose Sharks invited him for a tryout. Eight days later, he signed a contract with the Sharks. This reunited him with his former coach, Peter DeBoer, and a former teammate, Paul Martin. With San Jose, Zubrus reached his third Stanley Cup Finals, but the Sharks lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He decided to retire from playing hockey after that season.
Playing for His Country
Dainius Zubrus first played for the Russian national team in the World Cup of Hockey in 2004. However, after that, he chose to play for Lithuania. He played for Lithuania in the 2005 World Championships and other tournaments. He explained his choice by saying, "Lithuania needs me more than Russia." Because he was born when the Soviet Union existed, players from that time could choose to play for any of the new countries formed after its breakup. He even thought about playing for Ukraine because he trained there.
After Hockey: A Leader
In 2018, Dainius Zubrus was elected as the president of Hockey Lietuva. This is the main organization for ice hockey in Lithuania. In May 2022, he was re-elected for a second term, showing his continued dedication to the sport in his home country.
Personal Life
Dainius Zubrus is married and has two children. He is a citizen of both Lithuania and the United States.
Career Statistics
Regular Season and Playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1995–96 | Pembroke Lumber Kings | CJHL | 28 | 19 | 13 | 32 | 73 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Caledon Canadians | MetJHL | 7 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 17 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 4 | ||
| 1996–97 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 68 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 12 | ||
| 1997–98 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 69 | 8 | 25 | 33 | 42 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1998–99 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 63 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 17 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–2000 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 73 | 14 | 28 | 42 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 49 | 12 | 12 | 24 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2001–02 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 71 | 17 | 26 | 43 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 63 | 13 | 22 | 35 | 43 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 2003–04 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 54 | 12 | 15 | 27 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | Lada Togliatti | RSL | 42 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 85 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 22 | ||
| 2005–06 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 71 | 23 | 34 | 57 | 84 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 60 | 20 | 32 | 52 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 19 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 15 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 8 | ||
| 2007–08 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 82 | 13 | 25 | 38 | 38 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 2008–09 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 82 | 15 | 25 | 40 | 69 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | ||
| 2009–10 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 51 | 10 | 17 | 27 | 28 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 2010–11 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 79 | 13 | 17 | 30 | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 82 | 17 | 27 | 44 | 34 | 24 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 18 | ||
| 2012–13 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 22 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 82 | 13 | 13 | 26 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 74 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 50 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 20 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | ||
| NHL totals | 1,293 | 228 | 363 | 591 | 791 | 106 | 12 | 25 | 37 | 78 | ||||
International Play Statistics
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Russia | WCH | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| 2005 | Lithuania | WC D1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2014 | Lithuania | WC D1B | 5 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 4 | |
| 2018 | Lithuania | WC D1B | 5 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2019 | Lithuania | WC D1A | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| Tier I senior totals | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |||
| Tier II senior totals | 19 | 6 | 14 | 20 | 12 | |||
See Also
- List of NHL players with 1,000 games played
