James Wisniewski facts for kids
Quick facts for kids James Wisniewski |
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Wisniewski with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013
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| Born | February 21, 1984 Canton, Michigan, U.S. |
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| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 203 lb (92 kg; 14 st 7 lb) | ||
| Position | Defense | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | Chicago Blackhawks Anaheim Ducks New York Islanders Montreal Canadiens Columbus Blue Jackets Carolina Hurricanes Admiral Vladivostok Kassel Huskies |
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| National team |  United States |
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| NHL Draft | 156th overall, 2002 Chicago Blackhawks |
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| Playing career | 2004–2018 | ||
James Joseph Wisniewski (born February 21, 1984) is an American former professional ice hockey player. He played as a defenseman, which is a player who helps protect their team's goal. James played for many teams in the National Hockey League (NHL), including the Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets. He also played in Germany for the Kassel Huskies.
Playing Career Highlights
Starting in Junior Hockey
James Wisniewski began his hockey journey playing in youth tournaments. He started his junior ice hockey career with the Plymouth Whalers in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in 2000. He got better each year.
In 2002, the Chicago Blackhawks picked him in the NHL Draft. He was the 156th player chosen overall. By the 2003–04 season, he was named captain of the Whalers. That year, he scored 17 goals and had 70 points, which was a lot for a defenseman.
For his great play, James won the Max Kaminsky Trophy in 2004. This award goes to the best defenseman in the OHL. He also won the Canadian Hockey League (CHL)'s Defenseman of the Year award. These awards helped him get a contract with the Blackhawks.
Time in the NHL
James joined the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2006–07 season. He played well, but then he got a serious knee injury in March 2007. This injury made him miss the rest of that season.
Moving to Anaheim
In 2009, James was traded to the Anaheim Ducks. He became a key player on their defense. In the 2009–10 season, he scored a career-high 30 points. During this time, he received an eight-game suspension for a dangerous play against a former teammate.
Playing for Islanders and Canadiens
In 2010, James was traded to the New York Islanders. Early in the 2010–11 season, he was suspended for two games for inappropriate behavior on the ice.
Later in 2010, he was traded again, this time to the Montreal Canadiens. He played well for the Canadiens, scoring seven goals and adding 23 assists in 43 games.
Years with Columbus Blue Jackets
In 2011, James joined the Columbus Blue Jackets. He signed a big six-year contract with them. In September 2011, he was suspended for eight regular season games for a dangerous play.
Despite some injuries, James played an important role for the Blue Jackets. In the 2013–14 season, he had his best year, scoring seven goals and a career-high 51 points. This helped the Blue Jackets make it to the playoffs for the first time in a while.
Return to Anaheim and Carolina
In 2015, James was traded back to the Anaheim Ducks. However, his second time with the Ducks was short. He was then traded to the Carolina Hurricanes.
In his very first game with the Hurricanes in the 2015–16 season, James suffered another serious knee injury after playing for less than a minute. This injury ended his season. He was later released from his contract with the Hurricanes.
Playing Abroad
After his time in the NHL, James played hockey in other countries. In the 2016–17 season, he played for Admiral Vladivostok in Russia. He also played in Switzerland for HC Lugano in a tournament called the Spengler Cup. He helped his team reach the final and was named to the tournament's all-star team.
Later, he played for the Chicago Wolves in the AHL before moving to Germany. He signed with the Kassel Huskies in 2017, where he played until 2018.
Personal Life
James Wisniewski went to Canton High School in Canton, Michigan.
He is married to Nicole, and they have two daughters. James also started his own clothing line called WizWear. He uses his clothing line to support the USO of Illinois, which helps the families of soldiers. Both of his grandfathers fought in World War II.
James is also the nephew of Billy Dea, who was a former NHL player and coach.
Career Statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1999–2000 | Detroit Compuware Ambassadors | NAHL | 50 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 67 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 2000–01 | Plymouth Whalers | OHL | 53 | 6 | 23 | 29 | 72 | 19 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 34 | ||
| 2001–02 | Plymouth Whalers | OHL | 62 | 11 | 25 | 36 | 100 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 2002–03 | Plymouth Whalers | OHL | 52 | 18 | 34 | 52 | 60 | 18 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 14 | ||
| 2003–04 | Plymouth Whalers | OHL | 50 | 17 | 53 | 70 | 63 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 8 | ||
| 2004–05 | Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 66 | 7 | 18 | 25 | 110 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2005–06 | Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 61 | 7 | 28 | 35 | 67 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 2005–06 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 19 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 10 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 50 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 68 | 7 | 19 | 26 | 103 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Rockford IceHogs | AHL | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 31 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 17 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 16 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 | ||
| 2009–10 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 69 | 3 | 27 | 30 | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | New York Islanders | NHL | 32 | 3 | 18 | 21 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 43 | 7 | 23 | 30 | 20 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | ||
| 2011–12 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 48 | 6 | 21 | 27 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 30 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 75 | 7 | 44 | 51 | 61 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | ||
| 2014–15 | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL | 56 | 8 | 21 | 29 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 13 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Admiral Vladivostok | KHL | 16 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Chicago Wolves | AHL | 21 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 30 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | Kassel Huskies | DEL2 | 33 | 9 | 35 | 44 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 552 | 53 | 221 | 274 | 459 | 24 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 27 | ||||
International Play
 Wisniewski at the 2008 IIHF World Championship |
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing United States |
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| Ice hockey | ||
| World Junior Championships | ||
| Gold | 2004 Helsinki | |
| World U18 Championships | ||
| Gold | 2002 Trnava | |
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | United States | WJC18 |  |
3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |
| 2003 | United States | WJC | 4th | 7 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | |
| 2004 | United States | WJC | |
6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | |
| 2008 | United States | WC | 6th | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |
| 2018 | United States | OG | 7th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 16 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 16 | ||||
| Senior totals | 11 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | ||||
Awards and Achievements
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| OHL | ||
| First All-Rookie Team | 2001 | |
| CHL Top Prospects Game | 2002 | |
| First All-Star Team | 2004 | |
| Max Kaminsky Trophy (Best Defenseman) | 2004 | |
| CHL First All-Star Team | 2004 | |
| CHL Defenseman of the Year | 2004 | |
