Marián Gáborík facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marián Gáborík
Gáborík with the Minnesota Wild in 2009.
Born	(1982-02-14) 14 February 1982 (age 43) Trenčín, Czechoslovakia
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	201 lb (91 kg; 14 st 5 lb)
Position	Left wing
Shot	Left
Played for	Dukla Trenčín Minnesota Wild Färjestad BK New York Rangers Columbus Blue Jackets Los Angeles Kings Ottawa Senators
National team	Slovakia
NHL Draft	3rd overall, 2000 Minnesota Wild
Playing career	1998–2018

Marián Gáborík (born 14 February 1982) is a former professional ice hockey player from Slovakia. He played as a right winger. Marián started his career in Slovakia with Dukla Trenčín. He was then picked third overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota Wild. This made him the highest-drafted Slovak player in National Hockey League (NHL) history for a long time. He even scored the Wild's first-ever regular season goal!

Gáborík played for the Wild for eight seasons, from 2000 to 2009. After that, he joined the New York Rangers in 2009. He also played for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings, and Ottawa Senators in the NHL. He retired in 2018. A big moment in his career was winning the Stanley Cup with the Kings in 2014. They beat his old team, the Rangers, in the finals.

Marián also played for his home country, Slovakia, in two Olympic Games. He won a bronze medal at the 1999 World Junior Championships.

Marián Gáborík's Hockey Journey

Starting in Slovakia (1998–2000)

Marián Gáborík began his hockey journey with Dukla Trenčín's junior team. In the 1997–98 season, he scored 59 points in 36 games. That same year, he played his first professional game in the Slovak Extraliga and even scored a goal!

The next season, 1998–99, he joined Dukla Trenčín's main team full-time. He scored 20 points in 33 games as a rookie. In his draft year, 1999–2000, he got even better, scoring 46 points in 50 games.

Becoming a Minnesota Wild Star (2000–2009)

The Minnesota Wild picked Marián Gáborík as their very first draft pick. He was chosen third overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. He quickly showed how good he was in his first season. He scored the team's first regular season goal and finished with 18 goals and 36 points.

In his second season, 2001–02, he scored 30 goals for the first time. He almost doubled his points from his rookie year, getting 67 points. He also scored his first hat-trick (three goals in one game) in November 2001. In 2002–03, Gáborík was picked for his first NHL All-Star Game. He even won the fastest skater competition! He scored 30 goals again and helped the Wild reach the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time. They made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals.

Gáborík saluting the crowd after scoring five goals in a game in 2007.

Marián had some injury problems and missed games in later seasons. But he kept scoring goals. On December 20, 2007, he had an amazing game against the New York Rangers. He scored five goals and added an assist, giving him six points in total! This was the first time a Wild player scored five goals in one game. It was also the first time any NHL player did it in 11 years. He ended that season with his best numbers: 42 goals, 41 assists, and 83 points. He was even chosen as a team captain for a month in March 2008.

In his last year with the Wild, 2008–09, he had hip surgery. He played only 17 games that season. Marián left the Wild in 2009 after eight seasons. He was the last player from the original team and the Wild's all-time leader in goals, assists, and points at that time.

Joining the New York Rangers (2009–2013)

On July 1, 2009, Marián Gáborík signed with the New York Rangers as a free agent. He signed a five-year contract. He started strong with his new team, scoring 10 goals in his first 12 games.

Gáborík playing for the Rangers in 2011.

Even though the Rangers missed the playoffs in 2010, Gáborík had a great first season. He played 76 games, scoring 42 goals (matching his career high) and setting a new career high with 86 points. His second season with the Rangers, 2010–11, was affected by injuries. But he still had some big games, like scoring four goals and an assist in a 7–0 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Rangers made the playoffs that year.

In 2012, Marián was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 59th National Hockey League All-Star Game in Ottawa. On May 3, 2012, he scored a game-winning goal in triple-overtime against the Washington Capitals. This was one of the longest playoff games in Rangers history!

Time with Columbus and Los Angeles (2013–2018)

In 2013, Gáborík was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He quickly made an impact, scoring a game-winning goal in his first game with them. However, he faced more injuries during his time in Columbus.

Gáborík with the Blue Jackets in 2013.

On March 5, 2014, Marián was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. This trade was a great move for the Kings! Gáborík led the playoffs with 14 goals. He helped the Kings win their second Stanley Cup in three years, beating his old team, the New York Rangers, in the finals.

After winning the Stanley Cup, Gáborík signed a new contract to stay with the Kings. He continued to play for them, but injuries started to affect his performance more often. On December 15, 2017, he played his 1,000th career NHL game, which is a huge milestone!

Two months later, in February 2018, Gáborík was traded to the Ottawa Senators. He had surgery for a back injury in April 2018. The 2017–18 season turned out to be his last. He officially announced his retirement from the NHL on November 4, 2021.

Giving Back to Hockey

Marián Gáborík has used his success to help ice hockey in Slovakia. In 2005, he opened his own ice rink called Arena Mariána Gáboríka in his hometown of Trenčín. He paid for it himself, costing about 50 million Slovak koruna (Slovak currency at the time).

The ice rink helps local young people learn to skate and play hockey. It also has a fitness center and places for participants to stay overnight. The rink was even named the "2005 Construction of the Year" in Trenčín. Since 2009, Gáborík's rink has also offered a hockey school program.

Marián said that the arena was a dream come true for him. He wanted to help other boys and girls achieve their sports dreams, just like he did. He spends a lot of his personal time at the rink during the off-season. He meets the campers at his hockey school's summer camps and takes photos with them.

Gáborík also started the Marian Gaborik Foundation. This foundation also helps support youth hockey in Slovakia.

Career Highlights

Marián Gáborík played in 1,035 NHL games. He scored 407 goals and had 408 assists, for a total of 815 points. In the playoffs, he played 84 games, scoring 32 goals and 26 assists for 58 points. He was a key player for the teams he played for, especially during the Kings' Stanley Cup win in 2014, where he led the playoffs in goals.

Awards and Honors

Images for kids

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  Gáborík playing for Slovakia at the 2010 Winter Olympics.