Mark Streit facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mark Streit |
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Streit with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017
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| Born | 11 December 1977 Englisberg, Switzerland |
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| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Fribourg-Gottéron Davos ZSC Lions Montreal Canadiens New York Islanders SC Bern Philadelphia Flyers Pittsburgh Penguins |
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| National team | .svg){kind=small} Switzerland |
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| NHL Draft | 262nd overall, 2004 Montreal Canadiens |
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| Playing career | 1995–2017 | ||
Mark Thomas Streit (born December 11, 1977) is a Swiss former professional ice hockey player. He played as a defenceman, which is a player who helps protect the team's goal. Mark was the captain for both the New York Islanders and the Swiss national team. He was special because he could play both as a defenceman and sometimes as a forward, who focuses on scoring goals. Mark Streit was honored by being added to the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2020, which is a big deal in hockey!
Contents
Playing Career: Mark Streit's Hockey Journey
Starting in Switzerland
Mark Streit started his hockey career in Switzerland when he was 18 years old. He played for a team called Fribourg-Gottéron in the 1995–96 season. The next year, he moved to Davos. By his third season there, he was scoring more points, showing how much he was improving.
Even though he was playing well, no team in the National Hockey League (NHL) had chosen him in their draft yet. The draft is where teams pick young players. So, in the 1999–2000 season, Mark played in some smaller leagues in North America. He spent most of that time with the Springfield Falcons in the American Hockey League (AHL).
After this short time in North America, Mark went back to Switzerland. He played for five seasons with the ZSC Lions. He helped the ZSC Lions win a Swiss championship in 2001. They also won the IIHF Continental Cup twice in a row in 2001 and 2002. After a great season in 2003–04, where he scored 36 points, Mark was finally drafted by an NHL team. The Montreal Canadiens picked him in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He was 26 years old, which is older than most players when they get drafted.
The 2004–05 NHL season was canceled because of a lockout, which is when players and team owners can't agree on rules. So, Mark stayed with the ZSC Lions for one more season. He had his best year yet, scoring 43 points in 44 games.
Playing for the Montreal Canadiens
In the 2005–06 season, Mark Streit finally played his first game in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens. He played in 48 games and scored 11 points. On March 16, 2006, something special happened in a game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Mark played alongside two other Swiss players who were also in the NHL at the time. They were the Canadiens' goalie David Aebischer and the Hurricanes' goalie Martin Gerber.
Mark kept getting better in his second season, scoring 36 points. In his third season, the 2007–08 season, he became one of the best defencemen in the NHL. He finished third in scoring among all defencemen in the league with 62 points. Mark was also nominated for the Bill Masterton Trophy, an award for players who show great determination and love for hockey.
Time with the New York Islanders
After his amazing season, Mark Streit became a "free agent" on July 1, 2008. This means he could sign with any team he wanted. He signed a five-year contract with the New York Islanders. When he joined the Islanders, Mark became the second-highest paid Swiss athlete, right after the famous tennis player Roger Federer. In his first season with the Islanders, Mark was chosen to play in his first NHL All-Star Game in 2009. He even led the Islanders in scoring that year with 56 points! This was a rare achievement for a defenceman.
On September 25, 2010, Mark had a serious shoulder injury during practice. He had to miss the entire 2010–11 season because of it.
But Mark came back strong! On September 21, 2011, the Islanders made him their team captain. This was a historic moment because he was the first Swiss-born player to be a captain in the NHL.
During another NHL lockout in 2012–13, Mark played for SC Bern back in Switzerland.
Joining the Philadelphia Flyers
Mark Streit was set to become a free agent again in the summer of 2013. But before that happened, his rights were traded from the Islanders to the Philadelphia Flyers on June 12, 2013. This meant the Flyers could try to sign him. After some talks, Mark signed a four-year contract with the Flyers. The Flyers' general manager, Paul Holmgren, was very happy. He said Mark was a great addition because he could help the team score goals and move the puck up the ice. Mark started the 2013–14 season with the Flyers. He finished the season with 44 points in 82 games. The Flyers made it to the playoffs that year.
After the 2013–14 season, Mark was named an alternate captain for the Flyers. This means he was one of the team leaders. When a teammate got injured, Mark took on an even bigger role in helping the team score on power plays. He had a fantastic season, scoring 52 points. He was recognized for his great play, winning the Barry Ashbee Trophy as the team's best defenceman and the Yanick Dupre Memorial Class Guy Award for being a great teammate.
The 2014–15 season was his best with the Flyers. His next two seasons were tougher because of injuries. In the 2015–16 season, he had a pelvic injury and needed surgery. He missed 19 games but came back to play. He played his 700th NHL game on March 7. Mark and the Flyers made it to the playoffs again that year.
Mark returned for what would be his last season with the Flyers. He started the 2016–17 season well, helping the Flyers win nine games in a row. But he suffered another upper-body injury in December.
Winning the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins
On March 1, 2017, Mark Streit was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. But then, just hours later, the Lightning traded him again to the Pittsburgh Penguins! Mark played 19 games for the Penguins and helped them reach the playoffs. He didn't play in the first two rounds of the playoffs, but he made his debut in the third round. As other players got injured, Mark stayed in the lineup. He helped the Penguins win the Stanley Cup, which is the biggest trophy in hockey! They beat the Nashville Predators in the finals.
Back to Montreal and Retirement
On July 25, 2017, Mark signed a one-year contract to return to the Montreal Canadiens. But after only four games, the Canadiens put him on waivers. This means other teams could claim him. No team claimed him, but Mark decided not to play for the Canadiens' minor league team. So, on October 15, his contract with the Canadiens was ended.
On October 30, 2017, Mark Streit announced that he was retiring from professional hockey after 12 seasons in the NHL.
International Play: Representing Switzerland
Mark Streit first played for his country, Switzerland, at the 1995 European Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He then played in two World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in 1996 and 1997.
In 1998, Mark played in his first of ten straight World Ice Hockey Championships. Switzerland hosted the event that year and finished in a surprising fourth place. Mark had his best international tournament in 2005, scoring seven points.
Mark also played in his first Winter Olympics in 2002 in Salt Lake City. Switzerland finished 11th.
At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Mark was named the team captain for Switzerland. The team did very well, finishing sixth. They even beat strong teams like the Czech Republic and Canada in their early games! Mark scored the winning goal against the Czechs. Two days later, he helped with a goal in a big 2–0 win against Canada. After beating Canada, Mark said he never thought they could do it. In the quarter-finals, Switzerland lost to Sweden.
Off the Ice
Mark Streit is married to Fabienne, and they have one daughter.
Mark was featured on the front cover of the Swiss versions of the NHL video games from NHL 08 to NHL 11.
