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Michal Handzuš
Michal Handzus.JPG
Handzuš with the Los Angeles Kings in 2009
Born (1977-03-11) 11 March 1977 (age 48)
Banská Bystrica, Czechoslovakia
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 219 lb (99 kg; 15 st 9 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for HC ’05 Banská Bystrica
HK Poprad
St. Louis Blues
Phoenix Coyotes
Philadelphia Flyers
HKm Zvolen
Chicago Blackhawks
Los Angeles Kings
San Jose Sharks
National team Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovakia
NHL Draft 101st overall, 1995
St. Louis Blues
Playing career 1995–2017

Michal Handzuš (born March 11, 1977) is a former professional ice hockey player from Slovakia. He played as a centre, which is a forward position in the middle of the ice.

Handzuš started his career with his hometown club, HC ’05 Banská Bystrica, in Slovakia. Later, he joined the National Hockey League (NHL) in 1998. He played for several NHL teams, including the St. Louis Blues, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, and the Chicago Blackhawks. He achieved a major victory with the Blackhawks, winning the Stanley Cup in 2013.

Michal Handzuš also proudly represented Slovakia in many international ice hockey tournaments. These included the 2002, 2010, and 2014 Winter Olympics.

Hockey Journey: Playing Career

Early Days and NHL Draft

Michal Handzuš, often called "Zeus" by his teammates, showed his talent early. In 1991, he played in the famous Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a youth team from Poprad, Slovakia.

In 1995, he was chosen by the St. Louis Blues in the NHL Entry Draft. This is where NHL teams pick young players to join their clubs. Handzuš was the 101st player picked that year. He played for the Blues for two and a half seasons, starting in 1998. He was part of a special line with Pavol Demitra and Ľuboš Bartečko, known as the "Slovak Pack" line. In the 1999 season, he was almost named the NHL's best defensive forward, finishing second for the Frank J. Selke Trophy.

Moving Teams and Big Moments

Handzuš moved to the Phoenix Coyotes in 2001 and played there for two seasons. In 2002, he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers. A cool moment happened on December 5, 2002, when he scored a rare penalty shot goal in overtime. He was only the second player in NHL history to do this! In the 2003 season, he was one of the top scorers for the Flyers.

During the 2004–05 NHL season, when there was a break in the NHL, Handzuš played for HKm Zvolen in Slovakia. His team made it to the playoff finals.

In 2006, Handzuš joined the Chicago Blackhawks. However, he got a serious knee injury (a torn ACL) early in the season, which kept him from playing for the rest of the year.

Time with the Kings and Sharks

After his injury, Handzuš signed a four-year contract with the Los Angeles Kings in 2007. He played many games for them, showing his skill as a reliable centre.

In 2011, he signed with the San Jose Sharks. During the 2012–13 NHL season, which was shorter than usual, Handzuš was traded back to the Chicago Blackhawks in April 2013.

Michal Handzus Blackhawks
Handzuš with the Chicago Blackhawks in October 2013

Stanley Cup Champion

On June 24, 2013, Michal Handzuš and the Chicago Blackhawks won the ultimate prize in hockey: the Stanley Cup! They defeated the Boston Bruins in an exciting Game 6. This was a huge achievement in his career.

After winning the Cup, Handzuš signed another one-year contract to stay with the Blackhawks. On March 19, 2014, he played in his 1,000th career NHL game, which is a very impressive milestone for any hockey player.

In May 2014, during the playoffs, Handzuš scored a game-winning goal in double-overtime against the Los Angeles Kings. Even though the Blackhawks were later eliminated, it was a memorable moment. After that season, the Blackhawks decided not to re-sign him, and he became a free agent.

Life After Playing: Management Career

After retiring from playing hockey, Michal Handzuš joined the leadership of the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation. This organization manages hockey in Slovakia. However, in September 2022, he decided to leave his position. He resigned because the organization chose to let national team members play in the KHL, even though there was an ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Handzuš stated that it was a "fundamental value issue" for him, meaning it went against his strong beliefs.

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1993–94 ŠK Iskra Banská Bystrica SVK U20 40 23 36 59
1994–95 ŠK Iskra Banská Bystrica SVK-2 22 15 14 29 10
1995–96 Iskra Zlatý Bažant Banská Bystrica SVK U20 6 6 7 13 4
1995–96 Iskra Zlatý Bažant Banská Bystrica SVK 19 3 1 4 8
1996–97 HC ŠKP PS Poprad SVK 44 15 18 33 24
1997–98 Worcester IceCats AHL 69 27 36 63 54 11 2 6 8 10
1998–99 St. Louis Blues NHL 66 4 12 16 30 11 0 2 2 8
1999–00 St. Louis Blues NHL 82 25 28 53 44 7 0 3 3 6
2000–01 St. Louis Blues NHL 36 10 14 24 12
2000–01 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 10 4 4 8 21
2001–02 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 79 15 30 45 34 5 0 0 0 2
2002–03 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 82 23 21 44 46 13 2 6 8 6
2003–04 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 82 20 38 58 82 18 5 5 10 10
2004–05 HKm Zvolen SVK 33 14 24 38 34
2005–06 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 73 11 33 44 38 6 0 2 2 2
2006–07 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 8 3 5 8 6
2007–08 Los Angeles Kings NHL 82 7 14 21 45
2008–09 Los Angeles Kings NHL 82 18 24 42 32
2009–10 Los Angeles Kings NHL 81 20 22 42 38 6 3 2 5 4
2010–11 Los Angeles Kings NHL 82 12 18 30 20 6 1 1 2 0
2011–12 San Jose Sharks NHL 67 7 17 24 18 2 0 0 0 0
2012–13 HC '05 Banská Bystrica SVK 15 9 10 19 22
2012–13 San Jose Sharks NHL 28 1 1 2 12
2012–13 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 11 1 5 6 4 23 3 8 11 6
2013–14 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 59 4 12 16 16 19 2 1 3 8
2014–15 HC '05 Banská Bystrica SVK 22 7 11 18 16 18 3 9 12 2
2015–16 HC '05 Banská Bystrica SVK 40 12 16 28 36 15 1 6 7 12
2016–17 HC '05 Banská Bystrica SVK 10 1 5 6 27 15 4 6 10 4
SVK totals 183 61 85 146 167 64 13 31 44 24
NHL totals 1,009 185 298 483 498 116 16 30 46 52
Henrik Sedin Michal Handzus 2010 oly.jpg
Handzuš (left) is knocked down by Swedish centre Henrik Sedin during the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Medal record
Representing Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovakia
Ice hockey
World Championships
Gold 2002 Sweden
Silver 2000 Russia
Silver 2012 Finland/Sweden

International Play

Year Team Event   GP G A Pts PIM
1995 Slovakia EJC B 5 5 3 8 4
1996 Slovakia WJC 6 0 3 3 2
1997 Slovakia WJC 6 2 4 6 2
2000 Slovakia WC 6 1 4 5 4
2002 Slovakia OG 2 1 0 1 6
2002 Slovakia WC 6 1 4 5 4
2005 Slovakia WC 7 3 0 3 2
2009 Slovakia WC 6 0 4 4 6
2010 Slovakia OG 7 3 3 6 0
2011 Slovakia WC 5 0 2 2 0
2012 Slovakia WC 8 2 5 7 0
2014 Slovakia OG 4 0 2 2 0
Junior totals 17 7 10 17 8
Senior totals 51 11 24 35 22

Awards and Achievements

Here are some of the awards and achievements Michal Handzuš earned during his career:

Award Year(s)
AHL Player of the Week 5 April 1998
Slovak Extraliga All-Stars Team 2004–05
IIHF World Championship Medal Gold: 2002, Silver: 2000, 2012
Stanley Cup champion 2013

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Michal Handzuš para niños

  • Slovaks in the NHL
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