Miroslav Šatan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Miroslav Šatan |
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Šatan in 2010
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| Born | 22 October 1974 Jacovce, Czechoslovakia |
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| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
| Weight | 191 lb (87 kg; 13 st 9 lb) | ||
| Position | Right wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Dukla Trenčín Edmonton Oilers Buffalo Sabres Slovan Bratislava New York Islanders Pittsburgh Penguins Boston Bruins Dynamo Moscow |
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| National team |  Slovakia |
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| NHL Draft | 111th overall, 1993 Edmonton Oilers |
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| Playing career | 1992–2014 | ||
Miroslav Šatan (born 22 October 1974) is a former professional ice hockey player from Slovakia. He played as a right wing for 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He also played in the top leagues in Slovakia and Russia. In 2019, Šatan was honored by being added to the IIHF Hall of Fame.
Contents
Playing Career
Early Hockey Days
Miroslav Šatan started playing hockey in his hometown of Topoľčany, Slovakia. In the 1991–92 season, he played for the local team, HC Topoľčany, and scored many goals. When he turned 18, he joined Dukla Trenčín, a professional team in Slovakia. He played there for two seasons.
Joining the NHL
The Edmonton Oilers picked Šatan in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. This is when NHL teams choose young players to join their clubs. Before playing in the NHL, he showed his skills by scoring nine goals in eight games for the Slovakia at the 1994 Winter Olympic Games.
In 1994–95, Šatan played in some minor leagues. He even scored a winning goal in a special game against a team led by the famous player Wayne Gretzky.
Time with the Buffalo Sabres
After two seasons with the Oilers, Šatan was traded to the Buffalo Sabres. He became a star player for the Sabres, leading the team in scoring six times. During a time when the NHL season was paused (called a lockout), Šatan went back to Slovakia to play for Slovan Bratislava.
Playing for the New York Islanders
On August 3, 2005, Šatan signed with the New York Islanders. In his first season with them, he led the team in goals. He scored 35 goals, which was his best in years. Many of his goals came when his team had a "power play," meaning the other team had a player in the penalty box.
In December 2006, he scored his 300th career goal. He also reached 300 assists and 600 points in his career that season. Šatan had a long streak of playing in many games without missing any. He played 305 games in a row for the Islanders, which was one of the longest streaks at the time.
Winning the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh
On July 3, 2008, Šatan joined the Pittsburgh Penguins. During the 2008–09 season, he played in his 1,000th NHL game, which is a huge milestone for a hockey player. He was later sent to the Penguins' minor league team, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but he was called back to the main team for the playoffs.
Šatan played a key role in the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs. He helped the Penguins win their first Stanley Cup in many years. This was his first time winning the Stanley Cup!
Short Stays in Boston and Moscow
After winning the Stanley Cup, Šatan signed with the Boston Bruins in January 2010. He scored important goals for the Bruins, including a game-winning goal in overtime during the playoffs against his old team, the Buffalo Sabres.
In 2011, Šatan played for Dynamo Moscow in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in Russia.
Back to Slovakia and Retirement
In September 2011, Šatan returned to Slovakia to play for his former team, Slovan Bratislava. The next year, Slovan Bratislava joined the KHL, and Šatan was named team captain. He got a serious injury in a game in 2012, which made him wonder if he would ever play hockey again. However, he recovered and played in the 2013 IIHF World Championship.
Miroslav Šatan officially announced his retirement from professional ice hockey on May 20, 2014.
After Playing Hockey
Even after retiring, Šatan stayed involved in hockey. In 2015, he became the general manager for Team Europe for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. His team did very well, finishing second in the tournament.
In June 2019, he was chosen to be the President of the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation, which is the main organization for hockey in Slovakia.
Personal Life
Miroslav Šatan grew up in Topoľčany, Slovakia. He married his girlfriend, Ingrid, in 2004. They have a son named Miroslav Jr., who was born in 2006, and a daughter named Viktoria, born in 2009. His son, Miroslav Jr., also plays hockey and was recently drafted by the Washington Capitals in 2024.
Because Šatan's last name sounds like "Satan," people often made jokes about it during his career. For example, some sports websites used the number 666 in the web address for his player page. There was even a funny April Fool's joke that said he was traded to the New Jersey Devils team and became their captain!
Awards and Honors
- Slovak Extraliga champion (1994, 2012)
- NHL All-Star Game (2000, 2003)
- World Championships Best Forward, All-Star Team, and scoring leader (2000)
- World Championships gold medal (2002)
- Stanley Cup champion (2009)
- KHL All-Star Game (2014)
- Inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame (2019)
- Named to the IIHF All-Time Slovakia Team (2020)
Images for kids
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Šatan with the Pittsburgh Penguins
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With the Boston Bruins in 2010
See also
- List of NHL players with 1,000 games played
