Peter Budaj facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peter Budaj
Budaj with the Montreal Canadiens in 2013
Born	(1982-09-18) 18 September 1982 (age 42) Banská Bystrica, Czechoslovakia
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	196 lb (89 kg; 14 st 0 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Caught	Left
Played for	Colorado Avalanche Montreal Canadiens Los Angeles Kings< Tampa Bay Lightning
National team	Slovakia
NHL Draft	63rd overall, 2001 Colorado Avalanche
Playing career	2002–2019

Peter Budaj (born on September 18, 1982) is a former professional ice hockey goaltender from Slovakia. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for several teams. These include the Colorado Avalanche, who first picked him, the Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting with the Colorado Avalanche

Peter Budaj was chosen by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft as their first pick that year. He was the 63rd player picked overall. Before joining the Avalanche, he played for the Hershey Bears in the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Toronto St. Michael's Majors in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).

Budaj with the Avalanche in 2007.

In his first NHL season (2005–06), Peter played in 34 games. He was a backup goalie to other players. Over the next two seasons, he won 47 games. His first time playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs was in 2008. He stepped in during a game against the Detroit Red Wings.

Peter played his 100th NHL game on November 3, 2007. For the 2008–09 season, he became the main starting goalie for the Avalanche.

In 2009, Peter signed a new contract with the Avalanche. He started the 2009–10 season as a backup goalie. On April 1, 2011, Peter Budaj made history. He became the first Slovakian goalie to win 100 NHL games!

Time with the Montreal Canadiens

On July 1, 2011, Peter Budaj joined the Montreal Canadiens. He signed a two-year contract. During the 2012–13 season, he was the backup goalie to Carey Price. Peter played very well, with 8 wins in 13 games. Because of his good play, he signed another two-year contract with the Canadiens in 2013.

Moving to the Winnipeg Jets

In October 2014, Peter was traded to the Winnipeg Jets. However, he was then sent to the St. John's IceCaps. This team is the Jets' minor league affiliate in the AHL. Peter played for the IceCaps during the 2014–15 season.

Playing for the Los Angeles Kings

After leaving the Jets, Peter Budaj didn't have an NHL contract. In August 2015, he signed a try-out deal with the Los Angeles Kings. He later signed a one-year contract and was sent to the Ontario Reign. This is the Kings' AHL team.

Peter played very well for the Ontario Reign. He became their main goalie and helped them win their division. He also won the Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award as the best goalie in the AHL. In February 2016, he was called up to play for the Los Angeles Kings. He won his first game with them! He then signed another contract to stay with the Kings.

In the 2016–17 season, Peter was called up again by the Kings. Their starting goalie, Jonathan Quick, was injured. Peter became the main goalie for the Kings. He had a great season, winning 27 games and getting 7 shutouts (meaning he didn't let the other team score any goals).

Joining the Tampa Bay Lightning

In February 2017, Peter was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He played seven games with them that season. In June 2017, he signed a new two-year contract with the Lightning. He played eight games for them during the 2017–18 season. He also spent some time playing for the Syracuse Crunch.

Back with the Los Angeles Kings

In June 2018, Peter Budaj was traded back to the Los Angeles Kings. He was first sent to the Ontario Reign. But when Jonathan Quick got injured again, Peter was called back up to the NHL. He later returned to the AHL and finished his 17-year professional career there.

His Unique Goalie Masks

Peter Budaj is well-known for the cool designs on his goalie masks. He is a Christian, and he often had a picture of Ned Flanders on his masks. Ned Flanders is a religious character from the TV show The Simpsons.

• In 2008, Peter started wearing a mask with Altaïr from the video game Assassin's Creed.
• For the 2008–09 season, his mask featured a burgundy version of The Hulk.
• His 2009–10 mask showed his racing hero Valentino Rossi and still had Ned Flanders on the back.
• His 2013–14 mask had Ned Flanders and soccer star Lionel Messi.
• Ned Flanders continued to appear on his 2014–15 mask.
• Later, during the 2017–18 season, his Ned Flanders character was drawn as Thor.

Personal Life

Peter Budaj and his wife, Taylor, have two sons.

After he stopped playing hockey, Peter moved to Bozeman, Montana. He wanted to be closer to his wife's family. He started a company called Budaj Blockers, which trains goalies. He also worked as an assistant coach for the Montana State University Bobcats hockey team.

In 2021, Peter became a goalie development coach for the Colorado Avalanche team. In 2024, he joined the Anaheim Ducks as a goalie coach.

Awards and Honours