Mike Bishai
Encyclopedia
Mike Bishai is a professional ice hockey
centre, who is currently a Free Agent
. He last played for Jokerit
in the Finnish SM-liiga
. Bishai was never drafted, but has played in the National Hockey League
with the Edmonton Oilers
.
, where he played four seasons. In 2001, Bishai led the Central Collegiate Hockey Association
in points, and led the NCAA in points per game. At the tale end of the 2001–02 season, Bishai signed with Edmonton and was assigned to their AHL
affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs
.
organization prior to the 2005–06
season and was assigned to an affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage
.
Bishai then joined Moscow Dynamo for the 2006–07 season. After playing in only 23 games with Moscow, Bishai left for the Finnish
SM-l
where he signed with Ilves Tampere for the 2007–08 season. After a successful season with Ilves, Mike then signed with rival team, Jokerit, for the 2008–09 season.
Bishai is most remembered for a fight on Atlanta Thrashers
player Serge Aubin
on February 11, 2004. The fight, during the brawl, was unbelievable because Aubin tossed Oilers rookie Mike Bishai into the Atlanta bench. Bishai got to his feet and continued to trade punches with Aubin, while stunned Thrashers looked on unsure what to do.
Oilers coach Craig MacTavish
commented on that fight and said, "...As many years as I've been in the game, I've never seen a guy fighting standing up in the opposition's bench...That's like diving into somebody else's foxhole."
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
centre, who is currently a Free Agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He last played for Jokerit
Jokerit
Jokerit is an ice-hockey team from Helsinki, Finland, playing in the Finnish Elite League, SM-liiga. The team has won 6 league championships...
in the Finnish SM-liiga
SM-liiga
The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice...
. Bishai was never drafted, but has played in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
with the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
.
Amateur career
Bishai played two seasons with the South Surrey Eagles in the BCHL, before moving on to Western Michigan UniversityWestern Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
, where he played four seasons. In 2001, Bishai led the Central Collegiate Hockey Association
Central Collegiate Hockey Association
The Central Collegiate Hockey Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey college athletic conference that operates mostly in Michigan and Ohio, although it also has members in Alaska and Indiana. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. It holds its championship...
in points, and led the NCAA in points per game. At the tale end of the 2001–02 season, Bishai signed with Edmonton and was assigned to their AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs
Hamilton Bulldogs
The Hamilton Bulldogs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, at Copps Coliseum, nicknamed 'The Dog Pound'. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens...
.
Professional career
Bishai played most of his Oiler career with affiliates in the AHL, but in the 2003–04 season, he made his NHL debut and played 14 games with the Oilers. Bishai signed with the Phoenix CoyotesPhoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
organization prior to the 2005–06
2005–06 AHL season
The 2005–06 AHL season was the 70th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup, defeating the Milwaukee Admirals in the finals....
season and was assigned to an affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage
San Antonio Rampage
The San Antonio Rampage are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League based in San Antonio, Texas. They are the top affiliate of the Florida Panthers of the NHL. Their home arena is the AT&T Center.-History:...
.
Bishai then joined Moscow Dynamo for the 2006–07 season. After playing in only 23 games with Moscow, Bishai left for the Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
SM-l
SM-liiga
The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice...
where he signed with Ilves Tampere for the 2007–08 season. After a successful season with Ilves, Mike then signed with rival team, Jokerit, for the 2008–09 season.
Bishai is most remembered for a fight on Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
player Serge Aubin
Serge Aubin
Serge Aubin is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently playing for the Hamburg Freezers in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga in Germany...
on February 11, 2004. The fight, during the brawl, was unbelievable because Aubin tossed Oilers rookie Mike Bishai into the Atlanta bench. Bishai got to his feet and continued to trade punches with Aubin, while stunned Thrashers looked on unsure what to do.
Oilers coach Craig MacTavish
Craig MacTavish
Craig "MacT" MacTavish is the current head coach of the American Hockey League Chicago Wolves and a former ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League. He played centre for 19 NHL seasons with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis...
commented on that fight and said, "...As many years as I've been in the game, I've never seen a guy fighting standing up in the opposition's bench...That's like diving into somebody else's foxhole."
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1996–97 | South Surrey Eagles | BCHL | 38 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | South Surrey Eagles | BCHL | 57 | 48 | 52 | 100 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Western Michigan University Western Michigan University Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045.... |
CCHA Central Collegiate Hockey Association The Central Collegiate Hockey Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey college athletic conference that operates mostly in Michigan and Ohio, although it also has members in Alaska and Indiana. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. It holds its championship... |
26 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Western Michigan University | CCHA | 35 | 18 | 19 | 37 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Western Michigan University | CCHA | 37 | 23 | 45 | 68 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Western Michigan University | CCHA | 34 | 10 | 27 | 37 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 2001–02 AHL season The 2001–02 AHL season was the 66th season of the American Hockey League. It was the season of the biggest growth in the AHL's history, as it accepted eight new teams. The demise of the International Hockey League brought six teams transferring from the defunct league, in addition to two expansion... |
Hamilton Bulldogs Hamilton Bulldogs The Hamilton Bulldogs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, at Copps Coliseum, nicknamed 'The Dog Pound'. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Columbus Cottonmouths Columbus Cottonmouths The Columbus Cottonmouths are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Georgia. The team is nicknamed the Snakes, and play their home games at the Columbus Civic Center.-Central Hockey League : 1996-2001:... |
ECHL ECHL The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States... |
25 | 12 | 17 | 29 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 2002–03 AHL season The 2002–03 AHL season was the 67th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs finished first overall in the regular season... |
Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 27 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2003–04 2003–04 AHL season The 2003–04 AHL season was the 68th season of the American Hockey League. The league introduces the Willie Marshall Award in honour the career points leader in the AHL, and awards it to the annual top goal scorer.... |
Toronto Roadrunners Toronto Roadrunners The Toronto Roadrunners were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the Ricoh Coliseum. In their only season the Roadrunners featured players such as Jani Rita, Jamie Wright and Steve Valiquette who helped them advance to the AHL playoffs where... |
AHL | 48 | 11 | 22 | 33 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2003–04 | Edmonton Oilers Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League .... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
14 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 2004–05 AHL season The 2004–05 AHL season was the 69th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished first overall in the regular season... |
Edmonton Roadrunners | AHL | 70 | 10 | 24 | 34 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 2005–06 AHL season The 2005–06 AHL season was the 70th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup, defeating the Milwaukee Admirals in the finals.... |
San Antonio Rampage San Antonio Rampage The San Antonio Rampage are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League based in San Antonio, Texas. They are the top affiliate of the Florida Panthers of the NHL. Their home arena is the AT&T Center.-History:... |
AHL | 66 | 13 | 18 | 31 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Moscow Dynamo | RSL Russian Superleague The Russian Superleague , commonly abbreviated as RSL, was the highest division of the main professional ice hockey league in Russia. It was considered the second best league in the world, after the National Hockey League of North America... |
23 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Ilves | SM-l SM-liiga The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice... |
49 | 13 | 28 | 41 | 18 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 39 | ||
| 2008–09 | Jokerit Jokerit Jokerit is an ice-hockey team from Helsinki, Finland, playing in the Finnish Elite League, SM-liiga. The team has won 6 league championships... |
SM-l | 18 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL Totals | 14 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||