Mike Komisarek
Encyclopedia
Michael Komisarek is an American
professional ice hockey
defenseman and an alternate captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
of the National Hockey League
(NHL).
, New York
, starting off in the Suffolk PAL organization. He played two years of Varsity hockey at St. Anthony's High School (New York). He then played for the New England
Jr. Coyotes of the Eastern Junior Hockey League
(EJHL) under legendary coach Gary Dineen
. He was then picked up by USA Hockey's National Team Development Program
. He is a student of the respected Lithuanian hockey coach Aleksey Nikiforov
.
, piling up 46 points and 145 penalty minutes in 80 games. He helped the Wolverines to a 55-24-10 mark, a CCHA title and two trips to the NCAA Frozen Four. One of his teammates was fellow Long Islander Eric Nystrom
, who was drafted by the Calgary Flames
.
by the Montreal Canadiens
. He played his first NHL game in the 2002–03 season with the Canadiens. He re-signed with the Canadiens in 2007 for a 2 year contract for 3.4 million dollars, along with his friend Christopher Higgins
, who is also from Long Island.
Komisarek scored his first NHL goal, vs the Washington Capitals
on March 20, 2006, where he was named the first star of the game. His willingness to stand up for his teammates and his hard-hitting style made him a fan favourite in the Bell Centre.
In July 2009, Komisarek signed a 5-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs
, averaging $4.5 million per season. On January 2, 2010, Komisarek injured his shoulder in a game against the Calgary Flames
, and on February 3, 2010, it was revealed he would require season-ending surgery. This also meant Komisarek would miss the 2010 Winter Olympics
, as he was chosen to represent Team USA.
. Roman Komisarek left his wife Kathy behind in Poland until he could earn enough to afford an apartment and support her. Speaking of his parents' move to the U.S., Komisarek stated that, "At that time, my parents knew they wanted to start a family and give me and my sister a better opportunity. [...](My father) moved to Brooklyn, found a job and didn't know the language at all. He just had the clothes on his back. Now, we have a nice home on Long Island, and my parents provided everything we ever needed. I always carried that with me. I always wanted to make them proud." Komisarek also has a sister named Joanne, who is two years younger than he is. His sister is a graduate of Boston College
. He also speaks Polish
.
Komisarek's mother, Kathy, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
in January 2005 and died in November 2005. She was 51.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional ice hockey
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...
defenseman and an alternate captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
of 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...
(NHL).
Amateur years
Komisarek began playing competitively on Long IslandLong Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, starting off in the Suffolk PAL organization. He played two years of Varsity hockey at St. Anthony's High School (New York). He then played for the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
Jr. Coyotes of the Eastern Junior Hockey League
Eastern Junior Hockey League
The Eastern Junior Hockey League is an American Tier III Junior A ice hockey league. Founded in 1993 by Dan Esdale, the EJHL has fourteen teams from across the Northeastern United States. The EJHL is a member of USA Hockey, and the EJHL champion goes on to play for the National Championship...
(EJHL) under legendary coach Gary Dineen
Gary Dineen
Daniel Patrick "Gary" Dineen was a former Canadian Olympian, career minor league hockey player who played four games for the Minnesota North Stars of the NHL, and best known as a top developer of hockey talent in the Springfield area...
. He was then picked up by USA Hockey's National Team Development Program
USA Hockey
USA Hockey is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for amateur ice hockey in the United States and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. The organization is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and has...
. He is a student of the respected Lithuanian hockey coach Aleksey Nikiforov
Aleksey Nikiforov
Aleksey Nikiforov is a former professional hockey player for the Dynamo Riga team of the Russian Elite League. He is the father of New York Islanders prospect Vladimir Nikiforov...
.
College career
Komisarek played two seasons at the University of MichiganMichigan Wolverines men's ice hockey
The Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team that represents the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Earning varsity status in 1922, the program is competing in its 90th season...
, piling up 46 points and 145 penalty minutes in 80 games. He helped the Wolverines to a 55-24-10 mark, a CCHA title and two trips to the NCAA Frozen Four. One of his teammates was fellow Long Islander Eric Nystrom
Eric Nystrom
Eric Nystrom is an American ice hockey left winger for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League . He was a first round selection by the Flames, 10th overall, in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. In addition to the Flames, Nystrom was a member of the Minnesota Wild before joining the Stars...
, who was drafted by the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
.
Professional career
After two seasons with the University of Michigan, Komisarek was selected seventh overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft2001 NHL Entry Draft
The 2001 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 23–24, 2001 at the National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, Florida.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:...
by the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
. He played his first NHL game in the 2002–03 season with the Canadiens. He re-signed with the Canadiens in 2007 for a 2 year contract for 3.4 million dollars, along with his friend Christopher Higgins
Christopher Higgins
Christopher Higgins is an American professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . While playing college hockey, he was selected 14th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft...
, who is also from Long Island.
Komisarek scored his first NHL goal, vs the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
on March 20, 2006, where he was named the first star of the game. His willingness to stand up for his teammates and his hard-hitting style made him a fan favourite in the Bell Centre.
In July 2009, Komisarek signed a 5-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, averaging $4.5 million per season. On January 2, 2010, Komisarek injured his shoulder in a game against the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
, and on February 3, 2010, it was revealed he would require season-ending surgery. This also meant Komisarek would miss the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
, as he was chosen to represent Team USA.
Personal life
Komisarek is of Polish descent. His father, Roman Komisarek, was 24 when he moved to the U.S., where he eventually opened an auto-body repair shop on Long IslandLong Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. Roman Komisarek left his wife Kathy behind in Poland until he could earn enough to afford an apartment and support her. Speaking of his parents' move to the U.S., Komisarek stated that, "At that time, my parents knew they wanted to start a family and give me and my sister a better opportunity. [...](My father) moved to Brooklyn, found a job and didn't know the language at all. He just had the clothes on his back. Now, we have a nice home on Long Island, and my parents provided everything we ever needed. I always carried that with me. I always wanted to make them proud." Komisarek also has a sister named Joanne, who is two years younger than he is. His sister is a graduate of Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
. He also speaks Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
.
Komisarek's mother, Kathy, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
in January 2005 and died in November 2005. She was 51.
Awards and achievements
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (2009)
- AHLAmerican Hockey LeagueThe 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...
All-Rookie Team (20032002–03 AHL seasonThe 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...
) - NCAA West First All-American Team (2002)
- CCHA First All-Star Team (2002)
- CCHA Best Defensive Defensemen (2002)
- CCHA All-Tournament Team (2002)
- CCHA All-Rookie Team (2001)
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 | ||
| 2000–01 | Michigan Wolverines Michigan Wolverines The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which... |
CCHA | 41 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 77 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Michigan Wolverines | CCHA | 39 | 11 | 19 | 30 | 68 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 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 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... |
56 | 5 | 25 | 30 | 79 | 23 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 60 | ||
| 2002–03 | Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
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... |
21 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 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.... |
Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 18 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 47 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 46 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 34 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||
| 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... |
Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 20 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 49 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 2005–06 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 73 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 116 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | ||
| 2006–07 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 80 | 4 | 15 | 19 | 116 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 75 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 101 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 18 | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 66 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 121 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 34 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 75 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 86 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 470 | 13 | 59 | 72 | 622 | 29 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 56 | ||||
International play
Played for the United States in:- 2000 World Junior Championships (Under 18)
- 2001 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
- 2002 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships2002 World Junior Ice Hockey ChampionshipsThe 2002 IIHF World U20 Championship, commonly referred as the 2002 World Junior Hockey Championships , was the 26th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships...
- 2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships2006 Men's World Ice Hockey ChampionshipsThe 2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships was the 70th such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Teams representing 45 countries participated in four levels of competition. The competition also served as qualifications for the 2007 competition...
International statistics
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | United States | WJC18 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 2001 | United States | WJC 2002 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 2002 IIHF World U20 Championship, commonly referred as the 2002 World Junior Hockey Championships , was the 26th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships... |
7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | United States | WJC | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 14 |
| 2006 | United States | WCh 2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships The 2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships was the 70th such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Teams representing 45 countries participated in four levels of competition. The competition also served as qualifications for the 2007 competition... |
7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |