Branko Radivojevič Explained

Position:Right Wing
Shoots:Right
Height Ft:6
Height In:0
Weight Lb:208
Ntl Team:SVK
Birth Date:24 November 1980
Birth Place:Piešťany, Czechoslovakia
Career Start:1998
Career End:2019
Draft:93rd overall
Draft Year:1999
Draft Team:Colorado Avalanche
Played For:HK Dukla Trenčín
Phoenix Coyotes
Philadelphia Flyers
Minnesota Wild
Atlant Moscow Oblast
Spartak Moscow
Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk
Slovan Bratislava
HC Bílí Tygři Liberec

Branko Radivojevič (Serbian: Бранко Радивојевић / Serbian: Branko Radivojević; born 24 November 1980) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey forward who began and finished his career playing for HK Dukla Trenčín of the Slovak Extraliga (Slovak). He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers and Minnesota Wild. His father Matija, a Bosnian Serb, came to Czechoslovakia during the 1970s as a contractor of a Yugoslavian company.

Playing career

Drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in 1999, Radivojevič signed a 3-year deal with the Phoenix Coyotes on June 19, 2001 and played parts of the next three seasons there. Part of a mid-season trade in 2003–04, he was sent to the Philadelphia Flyers along with Sean Burke and the rights to Ben Eager for Mike Comrie. After 2005–06, the Flyers declined to tender him a qualifying offer, thus making him an unrestricted free agent. He signed with the Minnesota Wild as an unrestricted free agent on July 6, 2006. After a couple seasons with the Wild, he opted to go to the KHL.[1]

After two years with the Wild, Radivojevič signed with Spartak Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).[2] In the 2008–09 season Branko established himself as an offensive presence with Spartak, leading the team in scoring with 45 points in 49 games. He was re-signed to a further two-year contract with Spartak on December 23, 2009.[3]

After three seasons with Spartak (during the last one he was the captain of the team) Branko decided to change the team. After some arguments with Spartak's management his contract was terminated and Branko signed with Atlant Moscow Oblast.[4] After spending only one season with Atlant (2011–2012) he returned to Spartak.[2] For 2013-14 season he signed with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, but changed the team during the season for Slovan Bratislava.

In the 2014–15 season, Radivojevic returned to his original hometown club in HK Dukla Trenčín of the Slovak Extraliga. However, after just 12 games he left for the Czech Extraliga, signing for the remainder of the season with HC Bílí Tygři Liberec on October 14, 2014.

Returning for a third stint with Dukla, Radivojevic played the final two seasons of his 21-year career before announcing his retirement upon the conclusion of the 2018–19 season on March 20, 2019.[5]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
1995–96Dukla TrenčínSVK U184523325574
1996–97Dukla TrenčínSVK U185341387956
1997–98Dukla TrenčínSVK U205230316150
1997–98Dukla TrenčínSlovak10002
1998–99Belleville BullsOHL6820385861217172418
1999–2000Belleville BullsOHL592349728616581332
2000–01Belleville BullsOHL61347010477106101618
2001–02Springfield FalconsAHL6218213964
2001–02Phoenix CoyotesNHL18426410002
2002–03Phoenix CoyotesNHL7912152763
2003–04Phoenix CoyotesNHL539142336
2003–04Philadelphia FlyersNHL24189361811232
2004–05Vsetínská hokejováELH3171118114
2004–05Luleå HFSEL1064118400044
2005–06Philadelphia FlyersNHL6486144451010
2006–07Minnesota WildNHL821113242150002
2007–08Minnesota WildNHL73710174820000
2008–09Spartak MoscowKHL491726438662136
2009–10Spartak MoscowKHL56183755115905533
2010–11Spartak MoscowKHL54723305142352
2011–12Atlant Moscow OblastKHL4372027241252710
2012–13Spartak MoscowKHL504172123
2013–14Neftekhimik NizhnekamskKHL142132
2013–14Slovan BratislavaKHL3135822
2014–15Dukla TrenčínSlovak1256110
2014–15HC Bílí Tygři LiberecELH376152136
2015–16HC Bílí Tygři LiberecELH511526417114512176
2016–17HC Bílí Tygři LiberecELH52924332016461010
2017–18Dukla TrenčínSlovak451629454917891736
2018–19Dukla TrenčínSlovak561330434440224
2019–20Dukla TrenčínSlovak21012
NHL totals39352681202523121336
KHL totals29758129187323319112051

International

YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
1998SlovakiaEJC6th60004
2000SlovakiaWJC9th70004
2003SlovakiaWC92138
2004SlovakiaWCH7th40112
2007SlovakiaWC6th72136
2009SlovakiaWC10th60114
2010SlovakiaOG4th70006
2011SlovakiaWC10th60116
2012SlovakiaWC104482
2013SlovakiaWC8th83252
2014SlovakiaOG11th40000
Junior totals130008
Senior totals6111112236

Awards and honours

AwardYear
OHL
First All-Star Team2001
Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy2001
NHL
YoungStars Game2003
Slovak Extraliga
Playoffs MVP2018

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Wild signs free agent Radivojevic . . 2006-07-06 . 2010-05-30.
  2. Web site: http://www.spartak.ru/press/news/item8868/. ru:Радивоевич возвращается!. HC Spartak Moscow. 2012-05-02. 2012-05-02. Russian. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120521200203/http://www.spartak.ru/press/news/item8868/. 2012-05-21.
  3. Web site: Spartak extend Radivojevič contract. hockey.cz. 2009-12-23. 2010-05-30. Czech. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100626213803/http://www.hokej.cz/index.php?lng=CZ&view=priklepy&webid=0. 2010-06-26.
  4. Web site: http://www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=531612. ru:Экс-капитан "Спартака" перебрался в "Атлант". Vesti.RU . 2011-08-08 . 2012-05-02 . Russian.
  5. Web site: Branko Radivojevic ends professional career . https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/206941816021071/2182810758434157 . 2022-02-26 . limited. . 2019-03-20 . 2019-03-20 . Slovak.