Igor Liba Explained

Position:Left Wing
Shoots:Right
Height Ft:6
Height In:0
Weight Lb:192
Played For:ZPA Prešov
HC Košice
HC Dukla Jihlava
New York Rangers
Los Angeles Kings
EHC Biel
HC Cavalese
EV Zeltweg
HK Spišská Nová Ves
Ntl Team:Czechoslovakia
Birth Date:November 4, 1960
Birth Place:Prešov, Czechoslovakia
Draft:91st overall
Draft Year:1983
Draft Team:Calgary Flames
Career Start:1979
Career End:2003

Igor Liba (born November 4, 1960) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey player. He played 37 games in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings during the 1988–89 season. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1979 to 2003, was mainly spent in the Czechoslovak Extraliga and in other European leagues. Internationally Liba played for the Czechslovakian national team in several tournaments, including the 1984, 1988, and 1992 Winter Olympics, winning a bronze medal in the latter. In 2005 Liba was inducted into the Slovak Hockey Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the player category of the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2024.

Career

Igor Liba played for ZPA Prešov (1970–1978), HC Košice (1978–82, 1984–88, 1991–92, 1997–98 and 1998–99) and HC Dukla Jihlava (1982–84) in Czechoslovakia, after 1993 in Slovakia mostly for HK VTJ Spišská Nová Ves.

In 1983 he was drafted by the Calgary Flames. Played with the New York Rangers (10 games, 2 goals and 5 assists) and Los Angeles Kings (37 games, 7 goals and 18 assists) in the 1988–89. He also played for EHC Biel - Switzerland, - Italy, TuTo Turku - Finland, HK VTJ Spišská Nová Ves - Slovakia, HK VTJ Trebišov - Slovakia, HC Zeltweg - Austria and HK Dragon Prešov - Slovakia.

Internationally, he played for the Czechoslovakia men's national ice hockey team, and was inducted into the player category of the IIHF Hall of Fame during the medal ceremony of the 2024 IIHF World Championship.[1] [2]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGP PIMGP G A Pts PIM
1977–78ZPA PrešovCSSR-3
1978–79ZPA PrešovCSSR-3
1979–80TJ VSŽ KošiceCSSR42 16 10 26 16
1980–81TJ VSŽ KošiceCSSR43 17 24 41 20
1981–82TJ VSŽ KošiceCSSR44 35 18 53 34
1982–83ASD Dukla JihlavaCSSR43 27 18 45 24
1983–84ASD Dukla JihlavaCSSR41 14 18 32 16
1984–85TJ VSŽ KošiceCSSR44 28 26 54 22
1985–86TJ VSŽ KošiceCSSR34 25 29 54 32
1986–87TJ VSŽ KošiceCSSR31 13 16 29 38
1987–88TJ VSŽ KošiceCSSR42 21 37 58 86
1988–89New York RangersNHL10 2 5 7 15
1988–89Los Angeles KingsNHL27 5 13 18 212 0 0 0 2
1989–90TJ VSŽ KošiceCSSR44 17 20 37 37
1990–91HC VSZ KošiceCSSR2 0 1 1 03 1 2 3 0
1990–91EHC BielNDA18 13 8 21 103 1 0 1 4
1991–92HC VSZ KošiceCSSR16 7 9 16 6
1991–92HC CavaleseITA18 11 34 45 24 2 7 9 4
1992–93TUTO HockeyFIN-244 22 34 56 111
1993–94EV ZeltwegAUT-2
1994–95EV ZeltwegAUT30 30 23 53 44
1995–96EV ZeltwegAUT33 15 19 34 34
1996–97HK VTJ Spišská Nová VesSVK46 26 25 51 72
1997–98HC KošiceSVK32 10 24 34 36
1997–98HK TrebisovSVK-24 1 4 5 2
1998–99HC VSZ KošiceSVK52 15 25 40 24
1999–00EV ZeltwegAUT-230 24 36 60 18
2000–01HK VTJ Farmakol PrešovSVK-236 17 25 42 6
2002–03HK Spisska Nova VesSVK20 1 10 11 40
2002–03HK VTJ Farmakol PrešovSVK-220 8 11 19 40
CSSR totals426 220 226 446 3318 5 6 11 0
NHL totals37 7 18 25 362 0 0 0 2

International

YearTeamEventGP G A Pts PIM
1979CzechoslovakiaWJC5 0 0 0 2
1980CzechoslovakiaWJC5 4 1 5 4
1982CzechoslovakiaWC10 3 2 5 6
1983CzechoslovakiaWC10 2 8 10 0
1984CzechoslovakiaOLY7 4 3 7 6
1984CzechoslovakiaCC5 2 3 5 6
1985CzechoslovakiaWC10 2 5 7 16
1986CzechoslovakiaWC10 2 4 6 18
1987CzechoslovakiaWC10 2 3 5 12
1987CzechoslovakiaCC6 0 4 4 6
1988CzechoslovakiaOLY8 4 6 10 8
1992CzechoslovakiaOLY4 1 2 3 4
1992CzechoslovakiaWC8 2 1 3 10
Junior totals10 4 1 5 6
Senior totals88 24 41 65 92

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Hokejisté Jágr, Pouzar a Liba budou uvedeni do Síně slávy IIHF. 15 January 2024. České Noviny. Czech News Agency. cs. Prague, Czech Republic. 15 May 2024.
  2. News: Jágr, Pouzar a Liba vstoupí během květnového MS v Praze do Síně slávy IIHF. 15 January 2024. iDnes. cs. Prague, Czech Republic. 15 May 2024.