Marcel Hossa Explained

Marcel Hossa
Birth Date:12 October 1981
Birth Place:Ilava, Czechoslovakia
Height Ft:6
Height In:3
Weight Lb:220
Position:Left wing
Shoots:Left
Played For:Montreal Canadiens
Mora IK
New York Rangers
Phoenix Coyotes
Dinamo Riga
Ak Bars Kazan
Spartak Moscow
Lev Praha
Dukla Trenčín
Modo Hockey
Škoda Plzeň
Oceláři Třinec
Ntl Team:SVK
Draft:16th overall
Draft Year:2000
Draft Team:Montreal Canadiens
Career Start:2001
Career End:2018

Marcel Hossa (in Slovak pronounced as /ˈmartsel ˈɦɔsa/; born 12 October 1981) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey left winger. Hossa previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and Phoenix Coyotes, having been drafted by the Canadiens in the first round, 16th overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.

Hossa has also played in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) for Dinamo Riga, Ak Bars Kazan and Spartak Moscow. Internationally, Hossa has represented Slovakia on several occasions, including at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics.

Hossa's older brother is Marián Hossa, also a professional ice hockey player, who is a three-time Stanley Cup champion and a member of Hockey Hall of Fame.

Playing career

Hossa was selected in the first round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, 16th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens. Prior to relocating to North America, he first played junior hockey in his native Slovakia with Dukla Trenčín before joining the Portland Winter Hawks of the Western Hockey League (WHL) ahead of the 1998–99 season.

Several seasons later, Hossa led the Winterhawks in scoring and to the WHL finals in 2000–01, his third year in the WHL, before turning professional the following season with the Canadiens' then-American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Quebec Citadelles. He played the majority of the 2001–02 season with the Citadelles, finishing fifth on the team in points with 32. He was recalled by the Canadiens midway through the season and made his NHL debut, ultimately appearing in ten games.

Over the next two seasons, Hossa split time between the Canadiens and the team's new AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs, being named in the 2003 NHL YoungStars Game.[1] Despite showing promise, however, Hossa was unable to establish a full-time role with Montreal at the NHL level. During the 2004 2004–05 NHL lockout, he signed a one-year contract with Swedish team Mora IK of the Elitserien on September 25, 2004, reuniting him with older brother, Marián Hossa; Marcel Hossa finished the year fifth in team scoring with 24 points.

Prior to the 2005–06 season, on September 30, 2005, Hossa was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Garth Murray.[2] In his first season with the Rangers, Hossa appeared in a career-high 64 games and scored ten goals. In 2006–07, after a slow start to the year, he was later shifted to the team's top line in February, responding with eight goals in 11 games, finishing the season with an NHL career-high 18 points. His season was then halted, however, after injuring his right knee in a 2–1 victory over the New York Islanders on March 5, 2007.[3]

In the 2007–08 season, Hossa struggled to regain his offensive form and played in 36 games with the Rangers before he was assigned to the team's AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, on a conditioning stint on February 16, 2008.[4] On February 26, he was then traded to the Phoenix Coyotes, along with goaltender Al Montoya, in exchange for Fredrik Sjöström, David LeNeveu and Josh Gratton.[5] Hossa played out the season with the Coyotes, going scoreless in 14 games.

On July 3, 2008, as an unrestricted free agent, Hossa signed with Dinamo Riga of the newly-formed Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).[6] After leading Riga with 22 goals in the 2008–09 season, Hossa went a step further in 2009–10, leading the KHL in goals with 35.[7] Following his impressive offensive output, he was selected to play internationally for Slovakia—alongside brother Marián—in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.[8]

On May 7, 2010, Hossa left Riga and after signing a two-year contract with reigning KHL champions Ak Bars Kazan.[9]

On July 26, 2011, Hossa signed a one-year contract with Spartak Moscow.[10]

On May 16, 2013, announced that Hossa is returning to Dinamo Riga after signing a one-year contract, later being released from the team on December 20, 2014. On January 30, 2015, however, he signed a contract with Modo Hockey in Sweden to play out the remainder of the 2014–15 season.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Team League GP GPG A Pts PIM
1997–98Dukla TrenčínSVK U205532568868
1998–99Portland Winter HawksWHL70714216620000
1999–2000Portland Winter HawksWHL6024295358
2000–01Portland Winter HawksWHL583456905816571214
2001–02Quebec CitadellesAHL501715322430004
2001–02Montreal CanadiensNHL103142
2002–03Hamilton BulldogsAHL371913321821471112
2002–03Montreal CanadiensNHL34671314
2003–04Montreal CanadiensNHL151128
2003–04Hamilton BulldogsAHL5718224045102358
2004–05Mora IKSEL481862469
2005–06New York RangersNHL64106162840006
2006–07New York RangersNHL641081826102244
2007–08New York RangersNHL3617824
2007–08Hartford Wolf PackAHL51012
2007–08Phoenix CoyotesNHL140004
2008–09Dinamo RigaKHL52222244118 32020
2009–10Dinamo RigaKHL563520554494154
2010–11Ak Bars KazanKHL5116153112 82132
2011–12Spartak MoscowKHL356111742
2011–12Dinamo RigaKHL1986141473144
2012–13Lev PrahaKHL508111928400014
2013–14Dinamo RigaKHL5022194133722411
2014–15Dinamo RigaKHL38791624
2014–15HK Dukla TrenčínSVK42242
2014–15Modo HockeySHL113360
2015–16HC Škoda PlzeňELH20881635
2015–16HC Oceláři TřinecELH20110
2016–17HK Dukla TrenčínSVK5222214330
2017–18HK Dukla TrenčínSVK281462081761735
NHL totals2373130611061422410
KHL totals351124113227315381351835

International

YearTeamEvent GPGAPtsPIM
1999SlovakiaU18720214
2000SlovakiaWJC70118
2001SlovakiaWJC 71348
2005SlovakiaWC20000
2006SlovakiaOG60000
2006SlovakiaWC71346
2008SlovakiaWC52572
2009SlovakiaWC63254
2010SlovakiaOG70110
2011SlovakiaWC61012
2012SlovakiaWC60000
2014SlovakiaOG40000
Junior totals2134730
Senior totals497111814

Awards and honors

AwardYear
WHL
CHL Top Prospects Game2000
West Second All-Star Team2001
NHL
NHL YoungStars Game2003
KHL
All-Star Game2009, 2010, 2014
Best Sniper2010

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Three Panthers selected for YoungStars game . . 2003-01-19 . 2010-03-30.
  2. Web site: Rangers acquire Hossa from Habs via trade . . 2005-09-30 . 2010-03-30.
  3. News: Knee injury claims Rangers Hossa . . 2007-03-06 . 2010-03-30.
  4. Web site: Hossa assigned to Hartford for conditioning . . 2008-02-16 . 2010-03-30.
  5. Web site: Hossa joins his brother on the move . . 2008-02-26 . 2009-04-01.
  6. Web site: Dinamo Riga sign NHL Phoenix Coyote, Marcel Hossa . (in Latvian)Sports.delfi.lv . 2008-07-03 . 2008-11-10.
  7. Web site: Riga "Dinamo" forward Kariya becomes scoring leader in playoffs . baltic-course . 2010-03-16 . 2010-03-30.
  8. Web site: Hossa, Gaborik, Chara headline Slovakia team . . 2010-01-07 . 2010-03-30.
  9. Web site: Hossa confirms two-year contract with Kazan . parSportu.lv . 2010-05-07 . 2010-05-10 . Latvian . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100511003634/http://parsportu.lv/articles/1/40575 . 2010-05-11 .
  10. Web site: Hossa chooses Spartak . 2011-07-26 . 2011-08-11 . Russian . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120319094811/http://www.spartak.ru/press/news/item6917/ . 2012-03-19 .