Mark Fitzpatrick Explained

Position:Goaltender
Catches:Left
Height Ft:6
Height In:2
Weight Lb:198
Played For:Los Angeles Kings
New York Islanders
Florida Panthers
Tampa Bay Lightning
Chicago Blackhawks
Carolina Hurricanes
Birth Date:November 13, 1968
Birth Place:Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Draft:27th overall
Draft Year:1987
Draft Team:Los Angeles Kings
Career Start:1988
Career End:2001

Mark Fitzpatrick (born November 13, 1968) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He moved to Kitimat, British Columbia, where he started minor hockey, when he was ten years old. He won the Memorial Cup twice as a member of the Medicine Hat Tigers before going on to a professional career with the Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League.

Fitzpatrick was drafted 27th overall in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings but only spent a season with the Kings organization before he was traded along with Wayne McBean to the New York Islanders on February 22, 1989 for Kelly Hrudey.

During his time with the Islanders, he contracted Eosinophilia–myalgia syndrome, a potentially fatal neurological disease, which cost him nearly all of the 1990-91 season. He recovered and returned to the ice in February 1992. His efforts in returning to the league after the illness earned him the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 1992. On June 20, 1993, with the expansion draft for the Florida Panthers and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim approaching, the Islanders traded him to the Quebec Nordiques for Ron Hextall and a swap of first-round picks. Four days later, the Panthers claimed him in the expansion draft.

Fitzpatrick spent five seasons with the Panthers serving as backup goaltender to fellow expansion draft pick John Vanbiesbrouck. On January 16, 1998, Fitzpatrick was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning with Jody Hull for Dino Ciccarelli and Jeff Norton where he only managed 7 wins in 34 games for the struggling Lightning who finished the season with the worst record. Fitzpatrick was traded once more months later to the Chicago Blackhawks for Michal Sykora and spent the season in a backup capacity to Jocelyn Thibault.

He moved to Carolina Hurricanes for the 1999–2000 NHL season but spent the majority of the year in the International Hockey League for the Cincinnati Cyclones and just played three games for the Hurricanes. Fitzpatrick spent one more season in the IHL for the Detroit Vipers before retiring in 2001.

Personal life

Fitzpatrick was previously married, from which he has a daughter. The marriage ended after Fitzpatrick was charged with assault and aggravated domestic battery on July 13, 1994 in Islamorada, Florida following an argument with his wife while she was seven months pregnant.[1] [2]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPWLTMINGASOGAASV%GPWLMINGASOGAASV%
1983–84Revelstoke RangersBCHL2110199005.30
1984–85Calgary CanucksAJHL291880163110223.75
1984–85Medicine Hat TigersWHL3120180903.0010020206.00
1985–86Medicine Hat TigersWHL41266120749912.86191159865803.53
1986–87Medicine Hat TigersWHL5031114284415943.352012812247113.48
1986–87Medicine Hat TigersM-Cup5413001012.00
1987–88Medicine Hat TigersWHL6336156360019423.23161249595213.25
1987–88Medicine Hat TigersM-Cup5412801703.64
1988–89Los Angeles KingsNHL176739576404.01.887
1988–89New Haven NighthawksAHL1810519805413.31
1988–89New York IslandersNHL113526274103.92.869
1989–90New York IslandersNHL4719195265315033.39.8984021521305.13.817
1990–91New York IslandersNHL2110120603.00.900
1990–91Capital District IslandersAHL123727344703.84
1991–92New York IslandersNHL301113517439303.20.902
1991–92Capital District Islanders AHL146517823902.99
1992–93New York IslandersNHL3917155225313003.46.87830177403.12.826
1992–93Capital District Islanders AHL51312841803.80
1993–94Florida PanthersNHL28128616037312.73.914
1994–95Florida PanthersNHL156728193622.64.900
1995–96Florida Panthers NHL341511317868802.96.89120060606.00.800
1996–97Florida PanthersNHL3089916806602.36.914
1997–98Florida Panthers NHL122726403213.00.879
1997–98Fort Wayne KometsIHL2110119804.03.857
1997–98Tampa Bay LightningNHL347241193810213.16.895
1998–99Chicago BlackhawksNHL2768614036402.74.906
1999–2000Carolina HurricanesNHL3020107804.49.882
1999–2000Cincinnati CyclonesIHL241111113795942.57.916
2000–01Detroit VipersIHL94404852102.60.919
NHL totals 3291131364918,32995383.12.8969032892304.78.815
AHL totals 4920205278015813.41
IHL totals 351616119838842.66.913

Awards

Notes and References

  1. https://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/15/sports/sports-people-hockey-fitzpatrick-charged-domestic-battery.html Sports People: Hockey; Fitzpatrick Charged: Domestic Battery
  2. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1994/09/07/accused-of-beating-wife-nhl-goalie-now-a-father/36ffb4b6-9404-4f9d-9a91-e8012d7c6b5f/ Accused of Beating Wife, NHL Goalie Now a Father