Mikaël Tam Explained

Birth Date:26 April 1991
Birth Place:Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Position:Defence
Shoots:Left
Height Ft:5
Height In:11
Weight Lb:205
Team:Free agent
Former Teams:Worcester Sharks
San Francisco Bulls
Lake Erie Monsters
Sparta Warriors
Bakersfield Condors
Kunlun Red Star
HK Poprad[1]
Draft:Undrafted
Career Start:2012

Mikaël Tam (born April 26, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently a free agent.

Playing career

Tam played five seasons (20072012) in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with the Quebec Remparts, scoring 53 goals and 87 assists for 140 points, while earning 454 penalty minutes, in 318 games played.

While playing with the Remparts on January 17, 2010, Patrice Cormier of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies hit Tam with a hard elbow to the jaw, knocking him unconscious to the ice where he started to convulse. Tam was taken from the game on a stretcher to the hospital where he was treated for brain trauma, a concussion, and broken teeth. The images of Tam convulsing on the ice received wide television coverage,[2] and Cormier was suspended by the QMJHL for the 20 remaining regular season games, plus the playoffs.[3]

On October 8, 2012, the Worcester Sharks of the AHL signed Tam for the 2012–13 season.[4] Tam played 19 AHL games for the Sharks and 37 ECHL games for their affiliate the San Francisco Bulls as well as playing in the ECHL playoffs for the Bulls.

Tam signed with the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL for the 2013–14 season.[5] Tam also attended the Colorado Avalanche NHL training camp, but was released back to the Monsters on September 16, 2013.[6] Tam began the season with the Monsters, however finished the season in the Central Hockey League playoffs with the Avalanche's secondary affiliate, the Denver Cutthroats.

On September 3, 2014, Tam remained affiliated with the Avalanche and Monsters, in signing a one-year contract with new ECHL affiliate, the Fort Wayne Komets.[7] In the 2014–15 season, Tam suffered a long-term injury after just two games with the Komets, and was limited to just 17 regular season games before contributing with 7 assists in 12 games in the post-season.

On July 24, 2015, Tam opted to pursue a European career, signing a one-year contract as a free agent with Norwegian club, Sparta Warriors of the GET-ligaen.[8] In the 2015–16 season, Tam responded to his first season abroad in recording professional highs with 16 points in 42 games from the blueline with the Warriors.

Tam left Norway in the off-season, returning to the AHL in signing a one-year deal with the Bakersfield Condors, an affiliate to the Edmonton Oilers, on August 18, 2016.[9] In the 2016–17 season, Tam saw limited action with the Condors appearing in just 2 games despite prolonged time on the playing roster. He was reassigned to ECHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals, on numerous occasions, appearing in 36 games for 22 points.

On May 29, 2017, Tam returned abroad in securing a one-year deal with Chinese club, HC Kunlun Red Star of the KHL.[10]

Tam played three seasons in China within the Kunlun Red Star organization, before returning to North America as a free agent during the COVID-19 pandemic. On December 16, 2020, Tam agreed to extend his professional career in returning to the ECHL with the Rapid City Rush.[11]

Following a lone season with the Rush, Tam returned to China for a second tenure with Kunlun Red Star of the KHL on July 24, 2021.[12]

Career statistics

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
2007–08Quebec RempartsQMJHL64110111061104421
2008–09Quebec RempartsQMJHL688101810117461014
2009–10Quebec RempartsQMJHL501013235193368
2010–11Quebec RempartsQMJHL68192645901835830
2011–12Quebec RempartsQMJHL681528431061114521
2012–13Worcester SharksAHL1901131
2012–13San Francisco BullsECHL3739127550008
2013–14Lake Erie MonstersAHL3415667
2013–14Denver CutthroatsCHL14279161433614
2014–15Fort Wayne KometsECHL1713410120777
2015–16Sparta WarriorsGET426101669612343
2016–17Bakersfield CondorsAHL20000
2016–17Norfolk AdmiralsECHL369132230
2017–18 VHL season2017–18KRS HeilongjiangVHL3335862
2018–19 VHL season2018–19KRS-ORGVHL43481268
2018–19Kunlun Red StarKHL50006
2019–20 VHL season2019–20KRS-BSUVHL35551024
2019–20Kunlun Red StarKHL1100012
2020–21Rapid City RushECHL662171930
2021–22Kunlun Red StarKHL1912315
2021–22HK PopradSlovak11101870008
AHL totals5316798
KHL totals3512333

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Popradskú obranu vystuží Mikaël Tam. Slovak. hkpoprad.sk. January 23, 2022 .
  2. Web site: Patrice Cormier Vicious Elbow on Mikael Tam - Jan 17th 2010 (HD) . . 2010-01-17 . 2012-10-08.
  3. News: Mikael Tam: One year after the big hit . . 2011-01-16 . 2012-10-08.
  4. Web site: Sharks AHL: Worcester Sharks announce transactions . . 2012-10-08 . 2012-10-08 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131212062335/http://www.sharksahl.com/story.asp?story_id=3246 . December 12, 2013 . dead .
  5. http://www.remparts.ca/article/mika-l-tam-dans-l-organisation-de-l-avalanche Mikaël Tam dans l'organisation de l'Avalanche (French) - Quebec Remparts
  6. Web site: Avalanche Reduces Roster to 46 . . 2013-09-16 . 2013-09-20.
  7. Web site: Defenseman Tam agrees to terms . . 2014-09-03 . 2014-09-03 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140904074343/http://www.komets.com/press-release/single-game-tickets-go-on-sale-friday-sept.-5-d-man-tam-added-to-roster . September 4, 2014 . mdy-all .
  8. Web site: New defenseman in place! . . 2015-07-24 . 2015-07-24 . Norwegian . https://web.archive.org/web/20150725070353/http://sparta.no/nyheter/ny-back-paa-plass/ . July 25, 2015 . dead .
  9. Web site: Condors sign Mikael Tam . . 2016-08-18 . 2016-08-18.
  10. Web site: Kunlun signed a contract with another Canadian of Chinese origin . rsport.ru . Russian . 2017-05-29 . 2017-05-29.
  11. Web site: Rush announce signing of Mikael Tam . . December 16, 2020 . December 16, 2020.
  12. Web site: Mikael Tam is back with the team . . July 24, 2021 . July 24, 2021.