Mike Radja Explained

Mike Radja
Position:Forward
Shoots:Left
Height Ft:6
Height In:0
Weight Lb:180
Team:Free agent
Former Teams:Syracuse Crunch
Rockford IceHogs
TPS
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Augsburger Panther
Binghamton Senators
Peoria Rivermen
Houston Aeros
Nippon Paper Cranes
High1
Belfast Giants
Elmira Jackals
Anyang Halla
Birth Date:1985 3, mf=yes
Birth Place:Yorkville, Illinois, U.S.
Draft:Undrafted
Career Start:2008

Mike Radja (born March 7, 1985) is an American professional ice hockey forward who is currently a free agent. Radja previously played for Anyang Halla of the Asia League Ice Hockey. In Europe, he played for HC TPS in the Liiga, Augsburger Panther in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga and the Belfast Giants in the Elite Ice Hockey League.

Playing career

Radja was raised in Yorkville, Illinois and graduated from Yorkville High School in 2003.[1] Radja played two seasons of junior hockey for the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL. While at Waterloo Radja played with his future University of New Hampshire teammate Kevin Regan. Radja scored a key goal in the game which clinched the Black Hawks' victory in the 2004 Clark Cup.[2]

He attended the University of New Hampshire from 2004 to 2008. In December 2006 he suffered a knee injury which caused him to miss a month of play. He made a quick recovery, however.[3] In 2008 he was suspended for two games after an incident in which he was briefly detained by police while visiting T. J. Oshie after a game against North Dakota.[4] That season proved to be a successful one for Radja, he was selected for the Hockey East All Star team and was the National College Hockey Player of the month in February 2008.[1] [5]

After leaving UNH, he briefly played for the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL at the end of 2007 - 08 season. The next year he played in eight games with the Fresno Falcons of the ECHL before spending most of the season with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. In the 2009 - 10 season Radja played in twenty five games in Finland with TPS of the SM-liiga before returning to North America to play for the Syracuse Crunch and Bridgeport Sound Tigers in the AHL.[6] The next year Radja returned to Europe to play for the Augsburger Panther of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.[7] On January 13, 2012 Radja signed with the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League.

After four seasons abroad, Radja opted to continue his professional career back in North America, signing a one-year ECHL contract in a return with the Elmira Jackals on August 4, 2016.[8]

Career statistics

Team League GP GPG A Pts PIM
2002 - 03Waterloo Black HawksUSHL561716334560224
2003 - 04Waterloo Black HawksUSHL5517234046103584
2004 - 05U. of New HampshireHE428122028
2005 - 06U. of New HampshireHE38891726
2006 - 07U. of New HampshireHE3319183712
2007 - 08U. of New HampshireHE3619244332
2007 - 08Syracuse CrunchAHL20330
2008 - 09Fresno FalconsECHL876134
2008 - 09Rockford IceHogsAHL571112232010000
2009 - 10TPSSM-l2563912
2009 - 10Syracuse CrunchAHL31771412
2009 - 10Bridgeport Sound TigersAHL175510650114
2010 - 11Augsburger PantherDEL491181926
2011–12Elmira JackalsECHL4631215230103584
2011–12Binghamton SenatorsAHL30112
2011–12Peoria RivermenAHL20000
2011–12Houston AerosAHL182460
2012–13Nippon Paper CranesAL422837656442356
2013–14Nippon Paper CranesAL423537724072794
2014–15High1AL23914231660116
2015–16Belfast GiantsEIHL543024543220000
2016–17Elmira JackalsECHL2247118
2016–17Anyang HallaAL18910191062134
AHL totals1302532574060114
AL totals1258198179130236121820

Awards and honors

AwardYear
All-Hockey East First Team2007–08
AHCA East First-Team All-American2007–08

Notes and References

  1. News: Radja Gets Last Shot with New Hampshire. 22 February 2011. College Hockey News. 27 March 2008. Verdun. Dan.
  2. News: BREAKING: The Cup Comes to Waterloo!. 22 February 2011. College Hockey News. 5 May 2004.
  3. News: D'Onofrio. Dave. UNH's Radja better than ever. 22 February 2011. The Concord Monitor. 10 February 2007.
  4. News: Radja Returning for UNH. 22 February 2011. College Hockey News. 9 January 2008. CHN Staff Report.
  5. Web site: Mike Radja of New Hampshire Named National College Hockey Player of the Month. Hockey East Online. 22 February 2011. 7 March 2008.
  6. News: Crunch Claim Center Mike Radja. 22 February 2011. Our Sports Central. 11 December 2009.
  7. News: Mike Radja wird ein Panther. 22 February 2011. Eishockey.info. 12 July 2010. German.
  8. Web site: Veteran scorer Radja heads back to Elmira . . 2016-08-04 . 2016-08-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160918232632/http://www.echl.com/veteran-scorer-radja-heads-back-to-elmira . 2016-09-18 . dead .