Marek Svatoš

Marek Svatoš (17 June 1982 – 4 November 2016) was a Slovak professional ice hockey winger. He last played during the 2013–14 season in the Slovak Extraliga with Košice, the same club with which he began his career in 1999. Svatoš played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for several seasons, mostly with the Colorado Avalanche; his last stint in the NHL was in the 2010–11 season, during which he played with the Nashville Predators and Ottawa Senators after beginning the season in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) with Avangard Omsk.

Marek Svatoš
Svatoš with the Hershey Bears in 2004
Born (1982-06-17)17 June 1982
Košice, Czechoslovakia
Died 4 November 2016(2016-11-04) (aged 34)
Lone Tree, Colorado, U.S.
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position Right Wing
Shot Right
Played for Košice
Colorado Avalanche
Avangard Omsk
Nashville Predators
Ottawa Senators
Slovan Bratislava
National team  Slovakia
NHL Draft 227th overall, 2001
Colorado Avalanche
Playing career 2002–2014

Playing career

Svatoš was drafted 227th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He played his first NHL games for the Avalanche in the 2003–04 season. Following a strong performance in the Avalanche's second-round loss in the playoffs, he returned to the Avalanche's AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, during the 2004 NHL lockout. Svatoš recorded his first career hat trick in the NHL against the Calgary Flames in a 7–3 win on 10 October 2005. He was chosen to play in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, as part of the Slovak national team.

On 9 March 2006, it was announced that Svatoš sustained a fracture to his right shoulder that forced him to miss the rest of the 2005–06 season.[1] At the time of his injury, Svatoš led the NHL in game-winning goals with nine, which tied an NHL record for game-winning goals by a rookie. He was also one of the top rookie scorers with 32 goals in 61 games.

Svatoš' numbers dropped in 2006–07, his second season, as he recorded 15 goals and 15 assists in 66 games while suffering a recurring groin injury throughout the season.

Svatoš was leading the Avalanche with 26 goals during the 2007–08 campaign when he suffered a torn ACL in a game against the Los Angeles Kings on 1 March 2008.[2][3] Svatoš missed the final sixteen games of the season and the additional playoff series, but still placed second in goals on the team.

On 25 July 2008, Svatoš re-signed with the Avalanche for a further two years, avoiding arbitration scheduled on the same day.[4] He managed to return to the opening night roster for the 2008–09 season, recovering from his ACL tear gradually as the season went on.[5] He played in 69 games with the Avalanche before injuring his hand on 7 April 2009, in a 0–1 overtime loss against the San Jose Sharks in San Jose, ending his play with three games left in the season. His 14 goals tied Wojtek Wolski for fourth on the Western Conference last-placed Avalanche.

In the 2009–10 season, Svatoš was limited to 54 games, again missing 18 games through groin and chest injuries. With a sixth consecutive NHL season affected by injury, he suffered from a loss of form, and under new coach Joe Sacco was relegated to a reserve role and recorded a career-low 7 goals and 11 points.

Without a contract offer, Svatoš left the NHL and signed a one-year contract during the early stages of the 2010–11 European season with Russian team Avangard Omsk of the KHL, on 24 September 2010.[6] In 19 games with Omsk, he posted 3 goals and 8 points before he was granted a release, after both sides agreed to terminate the deal on 23 December 2010.[7]

On 28 December 2010, Svatoš returned to North America with NHL ambitions, signing a one-year, two-way contract with the St. Louis Blues.[8] However, in order to return to the NHL he was placed on waivers due to starting the season in Europe and the following day on 29 December, was subsequently claimed by the Nashville Predators.[9] On 31 December 2010, he dressed for the Predators to make his 2010–11 season debut in an away game win over the Minnesota Wild.[10] In his fourth game, Svatos registered his only goal for the Predators in a 5–2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on 6 January 2011.[11] Leading up to the trade deadline, Svatos was waived by the Predators after nine games and was subsequently claimed by the Ottawa Senators on 24 February 2011.[12] Svatos earned a regular shift with the Senators and on 27 March 2011, he scored his second goal of the game, which marked his 100th career NHL goal, in a defeat by the Atlanta Thrashers.[13] Svatos appeared in 19 games for the Senators before he suffered a season ending concussion as a result of a check from Jay Rosehill in a late season contest against the Toronto Maple Leafs.[14]

After sitting out the entire 2011–12 season recovering from injury, Svatoš signed a try-out contract to attend the Florida Panthers' training camp for the 2012–13 season, following a resolution to the NHL lockout on 7 January 2013.[15] Upon completion of the abbreviated training camp, Svatoš was released two days prior to the regular season on 17 January 2013.[16]

Shortly after leaving Panthers camp, Svatoš signed with KHL team Slovan Bratislava in his home country for the remainder of the 2012–13 season on 22 January 2013.[17]

Svatoš opted to remain in Slovakia the following season. As a free agent, he signed a one-year contract with Košice of the Slovak Extraliga on 18 September 2013.[18] He helped his hometown club win their seventh league title in the final season of his hockey career.

Death

Svatoš died on 4 November 2016 at his home in Lone Tree, Colorado at the age of 34. He was survived by his wife, Diana, and two children.[19][20][21]

It was revealed on 5 December 2016 that Svatoš' death was due to mixed drug intoxication.[22] His wife later revealed that Svatoš had been suffering from Stage 2 chronic traumatic encephalopathy at the time of his death.[21]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1999–2000 HC VSŽ Košice SVK U20 39 43 30 73 28 — — — — —
1999–2000 HC VSŽ Košice SVK 19 2 2 4 0 — — — — —
2000–01 Kootenay Ice WHL 39 23 18 41 47 11 7 2 9 26
2001–02 Kootenay Ice WHL 53 38 39 77 58 21 12 6 18 40
2001–02 Kootenay Ice MC — — — — — 4 1 4 5 4
2002–03 Hershey Bears AHL 30 9 4 13 10 — — — — —
2003–04 Colorado Avalanche NHL 4 2 0 2 0 11 1 5 6 2
2004–05 Hershey Bears AHL 72 18 28 46 69 — — — — —
2005–06 Colorado Avalanche NHL 61 32 18 50 46 — — — — —
2006–07 Colorado Avalanche NHL 66 15 15 30 46 — — — — —
2007–08 Colorado Avalanche NHL 62 26 11 37 32 — — — — —
2008–09 Colorado Avalanche NHL 69 14 20 34 34 — — — — —
2009–10 Colorado Avalanche NHL 54 7 4 11 35 3 1 0 1 2
2010–11 Avangard Omsk KHL 19 3 5 8 14 — — — — —
2010–11 Nashville Predators NHL 9 1 2 3 2 — — — — —
2010–11 Ottawa Senators NHL 19 3 2 5 8 — — — — —
2012–13 HC Slovan Bratislava KHL 6 1 0 1 4 2 0 0 0 2
2013–14 HC Košice SVK 26 6 13 19 10 10 1 3 4 4
NHL totals 344 100 72 172 217 14 2 5 7 4

International
Year Team Event Result   GP G A Pts PIM
2000 Slovakia WJC18 5th 6 2 0 2 0
2002 Slovakia WJC 8th 7 7 1 8 6
2006 Slovakia OG 5th 6 0 0 0 0
2010 Slovakia WC 12th 6 1 1 2 6
Junior totals 13 9 1 10 6
Senior totals 12 1 1 2 6

Awards and honours
Award Year
Western Hockey League
All-Rookie Team 2000–01
WHL Champion 2001–02
West Second All-Star Team 2001–02
Canadian Hockey League
CHL Memorial Cup Champion 2002
Slovak Extraliga
Slovakian Extraliga Champion 2013-14

References
  1. "Shoulder injury ends season for Svatos". Colorado Avalanche. 9 March 2006. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  2. "Avs beat Kings; Smyth, Svatos hurt". Rocky Mountain News. 1 March 2008. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  3. "Symth suffered concussion, Svatos out with ACL tear". Colorado Avalanche. 3 March 2008. Archived from the original on 9 May 2008. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  4. "Svatos under contract with Avs". Colorado Avalanche. 25 July 2008. Archived from the original on 27 August 2008. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  5. "Svatos' confidence grows after ACL tear". Rocky Mountain News. 2 December 2008. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  6. "Svatos signs one-year deal with Omsk in KHL". The Sports Network. 24 September 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  7. "Avangard terminate contract with Marek Svatos" (in Russian). Avangard Omsk. 23 December 2010. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  8. "Blues Sign Forward Marek Svatos". St. Louis Blues. 28 December 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  9. "Predators trump Blues; claim Svatos off waivers". The Sports Network. 29 December 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  10. "Predators 4, Wild 1". National Hockey League. 31 December 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  11. "Predators score five unanswered goals to beat Kings". CBS Sports. 6 January 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  12. "Bulletin: Senators claim forward Svatos off waivers from Predators". Ottawa Senators. 24 February 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  13. "Thrashers edge Sens, keep playoff hopes flickering". CBS Sports. 27 March 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  14. "Alfredsson won't return for Sens this season". National Hockey League. 4 April 2011. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  15. "After year off, Svatos will report to Florida's training camp". NBC Sports. 7 January 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  16. "Svatos released, Santorelli and others on waivers". The Sun Sentinel. 17 January 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  17. "Marek Svatoš to Slovan: "I've received an advantageous offer"". sport.aktuality.sk (in Slovak). 22 January 2013. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  18. "Marek Svatos to help HC Kosice" (in Slovak). HC Košice. 18 September 2013. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
  19. "Former NHLer Marek Svatos dies at 34". ctvnews.ca. 6 November 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  20. "Former Avalanche winger Marek Svatos dies at 34 in Lone Tree". Denver Post. 6 November 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  21. Westhead, Rick (4 November 2022). "On anniversary of his death, wife of former NHLer Marek Svatos says he had CTE". TSN. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  22. McGhee, Tom (5 December 2016). "Former Avalanche player Marek Svatos died of a drug overdose". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on 23 April 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
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