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Chuck Kobasew

Chuck Kobasew
Kobasew with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2014
Born (1982-04-17) April 17, 1982 (age 42)
Osoyoos, British Columbia, Canada
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position Right wing
Shot Right
Played for Calgary Flames
Boston Bruins
Minnesota Wild
Colorado Avalanche
Pittsburgh Penguins
SC Bern
NHL draft 14th overall, 2001
Calgary Flames
Playing career 2002–2016

Nicholas James Kobasew[1] (born April 17, 1982) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played eleven seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Playing career

Amateur

Kobasew is from the town of Osoyoos, British Columbia, 398 kilometres east of Vancouver. He spent one season playing at Boston College, starring on a team which won the National Championship and was loaded with players headed to the NHL. At the 2001 NCAA Frozen Four, the Eagles defeated the North Dakota Fighting Sioux 3-2 in overtime.[2] Kobasew was named MVP for the tournament.[3]

Professional

Kobasew was drafted by the Calgary Flames in the first round (14th overall) in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Kobasew played with the American Hockey League (AHL)'s Lowell Lock Monsters, and helped the team reach a number of franchise records. He was named as team captain, and scored 75 points in 79 games. He was also selected to play for the Canadian contingent at that year's All-Star game.

While playing for the Flames, Kobasew scored his first career hat trick against the Colorado Avalanche on January 24, 2006.

Kobasew with the Bruins in 2008.

On February 10, 2007, Kobasew and Andrew Ference were traded by the Flames to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Brad Stuart and Wayne Primeau. On May 13, 2008, Kobasew signed a 3-year contract extension with the Bruins worth $7 million. Kobasew scored 21 goals along with 21 assists during the 2008-09 NHL Season as the Bruins reached the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

Kobasew was traded by the Bruins to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Craig Weller, a second round pick in 2011, and the rights to prospect Alexander Fallstrom on October 18, 2009.[4] On November 27, 2009, Kobasew scored his second career hat trick similarly against the Colorado Avalanche.

On July 1, 2011, Kobasew agreed to a two-year deal worth $1.25 million per year with the Colorado Avalanche.[5] Kobasew made his Avalanche debut on opening night of the 2011–12 season in a 3-0 defeat to the Detroit Red Wings on October 8, 2011.[6] Whilst entrenched on the Avalanche in a checking line role, Kobasew appeared in his 500th game, along with linemate Jay McClement, on December 8, 2011, against his original club, the Calgary Flames.[7] He reached another milestone on December 31, when he scored his 100th career NHL goal, a game-winner, in a 4-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks.[8] Whilst impeded with various injuries throughout the season, Kobasew finished his first year with the Avalanche with 7 goals and 14 points in 58 games.

In the final year of his contract in the lockout shortened 2012–13 season, Kobasew was primarily limited to a fourth line role with the Avalanche.[9] On March 20, 2013, Kobasew recorded his 100th career assist, added a late game-winning goal and recorded a career high Plus–minus 4 in a 4-3 victory over the Dallas Stars.[10] He compiled 5 goals and 9 points in 37 games as Colorado failed to reach the playoffs for a third consecutive season.

After the expiration of his contract with the Avalanche, Kobasew spent the off-season unsigned before accepting an invitation on September 11, 2013, to attend the Pittsburgh Penguins 2013 training camp on a professional try-out contract.[11] On October 2, he signed a one-year, $550,000 contract with the team. In the 2013–14 season with the Penguins, Kobasew was used primarily in a checking depth role. After scoring only 2 goals in 33 games, Kobasew was placed on waivers and assigned to AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. In playing at the AHL level for the first time in 9 years, Kobasew regained his scoring prowess with 11 goals in 12 games.

Kobasew signalled the end of his NHL career, in signing his first European contract on a two-year deal with Swiss club, SC Bern of the National League A (NLA) on July 1, 2014.[12] During the 2015–16 season, in which Bern won the Swiss championship, Kobasew saw action in only ten games due to a concussion, suffered in October 2015.[13] He would not return to play professionally due to his injury.[14]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1997–98 Osoyoos Heat KIJHL 6 2 2 4 2
1998–99 Osoyoos Heat KIJHL 23 25 24 49 8
1998–99 Penticton Panthers BCHL 30 11 17 28 18 7 1 5 6 6
1999–2000 Penticton Panthers BCHL 58 54 52 106 83 6 0 3 3 30
2000–01 Boston College HE 43 27 22 49 38
2001–02 Kelowna Rockets WHL 55 41 21 62 114 15 10 5 15 22
2002–03 Saint John Flames AHL 48 21 12 33 61
2002–03 Calgary Flames NHL 23 4 2 6 8
2003–04 Calgary Flames NHL 70 6 11 17 51 26 0 1 1 24
2004–05 Lowell Lock Monsters AHL 79 38 37 75 110 11 6 3 9 27
2005–06 Calgary Flames NHL 77 20 11 31 64 7 1 0 1 0
2006–07 Calgary Flames NHL 40 4 13 17 37
2006–07 Boston Bruins NHL 10 1 1 2 25
2007–08 Boston Bruins NHL 73 22 17 39 29
2008–09 Boston Bruins NHL 68 21 21 42 56 11 3 3 6 14
2009–10 Boston Bruins NHL 7 0 1 1 2
2009–10 Minnesota Wild NHL 42 9 5 14 16
2010–11 Minnesota Wild NHL 63 9 7 16 19
2011–12 Colorado Avalanche NHL 58 7 7 14 51
2012–13 Colorado Avalanche NHL 37 5 4 9 21
2013–14 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 33 2 0 2 15
2013–14 Wilkes–Barre/Scranton Penguins AHL 12 11 2 13 20 14 8 6 14 40
2014–15 SC Bern NLA 29 9 9 18 24 3 0 1 1 4
2015–16 SC Bern NLA 10 4 4 8 25
NHL totals 601 110 100 210 394 44 4 4 8 38

International

Medal record
Representing  Canada
World Junior Championships
Silver medal – second place 2002 Czech Republic
Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2002 Canada WJC 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 7 5 1 6 2
Junior totals 7 5 1 6 2

Awards and honours

Award Year
BCHL
First All-Star Team 2000
Interior Division MVP 2000
College
All-Hockey East Second team 2000–01
HE All-Academic Team 2001
All-Hockey East Rookie Team 2000–01
Hockey East All-Tournament Team 2001 [15]
All-NCAA All-Tournament Team 2001 [16]
NCAA Tournament MVP 2001
NCAA Champion 2001
AHL
First All-Star Team 2005 [17]

References

  1. ^ "Kobasew adds vet presence". 11 September 2011.
  2. ^ "Championship History". NCAA. 2014-05-01. Retrieved 2014-05-01.
  3. ^ "Chuck Kobasew biography". LowellDevilsHockey.com. 2014-05-02. Retrieved 2014-05-02.
  4. ^ "Wild acquires Kobasew from Bruins". Minnesota Wild. 2009-10-18. Retrieved 2011-05-31.
  5. ^ "NHL Free Agent Tracker". The Sports Network. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  6. ^ "Conklin's play in net leads to 3-0 win". Yahoo! Sports. 2011-10-08. Retrieved 2011-10-08.
  7. ^ "Jokinen late goal give Flames 3-2 win over Avs". Yahoo! Sports. 2011-12-08. Retrieved 2011-12-08.
  8. ^ "Kobasew's milestone goal lifts Avs over Ducks". Yahoo! Sports. 2011-12-31. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
  9. ^ "Chuck Kobasew playing well for Colorado Avalanche". Denver Post. 2013-03-22. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
  10. ^ "Kobasew's late goal lifts Avalanche over Stars". Yahoo! Sports. 2013-03-20. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2013-03-20.
  11. ^ "Penguins sign forward Chuck Kobasew to a professional tryout contract". Pittsburgh Penguins. 2013-09-11. Retrieved 2013-09-13.
  12. ^ "Chuck Kobasew to SCB" (in German). SC Bern. 2014-07-01. Archived from the original on 2014-07-13. Retrieved 2014-07-01.
  13. ^ "Die dunklen Tage des Chuck Kobasew". bernerzeitung.ch. 2016-04-15. Retrieved 2016-05-29.
  14. ^ "Kobasew considering retirement". reganbartel.com. 2016-06-09. Retrieved 2016-06-09.
  15. ^ "2013-14 Hockey East Media Guide". Hockey East. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
  16. ^ "NCAA Frozen Four Records" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
  17. ^ "Lowell's Kobasew named to AHL First Team All-Star". oursportscentral.com. 2005-04-05. Retrieved 2005-04-05.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Hockey East Rookie of the Year
2000–01
Succeeded by
Preceded by William Flynn Tournament Most Valuable Player
2001
Succeeded by
Preceded by NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player
2001
Succeeded by
Sporting positions
Preceded by Calgary Flames' first round draft pick
2001
Succeeded by