Cerkawski
Nov 29, 2002 13:35:36 GMT -5
Post by Viper on Nov 29, 2002 13:35:36 GMT -5
Czerkawski feeling at home
By Robert Picarello | NHL.com
November 29, 2002
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Change can sometimes inspire fear and dread among humans. For Mariusz Czerkawski, change serves as an inspiration. Period. In fact, if it wasn't for change, the native of Radomsko, Poland may have never become a pro hockey player.
"Radomsko was where my grandparents lived. It didn't have much," Czerkawski recalls. "If my family stayed there, I definitely wouldn't be talking about hockey right now. The town didn't have a hockey rink. Kids played other sports there."
When Czerkawski was a toddler, his parents packed up and moved the family to Tychy. There, it didn't take too long for the youngster to find out where the local rink was located. Once he discovered ice and hockey, Czerkawski never let go.
"All the kids got together on the rink and had a hard time leaving," Czerkawski said. "Not many places had hockey and all the kids enjoyed it."
But none enjoyed it more than the current Montreal Canadiens right wing.
"The other kids liked soccer and basketball," he said. "I loved hockey more than the others I guess, because not many people stuck with it. By the time I was like 20, I was the only one still playing the sport."
The Canadiens and their fans are banking on Czerkawski playing the sport for many, many more seasons and are also hoping the change in his surroundings rejuvenates his game on the ice. Montreal acquired him from the New York Islanders in June for Arron Asham and Montreal's fifth round selection in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, optimistic that the winger would improve on last year's offensive numbers.
"He's a proven player," Habs' GM Andre Savard said. "We'd like to score more goals, bottom line? and he can do that."
Czerkawski originally was drafted by the Boston Bruins in the fifth round of the 1991 Entry Draft. He played in Beantown for parts of three seasons, scoring 19 goals and 21 assists in 84 games.
On Jan. 11, 1996, the Bruins dealt Czerkawski, Sean Brown and Boston's first-round draft pick to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for goaltender Bill Ranford. It didn't take the talented forward long to make a name for himself in Edmonton, as Czerkawski more than doubled his offensive numbers in the second half of the season after being traded.
In 37 games with the Oilers, Czerkawski notched 29 points off 12 goals and 17 assists, as opposed to the five goals and six assists he had in 33 games with the Bruins.
The following season, Czerkawski recorded his first 20-goal campaign when he potted 26 goals and 21 assists in 76 games. But in the summer of 1997 Czerkawski was on the move again, this time finding himself in the Big Apple as a member of the New York Islanders. The Oilers traded the six-foot, 200-pound right wing to Long Island for left wing Dan LaCouture, who was New York's second-round pick (29th overall) in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft.
In his five seasons with the Islanders, Czerkawski scored 120 goals and 126 assists in 389 games. He really made some noise in the 1999-2000 season when he not only scored a career-high 35 goals and 35 assists, he also represented his team and country at the NHL All-Star Game in Toronto.
By Robert Picarello | NHL.com
November 29, 2002
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Change can sometimes inspire fear and dread among humans. For Mariusz Czerkawski, change serves as an inspiration. Period. In fact, if it wasn't for change, the native of Radomsko, Poland may have never become a pro hockey player.
"Radomsko was where my grandparents lived. It didn't have much," Czerkawski recalls. "If my family stayed there, I definitely wouldn't be talking about hockey right now. The town didn't have a hockey rink. Kids played other sports there."
When Czerkawski was a toddler, his parents packed up and moved the family to Tychy. There, it didn't take too long for the youngster to find out where the local rink was located. Once he discovered ice and hockey, Czerkawski never let go.
"All the kids got together on the rink and had a hard time leaving," Czerkawski said. "Not many places had hockey and all the kids enjoyed it."
But none enjoyed it more than the current Montreal Canadiens right wing.
"The other kids liked soccer and basketball," he said. "I loved hockey more than the others I guess, because not many people stuck with it. By the time I was like 20, I was the only one still playing the sport."
The Canadiens and their fans are banking on Czerkawski playing the sport for many, many more seasons and are also hoping the change in his surroundings rejuvenates his game on the ice. Montreal acquired him from the New York Islanders in June for Arron Asham and Montreal's fifth round selection in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, optimistic that the winger would improve on last year's offensive numbers.
"He's a proven player," Habs' GM Andre Savard said. "We'd like to score more goals, bottom line? and he can do that."
Czerkawski originally was drafted by the Boston Bruins in the fifth round of the 1991 Entry Draft. He played in Beantown for parts of three seasons, scoring 19 goals and 21 assists in 84 games.
On Jan. 11, 1996, the Bruins dealt Czerkawski, Sean Brown and Boston's first-round draft pick to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for goaltender Bill Ranford. It didn't take the talented forward long to make a name for himself in Edmonton, as Czerkawski more than doubled his offensive numbers in the second half of the season after being traded.
In 37 games with the Oilers, Czerkawski notched 29 points off 12 goals and 17 assists, as opposed to the five goals and six assists he had in 33 games with the Bruins.
The following season, Czerkawski recorded his first 20-goal campaign when he potted 26 goals and 21 assists in 76 games. But in the summer of 1997 Czerkawski was on the move again, this time finding himself in the Big Apple as a member of the New York Islanders. The Oilers traded the six-foot, 200-pound right wing to Long Island for left wing Dan LaCouture, who was New York's second-round pick (29th overall) in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft.
In his five seasons with the Islanders, Czerkawski scored 120 goals and 126 assists in 389 games. He really made some noise in the 1999-2000 season when he not only scored a career-high 35 goals and 35 assists, he also represented his team and country at the NHL All-Star Game in Toronto.