Mike Komisarek

Amateur

As a youth, Komisarek played in the 1996 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the New York Islanders minor ice hockey team.^[1]

Komisarek began playing competitively on Long Island, New York, starting off in the Suffolk PAL organization.^{[citation needed]} He played two years of Varsity hockey at St. Anthony's High School.^{[citation needed]} He then played for the New England Jr. Coyotes of the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL) under legendary coach Gary Dineen.^{[citation needed]} He was then picked up by USA Hockey's National Team Development Program.^{[citation needed]} He is a student of the respected Lithuanian hockey coach Aleksey Nikiforov.^{[citation needed]}

College

Komisarek played two seasons at the University of Michigan, compiling 46 points and 145 penalty minutes in 80 games. He helped the Wolverines men's ice hockey team to a 55–24–10 mark, a Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) title and two trips to the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship.^[2] One of his teammates was fellow Long Islander Eric Nystrom. Komisarek was also named a First Team Division I All-American by the American Hockey Coaches Association in 2002.^{[citation needed]}

Professional

After two seasons with the University of Michigan, Komisarek was selected seventh overall in the 2001 NHL entry draft by the Montreal Canadiens. He was signed to a contract by the team on July 24, 2002.^[3] He played his first NHL game in the 2002–03 season with the Canadiens. He re-signed with the Canadiens in 2007 for a two-year, $3.5 million, along with his friend Chris Higgins, who is also from Long Island.^{[citation needed]}

Komisarek scored his first NHL goal on March 20, 2006, against the Washington Capitals, where he was named the first star of the game.^[4] His willingness to stand up for his teammates and his hard-hitting style made him a fan favorite in the Bell Centre.^{[citation needed]}

In the 2006–07 season, Komisarek tied Mike Commodore of the Calgary Flames for most shorthanded goals scored by a defenseman with two.^[5]

During the 2007–08 season, Komisarek led the league with 227 blocked shots and finished second in hits with 266 having played only 75 games.^{[citation needed]}

On January 5, 2009, Komisarek played in the NHL All-Star Game, where he was named a starter as voted by the fans alongside his Canadiens defense partner, Andrei Markov.^{[citation needed]}

In July 2009, Komisarek signed a five-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs worth an average of $4.5 million per season. On January 2, 2010, Komisarek injured his shoulder in a game against the Calgary Flames, and on February 3, it was revealed that he would require season-ending surgery. This also meant Komisarek would miss the 2010 Winter Olympics, as he was chosen to represent United States.^[6]

On March 20, 2013, Komisarek was placed on waivers by the Maple Leafs. On March 21, 2013, he cleared waivers and with his permission was assigned to the Maple Leafs' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, for the remainder of the 2012–13 season. With one year left on his contract with the Maple Leafs, Komisarek was released as a free agent after his contract was used in a compliance buy-out on July 2, 2013.^[7]

On July 5, 2013, as a free agent, Komisarek signed a one-year, $700,000 contract with the Carolina Hurricanes.^[8]

In September 2014, Komisarek was signed to a professional try-out (PTO) contract by the New Jersey Devils, but was released from it shortly after.

Regular season and playoffs

International