James Wright (ice hockey)
Encyclopedia
James Wright is a Canadian
professional ice hockey
centre
with the Tampa Bay Lightning
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). He won a Memorial Cup
with the Vancouver Giants
in 2007 and was selected by Tampa Bay 117th overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft
.
career with the Vancouver Giants
in 2005–06, debuting in two WHL
games. The following season, he recorded 12 points in 48 games during his WHL rookie season. He helped the Giants finish as league runner-up in the playoffs to the Medicine Hat Tigers
before winning the 2007 Memorial Cup
championship against the same Tigers squad in the CHL title final. In 2007–08
, Wright improved to 36 points and was drafted 177th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning
in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft
. Upon being drafted, Wright continued to play for the Giants, scoring 21 goals and 47 points in 2008–09
.
, Wright was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract by the Lightning on September 26, 2009, in the midst of a successful NHL training camp. He had a plane booked for Vancouver several days prior to the signing canceled by Lightning management in order to extend his tryout. Wright made the Lightning roster for the start of the 2009–10 season
, making his NHL debut on October 3, 2009, in a 6–3 loss to the Atlanta Thrashers
. He played the game opposite former Giants linemate Evander Kane
of the Thrashers, who was also playing his first NHL game. Wright scored his first NHL goal in his seventh game on October 22, 2009, against Evgeni Nabokov
of the San Jose Sharks
. He finished a passing play with Vincent Lecavalier
and Martin St. Louis
to open the scoring 30 seconds into the game en route to a 5–2 win. After scoring two goals and three assists through 48 games, he was sent back to the Giants on January 21, 2010. Returning to the WHL, he notched six goals and 19 points through the final 21 games of the 2009–10 WHL season
. In the playoffs, the Giants advanced to the semifinals, where they were eliminated in six games by the Tri-City Americans
. Wright recorded seven goals and 16 points in 16 post-season games.
Wright began the 2010-11 season
in the AHL. He played 15 games for the Lightning's top affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals
, before making his 2010–11 NHL season
debut for Tampa Bay in an away game against the Philadelphia Flyers
on November 18, 2010.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
centre
Centre (ice hockey)
The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...
with the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). He won a Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
with the Vancouver Giants
Vancouver Giants
The Vancouver Giants are a major junior ice hockey team playing in the Western Hockey League . Inaugurated in 2001–02, the Giants have won one President's Cup in 2006 and one Memorial Cup in 2007 in their ten-season history...
in 2007 and was selected by Tampa Bay 117th overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft
2008 NHL Entry Draft
The 2008 NHL Entry Draft was the 46th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted by the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place in the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on June 20–21, 2008...
.
Junior career
Wright began his major juniorJunior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
career with the Vancouver Giants
Vancouver Giants
The Vancouver Giants are a major junior ice hockey team playing in the Western Hockey League . Inaugurated in 2001–02, the Giants have won one President's Cup in 2006 and one Memorial Cup in 2007 in their ten-season history...
in 2005–06, debuting in two WHL
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
games. The following season, he recorded 12 points in 48 games during his WHL rookie season. He helped the Giants finish as league runner-up in the playoffs to the Medicine Hat Tigers
Medicine Hat Tigers
The Medicine Hat Tigers are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League who play out of Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. Established in 1970, the team has won two national Memorial Cups, five WHL League Championships and seven Division Titles. The Tigers play at the Medicine Hat Arena....
before winning the 2007 Memorial Cup
2007 Memorial Cup
The 2007 MasterCard Memorial Cup was played in May 2007 in Vancouver, British Columbia, at the Pacific Coliseum. The tournament was competed between the WHL champion Medicine Hat Tigers, the OHL champion Plymouth Whalers, the QMJHL champion Lewiston Maineiacs, and the host team and tournament...
championship against the same Tigers squad in the CHL title final. In 2007–08
2007–08 WHL season
The 2007–08 WHL season was the 42nd season of the Western Hockey League . The regular season began on September 20, 2007, and ended on March 16, 2008. The WHL Playoffs began on March 21, 2008, and ended on May 7, 2008....
, Wright improved to 36 points and was drafted 177th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft
2008 NHL Entry Draft
The 2008 NHL Entry Draft was the 46th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted by the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place in the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on June 20–21, 2008...
. Upon being drafted, Wright continued to play for the Giants, scoring 21 goals and 47 points in 2008–09
2008–09 WHL season
The 2008–09 WHL season was the 43rd season of the Western Hockey League . The regular season began on September 18, 2008, and ended on March 15, 2009. The WHL Playoffs commenced on March 20, 2009, and the 2008 ADT Canada Russia Challenge series, featuring Team WHL versus the Russian Selects, took...
.
Professional career
Expected to return to the Giants for a fourth WHL season in 2009–102009–10 WHL season
The 2009–10 WHL season is the 44th season of the Western Hockey League . The regular season began on September 17, 2009 and ended on March 14, 2010...
, Wright was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract by the Lightning on September 26, 2009, in the midst of a successful NHL training camp. He had a plane booked for Vancouver several days prior to the signing canceled by Lightning management in order to extend his tryout. Wright made the Lightning roster for the start of the 2009–10 season
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
, making his NHL debut on October 3, 2009, in a 6–3 loss to the Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
. He played the game opposite former Giants linemate Evander Kane
Evander Kane
Evander Kane is a Canadian professional ice hockey left wing with the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League . Selected fourth overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Thrashers, he was drafted from the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League .During his major junior career, he won...
of the Thrashers, who was also playing his first NHL game. Wright scored his first NHL goal in his seventh game on October 22, 2009, against Evgeni Nabokov
Evgeni Nabokov
Evgeni Viktorovich Nabokov is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender who is playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League .Nabokov was selected by San Jose in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft...
of the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. He finished a passing play with Vincent Lecavalier
Vincent Lecavalier
Vincent Lecavalier is a Canadian professional hockey center and captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Rimouski Océanic:...
and Martin St. Louis
Martin St. Louis
Martin St. Louis is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
to open the scoring 30 seconds into the game en route to a 5–2 win. After scoring two goals and three assists through 48 games, he was sent back to the Giants on January 21, 2010. Returning to the WHL, he notched six goals and 19 points through the final 21 games of the 2009–10 WHL season
2009–10 WHL season
The 2009–10 WHL season is the 44th season of the Western Hockey League . The regular season began on September 17, 2009 and ended on March 14, 2010...
. In the playoffs, the Giants advanced to the semifinals, where they were eliminated in six games by the Tri-City Americans
Tri-City Americans
The Tri-City Americans are a major junior ice hockey team of the Western Hockey League, based in Kennewick, Washington. The team plays its home games at the Toyota Center...
. Wright recorded seven goals and 16 points in 16 post-season games.
Wright began the 2010-11 season
2010–11 AHL season
The 2010–11 AHL season is the 75th season of the American Hockey League. An all-time high of thirty teams will play 80 games each during the regular season schedule, which started on October 8, 2010 and ended on April 10, 2011...
in the AHL. He played 15 games for the Lightning's top affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals
Norfolk Admirals
The Norfolk Admirals are a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Admirals play in Norfolk, Virginia, at the Norfolk Scope.-History:...
, before making his 2010–11 NHL season
2010–11 NHL season
The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
debut for Tampa Bay in an away game against the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
on November 18, 2010.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2005–06 | Vancouver Giants Vancouver Giants The Vancouver Giants are a major junior ice hockey team playing in the Western Hockey League . Inaugurated in 2001–02, the Giants have won one President's Cup in 2006 and one Memorial Cup in 2007 in their ten-season history... |
WHL Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Vancouver Giants | WHL | 48 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 31 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2007–08 2007–08 WHL season The 2007–08 WHL season was the 42nd season of the Western Hockey League . The regular season began on September 20, 2007, and ended on March 16, 2008. The WHL Playoffs began on March 21, 2008, and ended on May 7, 2008.... |
Vancouver Giants | WHL | 60 | 13 | 23 | 36 | 21 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 WHL season The 2008–09 WHL season was the 43rd season of the Western Hockey League . The regular season began on September 18, 2008, and ended on March 15, 2009. The WHL Playoffs commenced on March 20, 2009, and the 2008 ADT Canada Russia Challenge series, featuring Team WHL versus the Russian Selects, took... |
Vancouver Giants | WHL | 71 | 21 | 26 | 47 | 54 | 17 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 13 | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
48 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 WHL season The 2009–10 WHL season is the 44th season of the Western Hockey League . The regular season began on September 17, 2009 and ended on March 14, 2010... |
Vancouver Giants | WHL | 21 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 4 | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 AHL season The 2010–11 AHL season is the 75th season of the American Hockey League. An all-time high of thirty teams will play 80 games each during the regular season schedule, which started on October 8, 2010 and ended on April 10, 2011... |
Norfolk Admirals Norfolk Admirals The Norfolk Admirals are a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Admirals play in Norfolk, Virginia, at the Norfolk Scope.-History:... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
80 | 16 | 31 | 47 | 64 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 49 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||