Levente Szuper
Encyclopedia
Levente Szuper is a Hungarian
ice hockey
goaltender
, currently playing for the Arizona Sundogs
of the Central Hockey League
. He was the number one goalie of the Hungarian team which won promotion to the 2009 World championship
.
for the 1997–98 season, and had a stellar performance in the 1998 Pool C World Championships.
in 1998 with the Ottawa 67s. But over the course of the 1998–99 season, Szuper excelled in the net, although he split his time there with Seamus Kotyk
. The 67s advanced to the 1999 Memorial Cup
as the host team, then defeated the Belleville Bulls
in the semifinals to advance to the Memorial Cup championship against the Calgary Hitmen
. Ottawa prevailed 7–6 in overtime, and Szuper won the F. W. "Dinty" Moore Trophy as the best rookie goalie of the year.
Szuper wasn't picked in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft
, so he returned to Ottawa and continued to star. He was then drafted by the Calgary Flames
in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
in the 4th round (#116 overall). Szuper would play the next three seasons with the Saint John Flames
of the American Hockey League
, earning a Calder Cup
championship for the 2000–01 season. His 8 career shutout
s is a record in the history of the now defunct franchise, topping the likes of Jean-Sébastien Giguère
or Dwayne Roloson
.
During the 2002–03 season, Szuper was called up to the NHL with Calgary due to an injury of starting netminder Roman Turek
. Szuper dressed for 9 games as the backup for Jamie McLennan
, but never played. He is the first Hungarian native to appear on an active NHL roster for a game, but does not appear in the NHL register since he wasn't given any icetime.
After failing to stay with Calgary after the 2002–03 season, Szuper was picked by the St. Louis Blues and played in the 2003–04 season in their ECHL
affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen
.
, but suffered an injury which demolished his chances of getting a contract. He played for Dunaújváros in the Hungarian championship and then signed for Asiago HC of the Italian Serie A for the 2005-06 season.
Having played most of the next campaign with the EV Duisburg Die Füchse
of the DEL, Szuper was signed by Malmö Redhawks for the 2007 Kvalserien
(the relegation-round playoffs of the Swedish Elitserien
). In the autumn he returned to Italy, this time with the Milano Vipers
.
After the success of the national team in the 2008 Division I tournament
in Sapporo he signed with Alba Volán Székesfehérvár
, the most successful Hungarian team in recent times, which competes in the Austrian premier division
. On June 29 he announced, that he moves back to the DEL with the Hannover Scorpions
.
of the American Central Hockey League
.
and the World Championships for a Hungarian sports channel.
His family name means "super" in Hungarian, due to this his helmet-paintings usually include a modified Superman logo
with a letter Z.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
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...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
, currently playing for the Arizona Sundogs
Arizona Sundogs
The Arizona Sundogs are a double-A minor-league professional ice hockey team based in Prescott Valley, Arizona that began play in the Central Hockey League in 2006 and celebrated its fifth anniversary season in 2010-11...
of the Central Hockey League
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
. He was the number one goalie of the Hungarian team which won promotion to the 2009 World championship
2009 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
The 2009 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships was the 73rd such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Teams representing 46 countries participated in four levels of competition. The competition also served as qualifications for the 2010 competition...
.
Early years
Szuper began playing hockey in Hungary at an early age, but also showed a flair for the arts. He became an accomplished actor and pianist, but it was between the pipes that he began to achieve prominence. He starred with Ferencvárosi TC as a 16-year-old and led the team to its last domestic title so far. He moved on to the junior team of the Krefeld PinguineKrefeld Pinguine
The Krefeld Pinguine are an ice hockey team in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. They play in Krefeld, North-Rhine-Westphalia, Germany at the KönigPALAST. Founded first in 1936, the pro team became a limited liability company in 1994 and joined the top tier Deutsche Eishockey Liga...
for the 1997–98 season, and had a stellar performance in the 1998 Pool C World Championships.
Moving to North-America
Despite his success in Europe, Szuper was pretty unknown when he broke into the Ontario Hockey LeagueOntario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
in 1998 with the Ottawa 67s. But over the course of the 1998–99 season, Szuper excelled in the net, although he split his time there with Seamus Kotyk
Seamus Kotyk
Seamus Kotyk is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He has played professionally for the Cleveland Barons, Milwaukee Admirals and Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League . He also played for the HC TWK Innsbruck team in the Austrian Hockey League professional ice hockey league...
. The 67s advanced to the 1999 Memorial Cup
1999 Memorial Cup
The 1999 MasterCard Memorial Cup took place from May 15–23 at the Ottawa Civic Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. Participating teams were the host Ottawa 67's, the Belleville Bulls, winners of the Ontario Hockey League, the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, winners of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the...
as the host team, then defeated the Belleville Bulls
Belleville Bulls
The Belleville Bulls are a junior ice hockey team, founded in 1981 based in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. The team plays in the Eastern Division of the Eastern Conference of the Ontario Hockey League.-History:...
in the semifinals to advance to the Memorial Cup championship against the Calgary Hitmen
Calgary Hitmen
The Calgary Hitmen are a major junior ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Hitmen play in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League . They play their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Bret "The Hitman" Hart, a local-born professional wrestler, was a founding owner...
. Ottawa prevailed 7–6 in overtime, and Szuper won the F. W. "Dinty" Moore Trophy as the best rookie goalie of the year.
Szuper wasn't picked in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft
1999 NHL Entry Draft
The 1999 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 26 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts. According to Sports Illustrated and other sports news agencies, at the time the 1999 draft was considered one of the deepest in talent in years, headed by Patrik Stefan and the Sedin twins. However, the...
, so he returned to Ottawa and continued to star. He was then drafted by the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
2000 NHL Entry Draft
The 2000 NHL Entry Draft was held from June 24 to 25 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, following the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft on June 23 for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild...
in the 4th round (#116 overall). Szuper would play the next three seasons with the Saint John Flames
Saint John Flames
The Saint John Flames were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League from 1993 to 2003 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. The Calgary Flames bought and relocated the Utica Devils, to be their AHL affiliate....
of the American Hockey League
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...
, earning a Calder Cup
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. The trophy is the world's second oldest continuous professional ice hockey championship, having first been awarded in 1937 following the 1936-37 AHL season, and continuously being awarded every year.The cup...
championship for the 2000–01 season. His 8 career shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s is a record in the history of the now defunct franchise, topping the likes of Jean-Sébastien Giguère
Jean-Sébastien Giguère
Jean-Sébastien Giguère is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing with the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League . He played major junior with the Verdun Collège Français and Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League , where he was drafted 13th...
or Dwayne Roloson
Dwayne Roloson
Albert Dwayne Roloson is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the National Hockey League . He has previously played for the Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, Edmonton Oilers, and New York Islanders during his professional career...
.
During the 2002–03 season, Szuper was called up to the NHL with Calgary due to an injury of starting netminder Roman Turek
Roman Turek
Roman Turek is a retired Czech professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, and Calgary Flames in a 9-year National Hockey League career...
. Szuper dressed for 9 games as the backup for Jamie McLennan
Jamie McLennan
Jamie McLennan is a former professional ice hockey goaltender. He retired from playing in 2008 after spending a season with the Nippon Paper Cranes of Asia League Ice Hockey.-Playing career:...
, but never played. He is the first Hungarian native to appear on an active NHL roster for a game, but does not appear in the NHL register since he wasn't given any icetime.
After failing to stay with Calgary after the 2002–03 season, Szuper was picked by the St. Louis Blues and played in the 2003–04 season in their ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen
Peoria Rivermen
The Peoria Rivermen are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Peoria, Illinois, USA at the Carver Arena.-History:...
.
Return to Europe
After the year in Peoria, he tried to find a team in Europe for the lockout season of 2004. He had a trial with the Eisbären BerlinEisbären Berlin
' are a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin, Germany. The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga , the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey and is also one of the league's founding members...
, but suffered an injury which demolished his chances of getting a contract. He played for Dunaújváros in the Hungarian championship and then signed for Asiago HC of the Italian Serie A for the 2005-06 season.
Having played most of the next campaign with the EV Duisburg Die Füchse
EV Duisburg Die Füchse
The Füchse Duisburg are a German ice hockey team formerly a member of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga and currently plays in the Regionalliga.-History:Known in English as the "Duisburg Foxes," the team was founded in 1971....
of the DEL, Szuper was signed by Malmö Redhawks for the 2007 Kvalserien
Kvalserien
Kvalserien, also known as Kvalserien till Elitserien, is the name of the Swedish round-robin ice hockey tournament to qualify for play in the next season of Elitserien, Sweden's top-level ice hockey league for men.-Teams:...
(the relegation-round playoffs of the Swedish Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
). In the autumn he returned to Italy, this time with the Milano Vipers
Hockey Club Junior Milano Vipers
Hockey Club Junior Milano Vipers was an Italian professional ice hockey team from Milan. Founded in 1998 as Hockey Club Junior Milano, was renamed Vipers in 2000....
.
After the success of the national team in the 2008 Division I tournament
2008 IIHF World Championship Division I
The 2008 IIHF Division I World Championship was an ice hockey tournament under the authority of the International Ice Hockey Federation. It was contested from April 13-19, 2008. The tournament was played amongst two separate groups, with the best team in each group, and , advanced to the top-level...
in Sapporo he signed with Alba Volán Székesfehérvár
Alba Volán Székesfehérvár
SAPA AV19 Székesfehérvár is a Hungarian ice hockey team that currently plays in OB I bajnokság, in the Austrian Erste Bank Hockey League and in MOL Liga...
, the most successful Hungarian team in recent times, which competes in the Austrian premier division
Austrian Hockey League
The Austrian Hockey League , called the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga for sponsorship reasons, is the highest-level ice hockey league in Austria.-History:...
. On June 29 he announced, that he moves back to the DEL with the Hannover Scorpions
Hannover Scorpions
The Hannover Scorpions are a professional ice hockey team founded in 1975 as ESC Wedemark. The team was renamed Wedemark Scorpions in 1996 after the rock band Scorpions, who also call Hanover, Lower Saxony their home. Their games are played at TUI Arena of the Expo Plaza...
.
Second Stint Playing in North America
On November 4, 2010, Szuper signed with the Arizona SundogsArizona Sundogs
The Arizona Sundogs are a double-A minor-league professional ice hockey team based in Prescott Valley, Arizona that began play in the Central Hockey League in 2006 and celebrated its fifth anniversary season in 2010-11...
of the American Central Hockey League
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
.
Personal
Szuper lives in his hometown Budapest. He likes to spend his spare time with his horses on his ranch, just outside the city. As a child he was not only an actor, but also a well known dubbing actor and nowadays, after the end of his own season he usually works as a co-commentator during the Stanley Cup playoffsStanley Cup playoffs
The Stanley Cup playoffs is an elimination tournament in the National Hockey League consisting of four rounds of best-of-seven series. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records...
and the World Championships for a Hungarian sports channel.
His family name means "super" in Hungarian, due to this his helmet-paintings usually include a modified Superman logo
Superman logo
The Superman logo, also informally known as the S shield, is the iconic emblem for the fictional DC Comics superhero Superman. As a representation of the first superhero, it served as a template for character design decades after Superman's first appearance...
with a letter Z.