Michael Peca
Encyclopedia
Michael Anthony "Mike" Peca (born March 26, 1974) is a retired Canadian
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...

 forward in 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 most recently played for the Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

 of the NHL. He has also played for the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...

, Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...

, New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

, Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....

 and Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

. He retired on January 19, 2010 after 13 seasons in the NHL. On August 4, 2011 he was named general manager of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres
Buffalo Jr. Sabres
The Buffalo Jr. Sabres are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Amherst, New York. They are a part of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League.-History:...

.

Personal life

Michael Peca's hometown is Toronto, Ontario, but moved to Ottawa to attend Canterbury High School. Peca and wife Kristin now live in Getzville, NY with their two children, son Trevor and daughter Emily.

Playing career

Peca began his junior career with the Sudbury Wolves
Sudbury Wolves
The Sudbury Wolves are the name of the ice hockey team from Sudbury, Ontario. Sudbury has had a hockey team known as the "Wolves" nearly every year since World War I. The Sudbury Wolves, the senior men's AAA team, have twice been chosen to be Canada's representatives at the Ice Hockey World...

 of the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario 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....

 (OHL) after they selected him in the first round of the 1990 player draft
Draft (sports)
A draft is a process used in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Russia and the Philippines to allocate certain players to sports teams. In a draft, teams take turns selecting from a pool of eligible players...

. He was traded to the Ottawa 67's
Ottawa 67's
The Ottawa 67’s are a junior ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario. They have played in the Ontario Hockey League since 1967, Canada's centennial year. The current coach is Chris Byrne.-History:...

 where he blossomed into one of the leagues top offensive players. He was selected to represent Canada at the 1994 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
1994 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1994 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 17th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Ostrava and Frydek-Mistek, Czech Republic...

. He captained the Canadian team at the 2001 World Championships
2001 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
-Championship:Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2002# — relegated to Division I for 2002# - Group A :Group A was played in Grenoble, France between April 16 and April 22, 2001...

 in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. His nickname was "Captain Crunch" because of his penchant for delivering bone-crushing open ice hits.

Peca was drafted in the second round, 40th overall by the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...

 in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft
1992 NHL Entry Draft
The 1992 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 20 at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. A total of 264 players were drafted.-Selections by round:Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:...

. Peca has twice won the Frank J. Selke Trophy
Frank J. Selke Trophy
The Frank J. Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association following the regular season. It has been awarded 33 times to...

 for being the best defensive forward, in 1996–97 and 2001–02. Peca captained
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...

 the Buffalo Sabres to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1999
1999 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1999 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Eastern Conference champion Buffalo Sabres and the Western Conference champion Dallas Stars. It was the 106th year of the Stanley Cup. The Sabres were led by captain Michael Peca, coach Lindy Ruff and goalie Dominik Hasek. The...

. He was a member of the gold medal-winning Canadian ice hockey team at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:...

 in Salt Lake City. He was acquired by the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....

 in a trade with the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 in exchange for Mike York
Mike York
Michael York is an American professional ice hockey left winger currently playing for the Iserlohn Roosters of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga .-Playing career:...

.

Peca was part of the Cinderella
Cinderella (sports)
In American and Canadian sports, a Cinderella or "Cinderella Story" refers to a team or player who advances much further in a tournament or career than originally anticipated. Cinderellas tend to gain much media and fan attention as they move closer to the championship game at the end of the...

 Edmonton Oiler team that made a run to the Stanley Cup Finals
2006 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2006 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series that determined the National Hockey League champion for the 2005–06 season. As a culmination of the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Eastern Conference champion Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers...

. Peca had 6 goals and 5 assists in the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs
2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs for the National Hockey League championship began on April 21, 2006, following the 2005–06 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, seeded one through eight from each conference, played best-of-seven series with re-seeding after the conference quarterfinals...

.

Peca was hip-checked by Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

' Darcy Tucker
Darcy Tucker
Darcy Tucker is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, who played most of his National Hockey League career with the Toronto Maple Leafs. A sixth round draft choice, Tucker began his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens...

 during the 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs in game five of the first round. The check blew out Peca's MCL
Medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...

 and ACL
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...

 on his left knee, ending his season and delaying his entry into the 2002–03 campaign. No penalty was assessed. On July 18, 2006, the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 announced that they had signed Peca as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....

 to a one-year $2.5 million contract for the 2006–07 NHL season, making Tucker and Peca teammates.

During a game against the Blackhawks on December 22, 2006, Peca collided with Chicago defenceman Jim Vandermeer
Jim Vandermeer
James Patrick "Jim" Vandermeer is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League . Jim was born and raised in Caroline, Alberta.-Playing career:...

 in the Toronto zone with 5:17 left in the first period. Vandermeer was assessed a minor penalty and a game misconduct for the hit. Peca sustained a fractured tibia at the base of his right knee and suffered significant ligament damage. He missed the remainder of the 2006–07 season.

On August 21, 2007, Peca signed a one-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

. On October 11, 2008, Peca received an indefinite suspension (later reduced to a five game suspension) after grabbing referee Greg Kimmerly
Greg Kimmerly
Greg Kimmerly is a National Hockey League referee since the 1993-94 NHL season, Greg now wears the number 18. He officiated on December 22, 2009 when Martin Brodeur broke Terry Sawchuk's career shutout record with his 104th shutout.Greg Kimmerly was chosen as one of the officials to ref the 2006...

's arm in Columbus' first game of the 2008 season.

On January 19, 2010, Peca announced his retirement from professional hockey through NHLPA.

Contract dispute

For the 2000–01 season, Peca and the Buffalo Sabres could not agree on a contract. Peca went without a contract the entire season. Peca was later traded to the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 for Tim Connolly
Tim Connolly
Tim Connolly is an American professional ice hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...

 and Taylor Pyatt
Taylor Pyatt
Taylor William Pyatt is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who plays for the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League . Drafted out of the Ontario Hockey League , he played major-junior with the Sudbury Wolves...

, where he led the Islanders to their first playoff berth in seven years.

Despite the apparent bad blood, in the summer of 2007, then unrestricted free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....

 (UFA) Peca told the Buffalo News that he'd be willing to come back to the Sabres. However, the Sabres' front office did not sign him despite the loss of veteran co-captain centers Daniel Brière
Daniel Brière
Daniel "Danny" Brière is a French Canadian professional ice hockey centre and an alternate captain for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . He has previously played with the Phoenix Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres...

 and Chris Drury
Chris Drury
Christopher Drury is an American retired professional ice hockey player. Drury is a Hobey Baker Award-winner with Boston University, a Calder Trophy winner with the Colorado Avalanche, a Stanley Cup champion with the Avalanche, a two-time Olympic silver medalist with the United States, and a...

.

Awards and achievements

  • Frank J. Selke Trophy
    Frank J. Selke Trophy
    The Frank J. Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association following the regular season. It has been awarded 33 times to...

     winner in 1997
    1996-97 NHL season
    The 1996–97 NHL season was the 80th regular season of the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup winners were the Detroit Red Wings, who swept the Philadelphia Flyers in four games and won the Stanley Cup for the first time in 42 years. The regular season saw a decline in scoring and rise in the...

    , 2002.

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
1990–91 Sudbury Wolves
Sudbury Wolves
The Sudbury Wolves are the name of the ice hockey team from Sudbury, Ontario. Sudbury has had a hockey team known as the "Wolves" nearly every year since World War I. The Sudbury Wolves, the senior men's AAA team, have twice been chosen to be Canada's representatives at the Ice Hockey World...

OHL
Ontario 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....

62 14 27 41 24 5 1 0 1 7
1991–92 Sudbury Wolves OHL 39 16 34 50 61
1991–92 Ottawa 67's
Ottawa 67's
The Ottawa 67’s are a junior ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario. They have played in the Ontario Hockey League since 1967, Canada's centennial year. The current coach is Chris Byrne.-History:...

OHL 27 8 17 25 32 11 6 10 16 6
1992–93
1992–93 AHL season
The 1992–93 AHL season was the 57th season of the American Hockey League. Sixteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Binghamton Rangers finished first overall in the regular season with 124 points, a which holds to this day...

Hamilton Canucks
Hamilton Canucks
The franchise of the Hamilton Canucks was the top minor league affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks for two seasons in the American Hockey League. Today, the franchise is known as the Syracuse Crunch....

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...

9 6 3 9 11
1992–93 Ottawa 67's OHL 55 38 64 102 80
1993–94
1993–94 OHL season
The 1993–94 OHL season was the 14th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Sixteen teams each played 66 games. The North Bay Centennials won the J...

Ottawa 67's OHL 55 50 63 113 101 17 7 22 29 30
1993–94 Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...

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...

4 0 0 0 2
1994–95 Vancouver Canucks NHL 33 6 6 12 30 5 0 1 1 8
1994–95 Syracuse Crunch
Syracuse Crunch
The Syracuse Crunch are a minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Syracuse, New York, at the War Memorial at Oncenter...

AHL 35 10 24 34 75
1995–96 Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...

NHL 68 11 20 31 67
1996–97 Buffalo Sabres NHL 79 20 29 49 80 10 0 2 2 8
1997–98 Buffalo Sabres NHL 61 18 22 40 57 13 3 2 5 8
1998–99 Buffalo Sabres NHL 82 27 29 56 81 21 5 8 13 18
1999–00 Buffalo Sabres NHL 73 20 21 41 67 5 0 1 1 4
2000–01 Did not play (contract dispute)
2001–02 New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

NHL 80 25 35 60 62 5 1 0 1 2
2002–03 New York Islanders NHL 66 13 29 42 43 5 0 0 0 4
2003–04 New York Islanders NHL 76 11 29 40 71 5 0 0 0 6
2005–06 Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....

NHL 71 9 14 23 56 24 6 5 11 20
2006–07 Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

NHL 35 4 11 15 60
2007–08 Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

NHL 65 8 26 34 64
2008–09
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...

Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 71 4 18 22 58 4 0 0 0 2
NHL totals 864 176 289 465 798 97 15 19 34 80
OHL totals 238 126 205 331 298 33 14 32 46 43

International

Year Team Event   GP G A P PIM
1994
1994 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1994 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 17th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Ostrava and Frydek-Mistek, Czech Republic...

Canada
Canada national junior hockey team
The Canadian men's national under 20 ice hockey team is the national under-20 ice hockey team in Canada. The team represents Canada at the International Ice Hockey Federation's World Junior Hockey Championship, held annually every December and January...

WJC
World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world...

7 2 2 4 8
2001
2001 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
-Championship:Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2002# — relegated to Division I for 2002# - Group A :Group A was played in Grenoble, France between April 16 and April 22, 2001...

Canada WC 3 1 3 4 0
2002
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:...

Canada Oly
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...

6 0 2 2 2
Junior int'l totals 7 2 2 4 6
Senior int'l totals 9 1 5 6 2

International play

  • 1994 World Jr. Championship
    1994 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
    The 1994 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 17th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Ostrava and Frydek-Mistek, Czech Republic...

    , Team Canada, gold medal
  • 2001 World Championship
    2001 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
    -Championship:Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2002# — relegated to Division I for 2002# - Group A :Group A was played in Grenoble, France between April 16 and April 22, 2001...

    , Team Canada, captain
  • 2002 Winter Olympics
    2002 Winter Olympics
    The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...

    , Team Canada, alternate captain, gold medal

External links

Note: While Peca was injured during (part of) the 1997–98 season, Donald Audette
Donald Audette
Donald Audette is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey forward who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League for the Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings, Atlanta Thrashers, Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens and Florida Panthers.-Playing career:He was drafted in the 9th round of the...

 served as captain.
Additionally, Peca sat out the 2000–01 NHL season, in a contract dispute (later asking for a trade). The Sabres captaincy remained vacant, until after Peca was traded.
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