Zack Fitzgerald
Encyclopedia
Zackary John Fitzgerald is an American professional ice hockey defenseman who currently plays for the Hamilton Bulldogs
of the American Hockey League
. He played major junior hockey for the Seattle Thunderbirds
in the Western Hockey League
WHL, where he was drafted by the NHL's St. Louis Blues
in the third round, 88th overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft
. Fitzgerald began his professional career in the Blues organization before he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks
, ultimately playing his lone NHL game for the Canucks in 2007–08.
in the Western Hockey League
(WHL). Were he be came a physical presence and learn the art of fighting, stating that “When I got into junior I didn’t know anything about fighting and the doors just kind of opened to it. We had a pretty tough team and I always played physical when I was young so fighting just became a part of my game.” Thanks to his willingness to drop the gloves Fitzgerald led the Thunderbirds in PIMs
twice during his four year stay, he was second on the team in his other two years, and led the league with 244 penalty minutes for the 2004–05 season. Following the 2002–03 WHL season, which Fitzgerald finished fourth in the league with 232 PIMs in 64 games, the St. Louis Blues drafted Fitzgerald in the 3rd round number 88 overall.
in the American Hockey League
(AHL) in 2005–06, however he split the season between Peoria and the Alaska Aces in the ECHL
. He continued to play in both leagues the following season before he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks
for Francois-Pierre Guenette in August 2007.
Thanks to a blue-line opening created by injuries and call-ups, Fitzgerald received more playing time with Vancouver’s AHL affiliate the Manitoba Moose
. The additional ice time allowed Fitzgerald to refine his game causing his then coach Scott Arniel
to say "He's had an opportunity to play and play regularly and his game has been very good. He's been very responsible in our end of the rink, he's done a great job of making that first pass and you can see he has confidence because he's playing a lot. I think what he's trying to do is show people that he's more than just a fighter." Fitzgerald was also called up to the NHL
during the 2007–08 season; he played one game for Vancouver against the Dallas Stars
on February 5, 2008.
Following the 2008–09 season
, Fitzgerald was not re-signed by the Canucks despite leading the Moose in PIMs, setting AHL career highs in assists
and PIMs, being third on the team amongst defensemen at +13, and playing in 16 playoff games. On July 15, 2009 he signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Carolina Hurricanes
. Fitzgerald attended Carolina's training camp but was assigned to their AHL affiliate the Albany River Rats
. Fitzgerald set several career highs with the River Rats during the 2009–10
season including, games played (77), assists (12), points (14), and PIMs (311). His 311 PIMs lead the AHL. For the 2010–11 season
Carolina changed AHL affiliates. As member of the Charlotte Checkers Fitzgerald recorded 8 assists and led the team with 229 PIMs, which also ranked him ninth in the league. After two seasons in the Hurricanes system Fitzgerald left via free agency and signed a one year deal with the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs
.
Hamilton Bulldogs
The Hamilton Bulldogs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, at Copps Coliseum, nicknamed 'The Dog Pound'. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens...
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...
. He played major junior hockey for the Seattle Thunderbirds
Seattle Thunderbirds
The Seattle Thunderbirds are a junior ice hockey team based in Kent, a suburb of Seattle, Washington. They are part of the U.S. Division of the Western Hockey League, and play in the ShoWare Center...
in the Western Hockey League
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...
WHL, where he was drafted by the NHL's St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
in the third round, 88th overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft
2003 NHL Entry Draft
The 2003 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee on June 21, 2003.Marc-Andre Fleury was selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins, only the third goalie in NHL history selected as the first overall draft choice...
. Fitzgerald began his professional career in the Blues organization before he was traded to 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,...
, ultimately playing his lone NHL game for the Canucks in 2007–08.
Juniors
Fitzgerald played for the Seattle ThunderbirdsSeattle Thunderbirds
The Seattle Thunderbirds are a junior ice hockey team based in Kent, a suburb of Seattle, Washington. They are part of the U.S. Division of the Western Hockey League, and play in the ShoWare Center...
in the Western Hockey League
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...
(WHL). Were he be came a physical presence and learn the art of fighting, stating that “When I got into junior I didn’t know anything about fighting and the doors just kind of opened to it. We had a pretty tough team and I always played physical when I was young so fighting just became a part of my game.” Thanks to his willingness to drop the gloves Fitzgerald led the Thunderbirds in PIMs
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,...
twice during his four year stay, he was second on the team in his other two years, and led the league with 244 penalty minutes for the 2004–05 season. Following the 2002–03 WHL season, which Fitzgerald finished fourth in the league with 232 PIMs in 64 games, the St. Louis Blues drafted Fitzgerald in the 3rd round number 88 overall.
Professional
Fitzgerald made his professional debut for the Peoria RivermenPeoria 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:...
in 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...
(AHL) in 2005–06, however he split the season between Peoria and the Alaska Aces in the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
. He continued to play in both leagues the following season before he was traded to 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,...
for Francois-Pierre Guenette in August 2007.
Thanks to a blue-line opening created by injuries and call-ups, Fitzgerald received more playing time with Vancouver’s AHL affiliate the Manitoba Moose
Manitoba Moose
The Manitoba Moose were a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba that played in the International Hockey League from 1996 to 2001 and American Hockey League from 2001 to 2011. The team moved to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in 2011 to become the St...
. The additional ice time allowed Fitzgerald to refine his game causing his then coach Scott Arniel
Scott Arniel
Scott William Arniel , is a Canadian professional ice hockey head coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League . Arniel was awarded the Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award as American Hockey League coach of the year in 2009, his third year as an AHL coach...
to say "He's had an opportunity to play and play regularly and his game has been very good. He's been very responsible in our end of the rink, he's done a great job of making that first pass and you can see he has confidence because he's playing a lot. I think what he's trying to do is show people that he's more than just a fighter." Fitzgerald was also called up to 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...
during the 2007–08 season; he played one game for Vancouver against the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
on February 5, 2008.
Following the 2008–09 season
2008–09 AHL season
The 2008–09 AHL season is the 73rd season of the American Hockey League. 29 teams each played 80 games in the regular season, which ran from October 8 until April 12.-Team and NHL affiliation changes:...
, Fitzgerald was not re-signed by the Canucks despite leading the Moose in PIMs, setting AHL career highs in assists
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...
and PIMs, being third on the team amongst defensemen at +13, and playing in 16 playoff games. On July 15, 2009 he signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
. Fitzgerald attended Carolina's training camp but was assigned to their AHL affiliate the Albany River Rats
Albany River Rats
The Albany River Rats were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Albany, New York at the Times Union Center.- Founding to 2010 :...
. Fitzgerald set several career highs with the River Rats during the 2009–10
2009–10 AHL season
The 2009–10 AHL season was the 74th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 regular-season games each from October 2 to April 11...
season including, games played (77), assists (12), points (14), and PIMs (311). His 311 PIMs lead the AHL. For 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...
Carolina changed AHL affiliates. As member of the Charlotte Checkers Fitzgerald recorded 8 assists and led the team with 229 PIMs, which also ranked him ninth in the league. After two seasons in the Hurricanes system Fitzgerald left via free agency and signed a one year deal with the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs
Hamilton Bulldogs
The Hamilton Bulldogs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, at Copps Coliseum, nicknamed 'The Dog Pound'. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens...
.
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 | ||
| 2001–02 2001-02 WHL season The 2001–02 WHL season was the 36th season for the Western Hockey League. Nineteen teams completed a 72 game season. The Kootenay Ice won the President's Cup before going on to win the Memorial Cup.-League notes:... |
Seattle Thunderbirds Seattle Thunderbirds The Seattle Thunderbirds are a junior ice hockey team based in Kent, a suburb of Seattle, Washington. They are part of the U.S. Division of the Western Hockey League, and play in the ShoWare Center... |
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... |
61 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 214 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 19 | ||
| 2002–03 2002-03 WHL season The 2002–03 WHL season was the 37th season for the Western Hockey League. 19 teams completed a 72 game season. The Kelowna Rockets won the President's Cup.-Eastern Conference:-Western Conference:* Prince George Crosses over into U.S... |
Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 64 | 8 | 14 | 22 | 232 | 15 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 33 | ||
| 2003–04 2003-04 WHL season The 2003–04 WHL season was the 38th season for the Western Hockey League. Twenty teams completed a 72 game season. The Medicine Hat Tigers won the President's Cup, while the host Kelowna Rockets won the Memorial Cup.-League notes:... |
Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 58 | 4 | 15 | 19 | 163 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 2004-05 WHL season The 2004–05 WHL season was the 39th season for the Western Hockey League. Twenty teams completed a 72 game schedule. The Kelowna Rockets won the President's Cup.-Eastern Conference:-Western Conference:-Scoring leaders:... |
Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 65 | 7 | 18 | 25 | 244 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 24 | ||
| 2005–06 2005-06 ECHL season The 2005–06 ECHL season is the 18th season of the East Coast Hockey League, ECHL, a professional ice-hockey league based in the United States. The season ran from late October, 2005 to early June, 2006... |
Alaska Aces | ECHL ECHL The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States... |
12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 108 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | 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:... |
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... |
13 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 47 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Peoria Rviermen | AHL | 29 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 86 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 2006-07 ECHL season The 2006–07 ECHL season was the 19th season of the ECHL. Two teams returned to the ECHL after suspensions: the Texas Wildcatters and the Cincinnati Cyclones The 2006–07 ECHL season was the 19th season of the ECHL. Two teams returned to the ECHL after suspensions: the Texas Wildcatters (who had... |
Alaska Aces | ECHL | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 48 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 82 | ||
| 2007–08 | Manitoba Moose Manitoba Moose The Manitoba Moose were a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba that played in the International Hockey League from 1996 to 2001 and American Hockey League from 2001 to 2011. The team moved to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in 2011 to become the St... |
AHL | 48 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 158 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | ||
| 2007–08 2007-08 NHL season The 2007–08 NHL season was the 91st season of operation of the National Hockey League . It began on September 29, 2007, with the regular season ending April 6, 2008... |
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 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Manitoba Moose | AHL | 56 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 209 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14 | ||
| 2009–10 | Albany River Rats Albany River Rats The Albany River Rats were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Albany, New York at the Times Union Center.- Founding to 2010 :... |
AHL | 77 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 311 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11 | Charlotte Checkers | AHL | 76 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 229 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 32 | ||
| AHL totals | 299 | 8 | 34 | 42 | 1040 | 31 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 60 | ||||
| NHL totals | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||