Jozef Balej

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Jozef Balej
Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena (39830485114).jpg
Born (1982-02-22) February 22, 1982 (age 43)
Myjava, Czechoslovakia
Height 6 ft 0 [1] [2] [3]  in (183 cm)
Weight 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position Right Wing
Shot Right
Played for Montreal Canadiens
New York Rangers
Vancouver Canucks
HC Fribourg-Gottéron
HC Oceláři Třinec
HC Kometa Brno
HC Slovan Bratislava
HC Plzeň
Piráti Chomutov
ŠHK 37 Piešťany
HC Ambrì-Piotta
KHL Medveščak Zagreb
MsHK Zilina
EHC Freiburg
NHL draft 78th overall, 2000
Montreal Canadiens
Playing career 20022020

Jozef Balej (born February 22, 1982) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey right winger. He was selected in the third round, 78th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. Balej also played for the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks.

Contents

Playing career

As a youth, Balej played in the 1995 and 1996 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a team from Bratislava. [4]

Balej left his native Slovakia in 1998 to develop his game in North America, and spent a season in the USHL before moving to the Portland Winter Hawks of the Western Hockey League. After a solid first season in Portland in which he recorded 22 goals, Balej was selected 78th overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. He would spend two more seasons in Portland, turning in a dominant performance in 2001–02 with 51 goals in 65 games.[ citation needed ]

Signed by Montreal, Balej turned pro in 2002 and spent the 2002–03 season in the AHL, where he struggled, recording just 5 goals and 20 points in 56 games. While he possessed dynamic speed and a heavy shot, the slightly built Balej struggled with the bigger, stronger pro game and took time to adjust. However, he showed marked improvement in 2003–04, scoring 25 goals and 58 points in 55 games, and earned a four-game callup to Montreal. [5]

At the trade deadline near the end of the 03–04 season, Balej was traded to the New York Rangers as the centerpiece of a deal for star winger Alexei Kovalev. With the Rangers out of the playoff picture, he was given an extended look in New York, appearing in 13 games and scoring his first NHL goal and adding 4 assists for 5 points. At the conclusion of the season, he was reassigned to the Hartford Wolfpack of the AHL for the playoffs where he scored 9 goals and 16 points in 16 games. He continued to play for Hartford during the 2004–05 NHL lockout, but had a disappointing year with 20 goals and 42 points in 69 games.[ citation needed ]

At the start of the 2005–06 season, Balej was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks with a 6th round draft pick in 2008 for Fedor Fedorov. He played well for the AHL Manitoba Moose to start the season, and earned a one-game callup to the Canucks, in which he played well and recorded an assist. However, shortly after his return to Manitoba he suffered a gruesome injury when he crashed into the boards and harpooned himself in the midsection with his stick. The blow crushed his kidney and caused severe internal bleeding, and was initially feared to be career-threatening. [6] However, he battled back to return for the end of the season and the playoffs.[ citation needed ]

Balej was given a qualifying offer by the Canucks to return for the 2006–07 season, but opted instead to sign in Switzerland for HC Fribourg-Gottéron, where he recorded 13 goals and 30 points in 37 games. Balej re-signed with the Canucks for 2007–08, but suffered through an injury-plagued year in the minors in which he appeared in only 16 games.[ citation needed ]

In 2008, Balej signed with HC Oceláři Třinec of the Czech league. Unfortunately, injuries have continued to plague his career, as he has been limited to only 52 appearances in two years with Oceláři Třinec.[ citation needed ]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1996–97 Dukla Trenčín SVK U185131255636
1997–98Dukla TrenčínSVK U185257409760
1998–99 Thunder Bay Flyers USHL 3887159
1998–99 Rochester Mustangs USHL170112
1999–2000 Portland Winter Hawks WHL 6522234533
2000–01 Portland Winter HawksWHL46322153181669156
2001–02 Portland Winter HawksWHL655141925270226
2002–03 Hamilton Bulldogs AHL 56515202931012
2003–04 Hamilton BulldogsAHL5525335832
2003–04 Montreal Canadiens NHL 40000
2003–04 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL51342116971610
2003–04 New York Rangers NHL131454
2004–05 Hartford Wolf PackAHL692022424660004
2005–06 Vancouver Canucks NHL10110
2005–06 Manitoba Moose AHL391415292041014
2006–07 HC Fribourg–Gottéron NLA 3713173044
2007–08 Manitoba MooseAHL16491310
2008–09 HC Oceláři Třinec ELH 391710274053032
2009–10 HC Oceláři TřinecELH13459652136
2010–11 HC Kometa Brno ELH271041412
2011–12 HC Slovan Bratislava SVK 2056118
2011–12 HC Kometa BrnoELH2523512173146
2012–13 HC Škoda Plzeň ELH41158231673254
2013–14 Piráti Chomutov ELH37861416
2014–15 HC Škoda PlzeňELH4766122820110
2015–16 ŠHK 37 Piešťany SVK18961526
2015–16 HC Red Ice SUI.2 281316293384596
2016–17 HC Red IceSUI.2432222442653476
2017–18 KHL Medveščak Zagreb AUT 3098171260226
2018–19 MsHK DOXXbet Žilina SVK31381118
2018–19 EHC Freiburg GER.2 85274
2019–20 EHC FreiburgGER.242024
AHL totals2406997166158291171820
NHL totals181564
ELH totals22962421041305116112724

International

YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
2000 Slovakia WJC18 5th60554
2001 Slovakia WJC 8th73364
Junior totals1338118

Awards and honors

AwardYear
WHL
West First All-Star Team 2002
CHL Second All-Star Team2002
AHL
All-Star Game 2004 [7]

References

  1. https://www.nhl.com/cs/player/jozef-balej-8468558 [ bare URL ]
  2. "HC Kometa Brno » Profil hráče » Jozef Balej #".
  3. "Piráti Chomutov » Profil hráče » Jozef Balej".
  4. "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-02-10.
  5. "Highlight-reel goal scored with the Hamilton Bulldogs". YouTube. 2004-02-03. Retrieved 2010-04-05.
  6. "Balej career in doubt after injury". Canoe.ca. 2006-02-09. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved 2006-02-09.
  7. "Canadian AHL All-Stars 9, PlanetUSA AHL All-Stars 5". American Hockey League. February 9, 2004. Retrieved January 22, 2020.