Rico Fata

Last updated
Rico Fata
Rico Fata.jpg
Born (1980-02-12) February 12, 1980 (age 44)
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Position Right Wing
Shot Left
Played for Calgary Flames
New York Rangers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Atlanta Thrashers
Washington Capitals
Adler Mannheim
EHC Biel
Genève-Servette HC
HIFK
NHL draft 6th overall, 1998
Calgary Flames
Playing career 1999–2014

Rico Fata (born February 12, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played for the Calgary Flames, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Atlanta Thrashers and Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Contents

Playing career

As a youth, Fata played in the 1994 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. [1]

Fata's career started as a 15-year-old, when he played for his hometown Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). In the 1996 OHL Entry Draft, Fata was selected first overall by the last place London Knights. In his three seasons in London, the team became a contender, reaching the OHL Finals in 1999, but losing in seven games to the Belleville Bulls.

Rico Fata was drafted in the first round, sixth overall by the Calgary Flames in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. Despite his high draft position, he was not able to maintain a spot in the Flames lineup and mostly played in the American Hockey League (AHL). He won the Calder Cup with the Saint John Flames in 2001. He was placed on waivers by Calgary and was claimed by the New York Rangers. He spent one and a half seasons with the Rangers before going to the Pittsburgh Penguins in an eight–player trade. On January 31, 2006, the Atlanta Thrashers claimed him off waivers from the Penguins. On March 9, 2006, the Washington Capitals claimed him off waivers from the Thrashers. He played 10 games at the start of the 2006–07 NHL season with Washington before being waived through the league.[ citation needed ]

On November 8, 2006 Fata signed a contract with the Adler Mannheim of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). On September 8, 2008 he signed a contract with the EHC Biel. [2] On August 1, 2011 he signed a one-year contract with the Genève-Servette HC of the Swiss National League A, with an option for one more year. [3]

On June 17, 2013, after five seasons in the NLA, Fata left to sign a one-year contract with Finnish club, HIFK of the SM-liiga. [4]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1995–96 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds OHL 621115265240000
1996–97 London Knights OHL5919345376—————
1997–98 London KnightsOHL6443337611016951449
1998–99 London KnightsOHL23151833412510122242
1998–99 Calgary Flames NHL 200114—————
1999–00 Saint John Flames AHL 762929586530004
1999–00 Calgary FlamesNHL20000—————
2000–01 Saint John FlamesAHL702329521291923522
2000–01 Calgary FlamesNHL50006—————
2001–02 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL6135367136102574
2001–02 New York Rangers NHL100000—————
2002–03 Hartford Wolf PackAHL986146—————
2002–03 New York RangersNHL362466—————
2002–03 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL27581310—————
2003–04 Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL7316183454—————
2004–05 HC Asiago ITA 351820383610851310
2005–06 Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL2000010—————
2005–06 Wilkes–Barre/Scranton Penguins AHL258101839—————
2005–06 Atlanta Thrashers NHL60114—————
2005–06 Washington Capitals NHL213368—————
2006–07 Washington CapitalsNHL101122—————
2006–07 Adler Mannheim DEL 298101812112468
2007–08 Adler MannheimDEL53714216750222
2008–09 EHC Biel NLA 4518193744—————
2009–10 EHC BielNLA4115163128—————
2010–11 EHC BielNLA4713213416—————
2011–12 Genève–Servette HC NLA5017163326—————
2011–12 Lausanne HC NLB 10000—————
2012–13 Genève–Servette HCNLA41816242010002
2013–14 HIFK Liiga 102132—————
NHL totals230273663104—————
AHL totals24110311021327532481230
NLA totals224718815913410002

International

Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
World Junior Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1999 Winnipeg
YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
1999 Canada WJC Silver medal icon.svg71348
Junior totals71348

Awards and honours

AwardYear
American Hockey League
All-Rookie Team 2000
Second All-Star Team 2002

Personal life

Fata's brother Drew also played professional hockey and played eight games for the New York Islanders. [5]

After retiring as a player, Fata opened the Fast By Fata Hockey School. [6] Fata owns 2 Tim Hortons restaurants in Sault Ste. Marie. [7]

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References

  1. ↑ "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Retrieved 2019-02-10.
  2. ↑ "EHC Biel re-sign Fata for 2010/11" (in German). EHC Biel. 2009-08-17. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  3. ↑ "Rico Fata débarque" (in French). Genève-Servette HC. 2011-08-01. Retrieved 2011-08-01.
  4. ↑ "Rico Fata and Jason DeSantis transfer to HIFK" (in Finnish). HIFK. 2013-06-17. Archived from the original on 2013-06-20. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
  5. ↑ Drew Fata - Elite Prospects
  6. ↑ Russon, Randy (30 June 2014). "Ex-NHLer joins Batchewana Attack - Welcome to Hockey News North". Welcome to Hockey News North. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  7. ↑ Armstrong, Kenneth (3 August 2015). "Former NHLer to open city's newest Tim Hortons". SooToday.com. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
Preceded by Calgary Flames' first round draft pick
1998 		Succeeded by
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