Konopka during his tenure with the Lightning in 2010.
After three minor league seasons with various teams in the ECHL and AHL, Konopka made his NHL debut in 2005–2006, playing 23 games for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.[citation needed] After the Ducks were eliminated, he returned to Portland in the AHL, where he led all playoff scorers in power play goals and assists. In 2006–07, he returned to the minors, playing for Portland in the AHL. On January 26, 2007, he was traded by the Anaheim Ducks along with Curtis Glencross and a draft pick to the Blue Jackets in exchange for forwards Mark Hartigan, Joe Motzko and a draft pick. He played for Columbus's farm team in the AHL, the Syracuse Crunch, with occasional call-ups to the Blue Jackets.[citation needed]
On July 10, 2008, Konopka signed a two year-contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning as a free agent. In 2009, after a strong training camp, Konopka made the Lightning's roster out of training camp. On July 2, 2010, he signed with the New York Islanders as an unrestricted free agent.[2] Konopka was the most penalized player in the 2009–10 and 2010–11 NHL seasons.[citation needed]
On July 5, 2011, Konopka signed a one-year contract with the Ottawa Senators. During the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs, Konopka directed verbal abuse towards a New York Rangers player during a live television interview. Konopka was fined $2,500 by the NHL.[3]
On July 1, 2012, Konopka signed a two-year, $1.85-million contract with the Minnesota Wild. He reportedly had three offers on the table before accepting the deal with Minnesota.[4]
On January 3, 2014, Konopka was claimed off waivers by the Buffalo Sabres, with whom he remained until the end of the season.[5] On May 15, 2014, Konopka was suspended for 20 games following violation of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program after taking dehydroepiandrosterone on a doctor's suggestion.[6] His contract with the Sabres expired July 1, during the suspension, which meant that the term of the suspension was to be served at the beginning of any new contract.[6]
On January 30, 2015, Konopka signed with Ciarko PBS Bank KH Sanok of the PHL in Poland. As of June 2015, he was on tour with other professional journeymen hockey players in Australia. He planned on returning to North America after the tour ended in the hopes of returning to the NHL or, if unable to do that, an American minor league.[7]
On April 1, 2017, Konopka officially retired from hockey when he signed a one-day contract with the Syracuse Crunch to close out his career. Konopka had previously served as Syracuse's captain, and is considered one of the more popular players in team history. Before the game a ceremony featured a video from his former teammates, and the presentation of a lifetime key to the Crowne Plaza Syracuse.[8]
According to quanthockey, Konopka has the second best face-off win percentage in history, behind only Yanic Perreault.
Personal
Konopka is also an entrepreneur and owner of Prime Wine Products,[9] and partners with local charities to help children's programs.[10] Konopka also owns and operates Konopka Co-Packing, a packaging company that employs over 20 workers.[7] He was once part-owner in an Ottawa bar-restaurant called "Stout Bros."[11] and has run the "Zenon Konopka Hockey Academy" in Ottawa since 2007.[12]
Konopka also has a black pet rabbit, Hoppy, and maintains an Instagram and a Twitter account [13] for his pet, who has relocated with him since 2006. Konopka told Fox Sports North that he never wanted a rabbit as a child, but a friend suggested one as Konopka is allergic to cats and dogs. "I can't help that I fell in love with the little guy ... the guy's pretty cool. He just chills around, has his litter box, does his business there and he's pretty soothing to come home to."[14] Konopka also has a specially made hockey jersey made for Hoppy for each team he plays for.[15]
Konopka is of Polish descent. His father was born in Poland.[16] His mother is a native of Buffalo, New York.[17] Konopka's sister, Cynthia, sang the national anthems at Scotiabank Place before the Senators' game on January 16, 2012.[18]
Patrick Lalime is a Canadian ice hockey commentator and former professional ice hockey player who played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues, Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres. Lalime retired from playing in 2011 to join the Réseau des sports (RDS) television network covering the Ottawa Senators, but has since left RDS to cover the Montreal Canadiens and the NHL for TVA Sports.
Joël Bouchard is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He played in the National Hockey League with eight teams for parts of 11 seasons. He is currently serving as the head coach of the American Hockey League's Syracuse Crunch, the minor league affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Jarkko Samuli Ruutu ; born August 23, 1975) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey forward who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators and Anaheim Ducks. He is currently serving as a European development coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Ronald Frederick Bradley Tugnutt is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Tugnutt played several seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Quebec Nordiques, Edmonton Oilers, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Dallas Stars. While a member of the Nordiques on March 21, 1991, Tugnutt set a modern-day NHL record for most saves in a regular-season game when he stopped 70 of 73 shots in a 3–3 tie with the Boston Bruins.
Eric Boguniecki is an American former National Hockey League player.
David A. Legwand is an American former professional ice hockey forward who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was the first player ever drafted by the Nashville Predators, with whom he spent 12 full seasons and set several franchise records. He finished the final three seasons of his career split between the Predators, Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres.
Brian Joseph Gionta is an American former professional ice hockey player who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Gionta began his NHL career in 2001 with the New Jersey Devils and has served as captain of the Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres. He also was the captain for the United States in the 2018 Winter Olympics, for which he stepped away from the NHL for most of its 2017–18 season. After the Olympics, he briefly played for the Boston Bruins, and retired following their elimination from the playoffs.
Thomas Vanek is an Austrian former professional ice hockey winger who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, and Vancouver Canucks. Vanek was drafted by the Sabres fifth overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, making him the highest-drafted Austrian player in NHL history along with David Reinbacher in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
Cody Bass is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played for the Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets and Nashville Predators in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Senators drafted Bass in the fourth round, 95th overall during the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.
Timothy L. Connolly is an American former professional ice hockey player who played 11 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Antoine Vermette is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played for 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Shane Hnidy is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Between 2000 and 2011, he played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Ottawa Senators, Nashville Predators, Atlanta Thrashers, Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, and Minnesota Wild. He is currently part of the Vegas Golden Knights broadcast team on Scripps Sports.
Joseph V. DiPenta is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. DiPenta played 4 seasons in the National Hockey League and 8 seasons in the American Hockey League. He is one of only few hockey players to have won both the Calder Cup and Stanley Cup during their career.
Ryan Patrick Shannon is a former American professional ice hockey player, who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). He is currently serving as the head coach of the boys varsity ice hockey team at the Taft School.
André Benoit is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played for several professional teams including the Ottawa Senators, Colorado Avalanche, Buffalo Sabres and the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL), Södertälje SK, Tappara and Malmö Redhawks in Europe, as well as Spartak Moscow of the KHL.
Harrison Zolnierczyk is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. Zolnierczyk was never drafted into the National Hockey League (NHL) but played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders, Anaheim Ducks and Nashville Predators.
Patrick Sieloff is an American professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for Kölner Haie of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He was selected by the Calgary Flames in the second round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. He has also played for the Ottawa Senators.
Christopher Wagner is an American professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). Wagner was selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the fifth round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Casey Bailey is an American professional ice hockey player. He is currently an unrestricted free agent who most recently played with ERC Ingolstadt in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Bailey played college hockey with the Penn State Nittany Lions and is the first Penn State player to play in the NHL. Bailey played 13 games in the NHL for the Toronto Maple Leafs, whom he signed with out of college, and the Ottawa Senators.
Kyle Criscuolo is an American professional ice hockey forward for the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL).
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
