Marek Svatos

Lore & Background

Svatoš was drafted 227th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2001 NHL entry draft. He played his first NHL games for the Avalanche in the 2003–04 season. Following a strong performance in the Avalanche's second-round loss in the playoffs, he returned to the Avalanche's AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, during the 2004 NHL lockout. Svatoš recorded his first career hat trick in the NHL against the Calgary Flames in a 7–3 win on 10 October 2005.

He was chosen to play in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, as part of the Slovak national team. On 9 March 2006, it was announced that Svatoš sustained a fracture to his right shoulder that forced him to miss the rest of the 2005–06 season. At the time of his injury, Svatoš led the NHL in game-winning goals with nine, which tied an NHL record for game-winning goals by a rookie. He was also one of the top rookie scorers with 32 goals in 61 games.

Svatoš' numbers dropped in 2006–07, his second season, as he recorded 15 goals and 15 assists in 66 games while suffering a recurring groin injury throughout the season. Svatoš was leading the Avalanche with 26 goals during the 2007–08 campaign when he suffered a torn ACL in a game against the Los Angeles Kings on 1 March 2008. Svatoš missed the final sixteen games of the season and the additional playoff series, but still placed second in goals on the team.

On 25 July 2008, Svatoš re-signed with the Avalanche for a further two years, avoiding arbitration scheduled on the same day. He managed to return to the opening night roster for the 2008–09 season, recovering from his ACL tear gradually as the season went on. He played in 69 games with the Avalanche before injuring his hand on 7 April 2009, in a 0–1 overtime loss against the San Jose Sharks in San Jose, ending his play with three games left in the season.

His 14 goals tied Wojtek Wolski for fourth on the Western Conference last-placed Avalanche. In the 2009–10 season, Svatoš was limited to 54 games, again missing 18 games through groin and chest injuries. With a sixth consecutive NHL season affected by injury, he suffered from a loss of form, and under new coach Joe Sacco was relegated to a reserve role and recorded a career-low 7 goals and 11 points.

Reader's Guide

Marek Svatoš was a Slovak winger who played mostly for the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL. He tied an NHL rookie record with nine game-winning goals in 2005–06. His 100th career NHL goal came on March 27, 2011, for the Ottawa Senators. He died on November 5, 2016.

Did You Know?

• His 100th career NHL goal was scored on March 27, 2011, for the Ottawa Senators in a defeat against the Atlanta Thrashers.
• He died on 5 November 2016 at age 34.