Erik Condra

Lore & Background

Condra played youth hockey with the Detroit Honeybaked team in the 2000 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. He played junior hockey for the Texarkana Bandits of the NAHL in 2003–04, leading the club in points with 20 goals and 44 points in 56 games. The following season he moved to the Lincoln Stars of the USHL, tying for the team lead with 30 goals and finishing second with 60 points in 60 games, helping the Stars reach the playoffs.

Condra played college hockey at the University of Notre Dame in the CCHA from 2005–06 through 2008–09, leading the Fighting Irish in scoring all four seasons. He studied pre-med in psychology. After being drafted by the Ottawa Senators in 2006, he turned professional in 2009–10 with the Binghamton Senators of the AHL. He made his NHL debut on February 15, 2011, recording an assist in a 4–3 shootout loss to the New York Islanders. His first NHL goals came on February 26, 2011, when he scored twice against Brian Boucher in a 4–1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.

Condra signed a three-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning on July 1, 2015. He had previous ties to Lightning head coach Jon Cooper, who coached him in Texarkana. On October 8, 2015, Condra played his 300th NHL game in a 3–2 overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers, which was also the first-ever three-on-three regular season overtime game under the new format. He later served as captain of the Syracuse Crunch, the Lightning's AHL affiliate. After three seasons with Tampa Bay, he signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Dallas Stars on July 1, 2018, and spent most of the season with their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, leading the team in scoring with 20 goals and 54 points in 71 games. He finished his playing career with the Colorado Eagles of the AHL in 2019–20, registering 16 goals and 35 points in 53 games before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reader's Guide

Erik Condra's NHL career spanned 372 games across three teams, but his most notable contributions came as a dependable defensive forward for the Ottawa Senators, where he established himself in his first full NHL season in 2011–12. His college career at Notre Dame was distinguished by leading the Fighting Irish in scoring for four consecutive seasons, a rare achievement that highlighted his consistent offensive production at the collegiate level. Condra's professional journey included winning the Calder Cup with the Binghamton Senators in 2011, where he contributed 5 goals and 17 points in 23 playoff games. His time with the Tampa Bay Lightning organization included being named captain of the Syracuse Crunch in 2017, reflecting his leadership role in the AHL. After his playing career ended, Condra transitioned into coaching, being hired as a player development coach by the Chicago Blackhawks on November 23, 2020. His career illustrates a path from college standout to NHL role player and then to coaching, with his experience in both the NHL and AHL providing a foundation for his current work developing young players.

Did You Know?

• He studied pre-med in psychology while at the University of Notre Dame.
• Condra scored his first NHL goal twice in one game against Brian Boucher on February 26, 2011.
• His cousin Anders Bjork also played hockey at Notre Dame and was drafted by the Boston Bruins.