Miroslav Šatan

Pre-NHL

In 1991–92, he played for the local HC Topolcany and did remarkably well, as he scored 30 goals and had 22 assists in just 31 games. He then graduated to the senior division within the same year. When he became 18, he joined HC Dukla Trenčín rather than enter compulsory army service for Slovakia (which stopped in 2006). He played there in the 1992–93 and 93–94 seasons, honing his craft as a forward.

Edmonton Oilers

Šatan was drafted 111th overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers. Prior to his entry into the NHL, he played in the Czechoslovak and Slovak leagues and he had scored nine goals in eight games representing Slovakia at the 1994 Winter Olympic Games.

In 1994–95, Šatan played a season in the minor leagues, split between four teams including the Oilers' farm club in Cape Breton and the IHL's Detroit Vipers. While with the Vipers, he scored the winning goal in an exhibition game against Wayne Gretzky's Ninety-Niners, an all-star team put together by Gretzky during the 1994 NHL lockout.

Buffalo Sabres

After two seasons with the Oilers, the winger was traded to the Buffalo Sabres for Craig Millar and Barrie Moore. He would lead the Sabres in scoring on six occasions. During the 2004–05 NHL labor dispute, Šatan played for Slovan Bratislava in the Slovak Extraliga. After the lockout, Šatan was not offered a contract by the Sabres.

New York Islanders

Šatan signed as a free agent with the New York Islanders on August 3, 2005. He led the Islanders in goals in the 2005–06 season. His 35 goals during the season were his highest goal-output since the 2001–02 season with the Buffalo Sabres. Almost half his 35 goals came on the power play (17), also a career personal best. Šatan tied for the team lead in points with 66, shared with captain Alexei Yashin. Also in 2005–06, Šatan went seven for ten (70%) and was third in the league in shooting percentage in the shootout.

On December 2, 2006, he scored his 300th career goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Earlier in the season, he had recorded his 300th career assist and his 600th career point.

On March 24, 2007, Šatan missed the Islanders' game in Philadelphia for personal reasons, ending a streak of having played in 305 consecutive games. It was the fourth longest active streak at the time, and marked the second time in his career that he has played over 250 consecutive games. He had a 256-game streak as a member of the Buffalo Sabres that ended in November 2002.

Pittsburgh Penguins

On July 3, 2008, Šatan signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. During the 2008–09 season, Šatan was placed on waivers by Pittsburgh on March 4, 2009, the same day as the NHL trade deadline, and not long after playing in his 1000th game. Having not been claimed by another team, Šatan was assigned to the Penguins' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. In Wilkes-Barre, Šatan had three goals and nine points in 10 games. Various reports credited him with being upbeat and a good influence, especially with the younger players.

On April 10, 2009, Šatan was recalled by Pittsburgh and cleared re-entry waivers. Miroslav re-established himself with the Penguins in the playoffs when he played against the Washington Capitals in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals on April 23, 2009. He then played in nine games and won his first ever Stanley Cup championship as a member of the Penguins.

The Penguins did not re-sign Šatan when his contract expired at the end of the season and he was not signed during the free agency period.

Boston Bruins

On January 2, 2010, Šatan signed a US $700,000 deal with the Boston Bruins for the remainder of the 2009–10 season. The deal includes a no movement clause. He saw his first action in a game vs the Ottawa Senators on January 5 finishing as a plus two. He scored his first a goal as a Bruin on January 7, 2010 against Chicago Blackhawks goalie Antti Niemi. On April 21, 2010, he scored the game-winning goal in double overtime to beat the Buffalo Sabres to take a 3–1 lead in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. On April 26, 2010, Šatan buried the series winning goal over the Buffalo Sabres with 5:11 remaining.

Dynamo Moscow

At the beginning of 2011, Šatan moved to the KHL's Dynamo Moscow, signing a contract until the end of 2010–11 season. However, the club decided to not renew his contract upon its expiry.

Slovan Bratislava

On September 8, 2011, Šatan moved to the Slovak Extraliga, signing with Slovan Bratislava. Next season, HC Slovan moved from Slovak Extraliga to KHL and Miroslav Šatan became the captain of his team. He was badly injured by his former team-mate Zdeno Chára in a match against HC Lev Praha on 3 November 2012. Šatan said that he didn't know if he would play another hockey match in his life. Šatan would return to play in the 2013 IIHF World Championship.

Retirement

Miroslav Šatan announced his retirement from professional hockey on May 20, 2014 at the age of 39.

Personal life

Šatan grew up in Topoľčany, Slovakia. He married his long-time girlfriend Ingrid in 2004. They have a son, Miroslav Jr., born in March 2006 and a daughter, Viktoria, born in July 2009. He lives in Jericho, NY.

Awards

Records

International play

Šatan captained the Slovakian national team to gold, silver, and bronze in multiple world championships: