Wojtek Wolski

Junior

Wolski was drafted in the first round, 21st overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche. It was originally believed that he would be the 10th-15th pick, but some teams passed on him because he was charged with assault causing bodily harm by Toronto police shortly before the draft. Wolski allegedly beat and hospitalized another young man his age at a birthday party. The case was dismissed when it was learned that Wolski was defending his girlfriend, who had been pushed off a porch.

Prior to being drafted, Wolski attended St. Michael's College School and played for the Buzzers hockey team in 2001–02. Before making the Avalanche roster, he recorded 14 franchise records as a member of the OHL's Brampton Battalion, and earned the award for Ontario Hockey League (OHL)'s Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2006. Wolski was the OHL Player of the Month an unprecedented four months in a row (December, January, February, and March). He was also an Alternate captain for Ontario's Under-17 team at the 2003 Canada Winter Games. Wolski suited up for Team Canada in the 2004 Canada/Russia Series and was voted Player of the Game (Team Cherry) for 2004 CHL Top Prospects Game.

Professional

Wolski made his Avalanche debut in the 2006 playoffs and marked a sensational debut with three points (one goal, two assists). In his first full professional season, Wolski played in the NHL YoungStars Game on January 23, 2007, a part of the 55th National Hockey League All-Star Game festivities held in Dallas. He recorded two points (two assists) for the Western Conference.

In the 2008-09 season, Wolski demonstrated his scoring talent in shootouts. At season's end, he would score 10 times out of 12 attempts, establishing a single season record in percentage of shootout goals scored. His 14 goals and 28 assists would be good enough to finish third on the Avs with 42 points, behind Milan Hejduk and Ryan Smyth.

On March 3, 2010, Wolski was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes for Peter Mueller and Kevin Porter. In his first game with the Coyotes, he scored the game-winning goal against his former team, the Avalanche, with just 22 seconds left in the 3rd period. Three days later, in his second game with the Coyotes, he scored again in a 4-0 win against the Anaheim Ducks. On June 28, 2010, Wolski resigned a two-year contract with the Phoenix Coyotes. Since joining Phoenix, he switched from the number 8 he wore in Colorado (already in use by Scottie Upshall) to number 86, becoming the second NHL player to wear that number (Jonathan Ferland played 7 games for Montreal in 2006 wearing number 86).

In the 2010-11 season, Wolski failed to recapture his scoring pace from after last years trade from Colorado. With a steadily diminished role with the Coyotes he was traded for the second time within a year to the New York Rangers for Michal Rozsival on January 10, 2011. Wolski also failed to click with the Rangers, building a reputation as a player who "would rather not play in tough areas to score", he was a healthy scratch on more than one occasion.

On February 25, 2012, Wolski was traded to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a Michael Vernace and a third round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

Wolski joined his fifth team in just over two years when he signed a one-year $600,000 free agent deal with the Washington Capitals for the 2012-13 season on July 11, 2012.

During the 2012 NHL lockout, Wolski joined Ciarko PBS Bank KH Sanok, the top team at the time in the PLH, the top-tier hockey league in Poland. He rejoined the Washington Capitals at the start of the NHL season, but wasn't utilized much by the Capitals during the lockout-shortened season. Wolski produced four goals and five assists in 27 games with the Caps.

He signed with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the Kontinental Hockey League on May 20, 2013. After two successful seasons within Novgorod, he moved to Metallurg Magnitogorsk in signing a lucrative two-year deal on May 1, 2015. Wolski won the Gagarin Cup in 2016, his first season with Metallurg. On October 13, 2016, Wolski broke his neck and suffered a concussion in a freak accident during the game between Metallurg and Barys Astana, which left him unable to play for the rest of the season.

Personal life

Wolski left Poland with his parents and older brother Kordian in 1989. Two years later, by way of West Germany, they finally landed in Toronto, Ontario. He learned how to skate at a local outdoor skating rink in Etobicoke using his brother's skates, which were a few sizes too big. In order to make them fit, he would wear three pairs of socks and stuff the front of the boot with newspapers. The first NHL game he attended as a young boy was one with the Colorado Avalanche facing the Toronto Maple Leafs at Maple Leaf Gardens. He followed the Avalanche as his favorite team ever since then, and grew to idolize future teammate Joe Sakic before coincidentally being drafted by Colorado himself. During 2006–07 Wolski dated Canadian actress Ashley Leggat while playing for the Avalanche.

Brampton Battalion franchise records