Alek Stojanov

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Position	Right Wing
Shot	Left
Height Weight	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 230 lb (104 kg/16 st 6 lb)
Pro clubs	Vancouver Canucks Pittsburgh Penguins
Nationality	Canada
Born	April 25, 1973 (1973-04-25) (age 35), Windsor, ON, CAN
NHL Draft	7th overall, 1991 Vancouver Canucks
Pro career	1994 – 1997

Alek Stojanov (born April 25, 1973 in Windsor, Ontario) is a retired professional ice hockey player who spent three seasons in the National Hockey League. He is best known for his trade from Vancouver to Pittsburgh in exchange for Markus Näslund, in what is recognized as one of the most lopsided trades in the history of the NHL.

[edit] Playing career

Stojanov was selected 7th overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the Vancouver Canucks, a single selection after superstar Peter Forsberg was taken by the Philadelphia Flyers. The 6'4" Stojanov had crafted a fearsome reputation in junior hockey, and impressed scouts by pummeling the much-hyped Eric Lindros in a fight during their draft year. He also possessed a soft pair of hands and a nice scoring touch around the net, scoring 25 goals for the Hamilton Dukes, and earned comparisons to Bob Probert, considered the NHL's top enforcer at the time.

Stojanov's Duke team then relocated to Guelph and became the Storm where he had an injury-plagued 1991–92 campaign. Stojanov's club went 4–51–11 in what amounted to an expansion team, however, the first rounder only played in 33 of 66 games that season.

In 1992–93, Stojanov was traded mid-way through the season to the Newmarket Royals for RW Ryan Vanden Bussche, Mike Prokopec and a draft choice. Stojanov collected 55 points in 35 games as the rebuilding Storm moved the then 19-year old for youth. He played parts of the 1992–93 season in Guelph with 16-year old rookie, Jeff O'Neill and sophomore Todd Bertuzzi.

At the conclusion of the season, he turned pro and joined the Hamilton Canucks, Vancouver's American Hockey League affiliate, and impressed by scoring 4 goals in his first 4 games. However, a shoulder injury would require major surgical reconstruction and he missed almost the entire 1993–94 campaign as a result, and never again showed the offensive touch he had earlier in his career.

In 1994–95, Stojanov recorded 18 goals and 270 penalty minutes for the Syracuse Crunch, and earned himself a four-game callup to the NHL. He was also kept on Vancouver's roster for the NHL playoffs, and appeared in the first 5 playoff games of his career.

For the 1995–96 campaign, Stojanov cracked the Canucks' roster full-time as the team's enforcer, appearing in 58 games and recording a single assist. His highlight as a Canuck was probably an epic fight with Kelly Chase of the Hartford Whalers. However, at the trade deadline, Stojanov was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Markus Näslund. He scored his first NHL goal in his Penguin debut, and finished the year with a goal and two points in 68 games between Vancouver and Pittsburgh, along with 130 penalty minutes.

In 1996–97, Stojanov spent the entire year in Pittsburgh, but appeared in only 35 games, recording 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points along with 79 penalty minutes. By the 1997–98 season, he found himself back in the AHL, assigned to the Penguins' farm team in Syracuse, and would never play in the NHL again.

Released by Pittsburgh in 1998, Stojanov toiled for two more years in the International Hockey League and then for two years with the New Mexico Scorpions of the Central Hockey League before retiring in 2002. He finished his NHL career with totals of 2 goals and 5 assists for 7 points in 107 NHL games, along with 222 penalty minutes.

While Stojanov was considered a major disappointment for a 7th overall pick during his time in Vancouver, he is now best known as the player dealt for Markus Näslund. Näslund would go on to become one of the greatest players in Canuck history and the club's all-time leading goalscorer, still remaining with the team more than a decade after the trade.