Mike Komisarek
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| Position | Defence |
| Shoots | Right |
| Nickname(s) | Komo, Komi, Komisaurus, King Kom |
| Height Weight |
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 241 lb (109 kg/17 st 3 lb) |
| NHL Team | Montreal Canadiens |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | January 19, 1982 , West Islip, NY, US |
| NHL Draft | 7th overall, 2001 Montreal Canadiens |
| Pro career | 2002 – present |
Mike Komisarek (born January 19, 1982 in West Islip, New York) is a professional ice hockey player of Polish descent hailing from Long Island. He currently plays as a defenceman for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League.
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[edit] Amateur years
He began playing competitively on Long Island, NY, but soon he outgrew the competition around him. He then played for the New England Jr Coyotes of the EJHL. He was then picked up by USA Hockey's National Team Development Program. From there he was awarded a full athletic scholarship to the University of Michigan where he played alongside fellow Long Islander, Eric Nystrom, who was drafted by the Calgary Flames. He is a student of the respected Lithuanian hockey coach, Aleksey Nikiforov.
[edit] Professional career
After two seasons with the University of Michigan, Komisarek was selected seventh overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. Komisarek played his first NHL game in the 2002–03 season with the Canadiens. He resigned with the Canadiens in 2007 for a 2 year contract for 3.4 million dollars, along with his pal Christopher Higgins, who is also from Long Island.
Mike Komisarek has made a career out of being a rough, mean, hard-hitting stay-at-home defenceman[citation needed]. As such, he seldom contributes offensively. In fact, it took him over 123 games to score his first NHL goal, vs the Washington Capitals on March 20, 2006, where he was named the first star of the game [1]. Nonetheless, his willingness to stand up for his teammates and his hard-hitting style have made him a fan favourite in the Bell Center who often see him as the next Scott Stevens.
[edit] Personal life
Mike Komisarek is of Polish descent. His father, Roman, was 24 when he moved to the U.S., where he eventually opened an auto-body repair shop on Long Island. [2]. Roman left his wife Kathy behind in Poland until he could earn enough to afford an apartment and support her. Speaking of his parents' move to the U.S., Komisarek stated that "At that time, my parents knew they wanted to start a family and give me and my sister a better opportunity. [...](My father) moved to Brooklyn, found a job and didn't know the language at all. He just had the clothes on his back. Now, we have a nice home on Long Island, and my parents provided everything we ever needed. I always carried that with me. I always wanted to make them proud." [3] Mike Komisarek also has a sister named Joanne, who is two years younger than he is. His sister is a graduate of Boston College. [4] He also speaks Polish.
His mother, Kathy, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January 2005 and she passed away in November 2005. She was 51. [5]
[edit] Career statistics
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2000–01 | Michigan Wolverines | CCHA | 41 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 77 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2001–02 | Michigan Wolverines | CCHA | 39 | 11 | 19 | 30 | 68 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2002–03 | Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 56 | 5 | 25 | 30 | 79 | 23 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 60 | ||
| 2002–03 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 21 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 28 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2003–04 | Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 18 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 47 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2003–04 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 46 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 34 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||
| 2004–05 | Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 20 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 49 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 2005–06 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 73 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 116 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | ||
| 2006–07 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 80 | 4 | 15 | 19 | 116 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 18 | ||
| 2007-08 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 75 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 101 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 18 | ||
| NHL Totals | 215 | 10 | 36 | 46 | 375 | 37 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 54 | ||||
[edit] International play
Played for the United States in:
- 2000 World Junior Championships (Under 18)
- 2001 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
- 2002 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
- 2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
[edit] International Statistics
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | United States | WJC18 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 2001 | United States | WJC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | United States | WJC | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 14 |
| 2006 | United States | WCh | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
[edit] References
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