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Michal HandzusSlovak ice hockey player, center forward
Date of Birth: 11.03.1977
Country:  Slovakia |
Content:
- Michal Handzuš: Slovak Hockey Star
- National Hockey League Career
- Return to Slovakia and NHL Career Resumption
- International Career
Michal Handzuš: Slovak Hockey Star
Early Life and CareerMichal Handzuš was born in Banská Bystrica, Czechoslovakia, and began his hockey career with the local club of the same name. After two seasons with Banská Bystrica and HC Poprad, he entered the NHL Draft and was selected by the St. Louis Blues with the 101st overall pick.
National Hockey League Career
Handzuš spent two and a half years with the Blues before being traded to the Phoenix Coyotes and then to the Philadelphia Flyers, a powerhouse of the Eastern Conference. On December 5, 2002, he made NHL history by becoming only the second player ever to score an overtime penalty shot, giving the Flyers a victory over the Washington Capitals.
In the 2003/04 regular season, Handzuš emerged as the Flyers' second-leading scorer with 58 points (20+38). The team reached the Conference Finals in the playoffs but lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Return to Slovakia and NHL Career Resumption
During the NHL lockout, Handzuš returned to his homeland and played for HC Zvolen. With Zvolen, he won the Continental Cup, scoring two goals in the final against HC Dynamo Moscow, who could only muster one in response.
When NHL action resumed, Handzuš returned to the Flyers, but his tenure was short-lived as he joined the Chicago Blackhawks in the summer of 2006. A year later, he moved from Chicago to the Los Angeles Kings, signing a four-year contract. After his time with the Kings, Handzuš played for the San Jose Sharks.
International Career
Handzuš represented Slovakia in two Olympics (2002, 2010) and five World Championships (2000, 2002, 2005, 2009, 2011). He helped Slovakia win silver at the 2000 World Championship in St. Petersburg and gold in Sweden in 2002. In total, he played 39 games for the national team, scoring 9 goals.
