Jonathan Cheechoo

Jonathan Earl Cheechoo ( born July 15, 1980 in Moose Factory, Ontario ) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is under contract with the KHL Medveščak Zagreb in the Kontinental Hockey League since July 2013. He plays the position of right winger.

Before that he was among other things for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League and won in the 2005/06 season with 56 goals, the Maurice Rocket ' Richard Trophy for the best scorers in the league. Cheechoo is the first Cree Indian who was able to win in the NHL.

Career

Cheechoo was selected for season 1997 /98 by the Belleville Bulls in the Ontario Hockey League Draft. After a strong rookie season with 76 points in 64 games, he was selected by the San Jose Sharks in the NHL Entry Draft in 1998 in the second round at position 29. The Sharks had previously given their right to vote at site 2 for the Zugrechte at the points 3 and 29 of the Nashville Predators to select Cheechoo can. San Jose was subsequently criticized that they had not the rights to the talented David Legwand, Nashville selected with their pick, and instead wanted to secure a player had chosen, which was estimated to be much weaker. Cheechoo was in the next two seasons in the OHL with the Bulls and the Sharks gave him enough time to develop before they committed him early in the season 2000/ 01. Meanwhile, the striker had with the Bulls at the end of the season 1998/99 the J. Ross Robertson Cup, the championship of the OHL, won and played at the Memorial Cup tournament.

Cheechoo began his professional career with the Kentucky Thoroughblades, the former farm team of the San Jose Sharks. There he showed a strong performance with 66 points in 75 games. In his second year he reached 46 points in 53 games despite an injury. At the beginning of the 2002/03 season, which began Cheechoo with seven points in the first nine games, the Sharks called him into the NHL team. After he was primarily come in the third and fourth row is used and only 16 points was collected in 66 games, he worked during the summer break hard on yourself. The hard work paid off in the following season. With 47 points in 81 games in a defensive set -game series with Mike Ricci and Scott Thornton Cheechoo put his skills to the test. In addition, he gained thanks to its two partners with important insights defensive behavior on the ice. In the playoffs, the Canadians scored ten points in 17 games.

During the lockout in the 2004/ 05 NHL season Cheechoo hired on 21 December 2004 at HV 71 Jonkoping of the Swedish Elitserien on. There he ran in a total of 20 games on to the end of season, scoring five goals. Mostly he played in the second or third row of the attack team.

In the season 2005/ 06 Cheechoo returned to San Jose and back managed 56 goals with the absolute breakthrough in the best league in the world and the coveted Maurice Rocket ' Richard Trophy secured for the top scorer. In addition, his 56 goals and 93 points marked a new franchise record for the Sharks. With the committed on 30 November 2005 Joe Thornton and Nils Ekman he was one of the best attack lines in the league. His 24 power play goals and five hat-tricks were also franchise records. The 2006/07 season started rather slowly for Cheechoo and he was able to continue until the final months of the regular season to the shape of the previous year. After all, he still scored 37 goals this season. In the last two seasons, the Canadians thus get a total of eight hat-tricks, a brand that could reach only Mario Lemieux, Pavel Bure, Brett Hull and Alexander Mogilny since 1991. After surgery, two hernia in the summer of 2007, the winger took in the season 2007 /08 a long time to find his form. He reached the level this season but just not as in the following. Such was for him between 2007 and 2009 only 66 points scorer to book. The persistent form of weakness led in September 2009 eventually cause Cheechoo was released together with Milan Michálek and a second-round draft pick to the Ottawa Senators. In return, Dany Heatley and a fifth round pick to San Jose changed.

Even on new workplace failed the Canadians to build on the form of past years. After the Senators with Matt Cullen undertook another striker in February 2010, Cheechoo was placed immediately on the waiver list. He then became the farm team, the Binghamton Senators, sent to the American Hockey League. At this time he had scored only five goals and 14 points in 61 NHL games and the worst plus / minus statistics of the entire team. Cheechoo played the season finally in Binghamton at the end and only came up with another playoff game for Ottawa in the NHL. End of June 2010 put the former senator Richard Trophy winner again on the waiver list. Once again, but found no buyers and so the senator paid from the last year of his contract, whereupon the Canadians became a free agent. One month before the start of the 2010/11 season invited him the Dallas Stars in their training camp. Although Cheechoo was able to convince the two completed pre-season games, the Stars released him after three weeks. Finally, the Worcester Sharks, the farm team of the San Jose Sharks committed, the striker in October 2010.

In July 2011, Cheechoo signed a contract for one year with the St. Louis Blues, for which he, however, denied any use in the NHL. Instead, he spent the season with their farm team, the Peoria Rivermen in the American Hockey League and was top scorer with 25 of the team. After the expiry of his contract, he was, however, first made by any team under contract. It was only in January 2013 he received a sample contract with the Oklahoma City Barons, where he finally succeeded also the leap into the regular squad. In 35 games in the regular season, he scored 32 points and helped his team to the play -offs to the Conference Finals.

In July 2013 Cheechoo was taken from the KHL Medveščak Zagreb from the Kontinental Hockey League contract.

Awards and achievements

• 2004 NHL Young Stars Game
• 2006 Maurice Rocket ' Richard Trophy
• 2007 NHL All-Star Game
• 2011 AHL All-Star Classic ( injury-related cancellation )

Career Stats

( Key to Career statistics: Sp or GP = Games Played, T or G = goals scored, V or A = achieved assists; Pts or Pts = scored points scorer, SM or PIM = received penalty minutes, / - = Plus / Minus balance sheet; PP = scored majority gates; SH = scored shorthanded goals, GW = achieved victory gates; Play-downs/Relegation 1 )