Karl Alzner
Karl Alzner (* September 24, 1988 in Burnaby, British Columbia ) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defender, who is since 2008 in the Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League contract.
- 3.1 International
Career
Karl Alzner began his career in 2003 at the Richmond Sockeye in the Pacific International Junior Hockey League before the hocklassige junior Western Hockey League, he joined the Calgary Hitmen in the following year. In his first season Alzner was rather low-key and was able to put on the offensive with only ten Assists little emphasis. In the following season he was able to increase, but reached with the Hitmen in the playoffs like last year, only the second round.
2006/07 Alzner became the best defender of his team and took over the role of the assistant captain also responsibility within the team. Because of its steadily improving performance, he was nominated for the U20 World Cup in the squad of the Canadian selection that won the gold medal in January 2007 at the end. In the playoffs, the WHL Alzner had this season large proportion reaching the Conference Finals with 13 points scorer, but they failed there to the Medicine Hat Tigers.
For the NHL Entry Draft 2007 Alzner was led by the scouts of the National Hockey League as the second best defender in his class and was finally selected in the first round in fifth place of the Washington Capitals. In the fall of 2007, he met with a Canadian U20 selection in the Super Series against a Russian team in the same age class. Canada won the series lasting eight games with seven wins and a draw and Alzner contributed a goal and three assists help.
Although many saw as an already mature enough to play it in the NHL, he returned back again for one season to the Calgary Hitmen, which he now leads as team captain. In January 2008, he defended with the Canadian U20 team the title at the Junior World Championship. In the WHL, he scored no longer as frequent as in the preseason, but the Hitmen occupied with the third-best defense in the league in first place in the Eastern Conference. For his achievements he was subsequently awarded the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as most valuable player and the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as the best defender of the WHL.
In May 2008, Alzner finally signed an entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals for three years and played at the beginning of the 2008/09 season in the AHL with the Hershey Bears, the farm team of the capital, but was appointed during the season in the NHL squad.
Awards and achievements
- 2007 CHL Top Prospects Game
- 2007 WHL East Second All-Star Team
- 2007 CHL Second All-Star Team
- 2008 WHL East First All-Star Team
- 2008 Four Broncos Memorial Trophy
- 2008 Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy
- 2008 CHL Defenceman of the Year
- 2008 CHL First All -Star Team
- 2009 Calder Cup win with the Hershey Bears
- 2010 Calder Cup win with the Hershey Bears
Internationally
- 2007 Gold medal at the U20 World Junior Championships
- 2008 Gold medal at the U20 World Junior Championships
Career Stats
Internationally
Represented Canada at:
- U20 World Junior Championships 2007
- Super Series 2007
- U20 Junior World Championship 2008
( 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 )