Peter Bondra (Slovak pronunciation: eter ‘bondra]; born 7 February 1968) is Ukrainian-born Slovak former professional hockey player. Bondra was general manager for the Slovakia national team from 2007 until 2011. Bondra was a two-time 50-goal scorer. Bondra became one of the 37 players in National Hockey League (NHL) history to achieve 500 NHL goals. He has the fewest points of all players who have reached the milestone with 892. Bondra scored the most goals for the NHL during two seasons, in 1994 and 1997. Bondra is among the few players to score at least five goals one game in NHL.
Family and life
Bondra was born on the 13th of the year 1968 in Bakivtsi, Lutsk Raion, Ukraine that was at the time a member of the Soviet Union. His father (a Rusyn) had moved to Lutsk from Jakubany, Czechoslovakia, when it was 16 and there he met his bride (a Pole). The parents moved together Peter along with his older brothers, Juraj and Vladimir, to Poprad at the age of Peter was just three years old. His father died in 1982.
Bondra had been a Soviet citizen at the time he arrived at America. United States, later obtaining his Slovak passport as well as citizenship prior the commencement of 1994’s Winter Olympics qualifying tournament. After having lived in Crofton, Maryland, Bondra resides at Riva together with his spouse Luba, their daughter Petra, and their children David as well as Nick. He has participated in numerous alumni matches and also with the current Capitals organization. His daughter David is an forward of Bratislava Capitals and also plays for Slovak national team, which is similar to his father. Nick, his son Nick started his collegiate track at Amherst College in 2017.
Working as a professional
Bondra played one season for HK Poprad in the lower ranks of the Czechoslovak league. He later was transferred onto VSZ Kosice in the First Division at the age of 18. His brother Juraj also played for Kosice on defense, having been awarded a championship for the team in the year before. In his first year playing for Kosice, Peter was considered one of the top shooting players of the Czechoslovak league. He was also the winner of the league championship along with his brother , in 1988.
National Hockey League
Bondra was drafted from the Washington Capitals in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, 156th overall. Prior to joining the Capitals Bondra was a player for TJ VSZ Kosice (now called HC Kosice) for four seasons from 1986 until 90 in Czechoslovakia. When he moved to Washington, Bondra became one of the most prolific goal scorers during the 90s. Because of the language barrier, he made very close with the Ukrainian born Capitals player Dmitri Khristich who he argued with in both Russian as well as Ukrainian. His deepest playoff run came in 1997-98 during which the Capitals advanced into the Stanley Cup Finals before being swept by the Detroit Red Wings. In 2003-04, Bondra’s 14th with Washington and the Capitals suffered a disappointing season and in a salary purge move traded veteran members of the team to rivals. This led to Bondra was transferred to the Ottawa Senators for Brooks Laich and a draft pick in the second round. The press conference to announce this trade, Bondra notably broke into tears.
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For 14 seasons playing for the Capitals, Bondra scored 472 goals, and had 353 assists over 961 games. Bondra holds the Capitals team record in goal scoring with a short hand (32). In his time with Washington Bondra played at five All-Star Games (1993, 1996, 1997, 1998 along with 1999). In 1997 and 1999, Bondra claimed The Fastest Skater Competition on All-Star weekend. In 2004 the Capitals had a vote of fans to determine the top 30 players from the history of the franchise to celebrate their 30th season playing in the League. Bondra finished second with 2,018 votes. The winner, Olaf Kolzig, beat Bondra by just 20 votes.
In the 1994-95 (with 34 in a lockout-shortened year) in 1997 and 1998 (with 52), Bondra led the league in goals scored, even though there was no Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy for the most goals scored in the course of a season was not established until the 1998-99 season.
After the 2004-05 NHL season was canceled due to the NHL labor dispute, Bondra was spotted playing a couple of times with HK Tatravagonka SKP Poprad of the Slovak Extraliga. Prior to the 2005-06 season, Bondra was in talks to join the Capitals however the team he signed with was Atlanta’s Atlanta Thrashers for one season.
On the 10th of December Bondra was signed to a single-year deal in the Chicago Blackhawks. On the 22nd of December in 2006 Bondra achieved the 500th NHL career goal at the United Center, in Chicago’s 3-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Bondra scored from the goal line and scored on the rebound of Jassen Cullimore’s shot from left side over Toronto’s Jean Sebastien Aubin, 6:37 into the third period , on the power play. Bondra was the 37th player in league history to score 500 goals and the fourth player to score his 500th goal while wearing a Blackhawks jersey, along with Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita and Michel Goulet.
On October 29 2007 Bondra announced his retirement from professional hockey at 39. Since retirement, Bondra has represented Colosseo USA as well as a Slovak firm that manufactures custom scoring boards using video.
International play
Bondra has played for Slovakia seven times in international competition, including during the 1994 Winter Olympics qualifying tournament, the 1998 Winter Olympics, the 2006 Winter Olympics, the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and the Ice Hockey World Championship in 2002 and 2003. He scored a record-setting seven goals (including the tournament-winning goal) and was third out of all players with nine points, leading Slovakia 4-3 against Russia to the victory at 2002’s World Championship. He scored five points (three goals and two assists) in eight games to help Slovakia earn an Olympic bronze at 2003’s World Championship. Overall, he had played in 47 of the games, scoring 35 goals and scoring for Slovakia.
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