Cory Sarich

Cory Sarich
Born (1978-08-16) August 16, 1978
Saskatoon, SK, CAN
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 207 lb (94 kg; 14 st 11 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Right
Played for Buffalo Sabres
Tampa Bay Lightning
Calgary Flames
Colorado Avalanche
NHL Draft 27th overall, 1996
Buffalo Sabres
Playing career 1998–2014

Cory Sarich (born August 16, 1978) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently an unrestricted free agent and played most recently with the Colorado Avalanche in the National Hockey League (NHL). Sarich was a second round selection, 27th overall, of the Buffalo Sabres at the 1996 NHL Entry Draft and has also played for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Calgary Flames during a 15-year professional career that has spanned nearly 1,000 NHL games. He was a member of Tampa Bay's 2004 Stanley Cup championship team.

Playing career

Cory Sarich was originally selected in the 2nd round, 27th overall, in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres. After first playing midget hockey with the Saskatoon Contacts, he played the majority of his major junior hockey career in his native Saskatoon with the Blades of the Western Hockey League.

Sarich was traded along with Wayne Primeau and Brian Holzinger from Buffalo, to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Chris Gratton on March 9, 2000, and played with the Stanley Cup-winning team of 2003–04.

After seven seasons within the Lightning oprganization, Sarich returned to Canada and signed a five-year contract as a free agent with the Calgary Flames on July 1, 2007.[1]

During the 2007–08 season, on December 12, 2007, Sarich became the NHL's reigning iron man when Brendan Morrison was forced to miss a game with wrist complications.[2] He played his 419th consecutive game the day before in a game against Tampa Bay, where Sarich had played four full seasons and 388 games.[2] Sarich's streak came to an end on March 1, 2008 when he missed the game at Phoenix, giving ironman status to Andrew Brunette.

Upon the completion of his initial contract with the Flames, Sarich signed a new two-year contract to remain in Calgary on June 29, 2012.[3] During the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season, Sarich was reduced to a reserve defenseman role, featuring often as a healthy scratch. On March 26, 2013, Sarich appeared in his 900th career game in a 2-0 defeat to the Chicago Blackhawks.[4]

In the off-season, on June 27, 2013, Sarich waived his no-trade clause with the Flames and was traded, along with Alex Tanguay, to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for David Jones and Shane O'Brien.[5] He appeared in 54 games with the Avalanche during the 2013–14 season, scored one goal and added nine assists.[6] While cycling during off-season training near Invermere, British Columbia, Sarich was struck and seriously injured by a car and ultimately transported by air ambulance to hospital in Calgary.[7] He stated that he suffered "five broken vertebrate and some serious road rash", but expected to make a complete recovery.[8]

Personal life

Sarich grew up in Bladworth, Saskatchewan. He now makes his home in Calgary, Alberta with his wife, Reagan, and their three children. Sarich's brother in-law is Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Nick Schultz, and his brother Rod is a defenseman for the Sheffield Steelers of the British Elite Ice Hockey League.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1994–95 Saskatoon Blades WHL 6 0 0 0 4 3 0 1 1 0
1995–96 Saskatoon Blades WHL 59 5 18 23 54 3 0 0 0 4
1996–97 Saskatoon Blades WHL 58 6 27 33 158 — — — — —
1997–98 Saskatoon Blades WHL 33 5 24 29 90 — — — — —
1997–98 Seattle Thunderbirds WHL 13 3 16 19 47 — — — — —
1998–99 Buffalo Sabres NHL 4 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
1998–99 Rochester Americans AHL 77 3 26 29 82 20 2 4 6 14
1999–00 Rochester Americans AHL 15 0 6 6 44 — — — — —
1999–00 Buffalo Sabres NHL 42 0 4 4 35 — — — — —
1999–00 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 17 0 2 2 42 — — — — —
2000–01 Detroit Vipers IHL 3 0 2 2 2 — — — — —
2000–01 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 73 1 8 9 106 — — — — —
2001–02 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 72 0 11 11 105 — — — — —
2001–02 Springfield Falcons AHL 2 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2002–03 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 82 5 9 14 63 11 0 2 2 6
2003–04 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 82 3 16 19 89 23 0 2 2 25
2005–06 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 82 1 14 15 79 5 0 1 1 4
2006–07 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 82 0 15 15 70 6 0 0 0 2
2007–08 Calgary Flames NHL 80 2 5 7 135 7 0 1 1 4
2008–09 Calgary Flames NHL 76 2 18 20 112 5 0 1 1 4
2009–10 Calgary Flames NHL 57 1 5 6 58 — — — — —
2010–11 Calgary Flames NHL 76 4 13 17 75 — — — — —
2011–12 Calgary Flames NHL 62 1 6 7 66 — — — — —
2012–13 Calgary Flames NHL 28 0 2 2 16 — — — — —
2013–14 Colorado Avalanche NHL 54 1 9 10 38 — — — — —
NHL totals 969 21 137 158 1089 57 0 7 7 45
Medal record
Representing Canada
Ice Hockey
World Junior Championships
1997 Geneva

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
1997 Canada WJC 1st, gold medalist(s) 7 0 0 0 6
1998 Canada WJC 8th 7 0 1 1 6
Junior totals 14 0 1 1 12

Awards and honours

Award Year
WHL
West Second All-Star Team 1998
AHL
All-Rookie Team 1999
NHL
Stanley Cup 2004

References

  1. ↑ "Flames sign Sarich to 5-year deal to address blueline need". ESPN. 2007-07-01. Retrieved 2007-07-01.
  2. 1 2 Lefebvre, Jean (2007-12-12). "Many happy returns for Sarich". CanWest News Service. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  3. ↑ "Flames sign Cory Sarich". Calgary Flames. 2012-06-29. Retrieved 2012-06-29.
  4. ↑ "Emery makes 16 saves as Blackhawks blank Flames". CBS Sports. 2013-03-26. Retrieved 2013-03-26.
  5. ↑ "Avalanche acquires Alex Tanguay and Cory Sarich from Flames". Colorado Avalanche. 2013-06-27. Retrieved 2013-06-27.
  6. ↑ "Cory Sarich player card". National Hockey League. Retrieved 2014-07-26.
  7. ↑ "Former Calgary Flames defenseman Cory Sarich injured in cycling crash". CTV News. 2014-07-23. Retrieved 2014-07-26.
  8. ↑ "Defenseman Sarich improving after cycling accident". National Hockey League. 2014-07-24. Retrieved 2014-07-26.

External links

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