Peter Bondra (Slovak pronunciation: eter ‘bondra]; born 7 February 1968) is a 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 was one of the 37 players on the National Hockey League (NHL) history to achieve 500 NHL goals. Bondra has the smallest number of points of the players who reached that milestone with 892. Bondra had the highest number of goals in NHL during two seasons, the 1994-95 season and then 1997-98. Bondra is one of the few players to score the most goals of five in a single game in the NHL.
Family and life
Bondra is born 1968 in Bakivtsi, Lutsk Raion, Ukraine, which was then a part of the Soviet Union. Her father (a Rusyn) had moved to Lutsk from Jakubany, Czechoslovakia, when at the age of 16, which was also where he met his wife (a Pole). The couple relocated together with Peter and his older brothers, Juraj and Vladimir, to Poprad at the age of Peter was just three years old. His father passed away in 1982.
Bondra is a Soviet citizen at the time of his arrival to the United States, later obtaining an Slovak passport as well as citizenship prior the start of the 1994 Winter Olympics qualifying tournament. After having lived in Crofton, Maryland, Bondra resides at Riva along with wife Luba, their daughter Petra, and their twins David and Nick. He has participated in multiple alumni matches and also with the current Capitals team. David, his daughter David is a forward with the Bratislava Capitals and also plays for Slovak national team, similarly to his father. His other son, Nick started his collegiate track at Amherst College in 2017.
Working as a professional
Bondra was a player for one season with HK Poprad in the lower levels of Czechoslovak league. He then was then transferred his team to VSZ Kosice in the First Division at the age of 18. His brother Juraj also played for Kosice on defense, having achieved a championship trophy as a player with the team the previous year. From the beginning of his second campaign playing for Kosice, Peter was considered as one of the best players in the Czechoslovak league. He also won the league championship with his brother in 1988.
National Hockey League
Bondra was selected by the Washington Capitals in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, 156th overall. Prior to joining the Capitals Bondra played for TJ VSZ Kosice (now called HC Kosice) for four seasons from 1986 until 90 in Czechoslovakia. While in Washington, Bondra became one of the most prolific goal scorers during the 1990s. Due to the language barrier, he was an ally of Ukrainian-born Capitals player Dmitri Khristich, with whom he conversed in both Russian as well as Ukrainian. His most successful playoff run was in 1997-98 in which the Capitals advanced towards the Stanley Cup Finals before being defeated by the Detroit Red Wings. In the 2003-04 season Bondra’s 14th season in Washington and the Capitals were a disappointment and in a salary purge move, they traded some of the veterans of the team for contenders. The result was that Bondra was transferred with the Ottawa Senators for Brooks Laich and a second round draft pick. In the press conference that announced the 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 during 961 games. Bondra holds the Capitals team record for quick-handed scoring (32). With Washington Bondra played at the five All-Star Games (1993, 1996, 1997, 1998 as well as 1999). The year 1997 was the last time Bondra took home his first prize in the Fastest Skater Competition on All-Star weekend. In 2004, the Capitals conducted a poll of fans to determine the top 30 players of franchise history to commemorate their 30th season playing in the League. Bondra placed second, in the poll with 2,018 votes. Winner, Olaf Kolzig, beat Bondra by just 20 votes.
In the 1994-95 (with 34 goals scored in a lockout shortened period) along with the 1997-98 period (with the 52), Bondra led the league in goals scored however, it was not until 1997-98 that the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy for the most goals scored during an entire season was not in existence prior to the season 1998-1999.
Following that the 2004-05 NHL season was cancelled because of negotiations over the NHL strike, Bondra was spotted playing a couple of times with HK Tatravagonka SKP Poprad of the Slovak Extraliga. Prior to the 2005-06 campaign, Bondra was in talks to join the Capitals, though Bondra ended up signing with Atlanta’s Atlanta Thrashers for one season.
On the 10th of December, Bondra agreed to sign a 1-year contract to the Chicago Blackhawks. On the 22nd of December on the 22nd of December in 2006, he made the 500th NHL career goal at the United Center, in Chicago’s 3-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Bondra was able to get his foot in the net and scored on the rebound of Jassen Cullimore’s shot from left-hand side, beating Toronto’s JeanSebastien Aubin at 6:37 of the third period , on the power play. Bondra became the 37th person in league history to reach the 500-goal mark and was the fourth player to score his 500th goal while wearing a Blackhawks uniform, joining Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita and Michel Goulet.
On October 29 the 29th of October, 2007 Bondra made the announcement that he would be retiring from pro hockey, at the age of 39. Since his retirement, Bondra has represented Colosseo USA the Slovak company that makes custom videos of scoreboards.
International play
Bondra has played for Slovakia at seven times in international competitions. These include in 1994’s 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 tournament-leading seven goals (including the game-winning goal) and was ranked third of the players who scored nine points to lead Slovakia 4-3 over Russia to win the bronze medal from the 2002 World Championship. He scored 5 points (three goals, 2 assists) in eight games, which helped Slovakia earn their bronze award at the 2003 World Championship. In total, he had played in 47 of the games, scoring 35 goals and scoring for Slovakia.
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