Sergei Zholtok

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Sergei Zholtok
Žoltoks with Latvia
Born (1972-12-02)December 2, 1972
Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union
Died November 3, 2004(2004-11-03) (aged 31)
Minsk, Belarus
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Right
Played for Dinamo Riga
Boston Bruins
Ottawa Senators
Montreal Canadiens
Edmonton Oilers
Minnesota Wild
Nashville Predators
Riga 2000
National team  Latvia
NHL Draft 55th overall, 1992
Boston Bruins
Playing career 1990–2004
Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing  Soviet Union
World Junior Championships
Silver medal – second place 1991 Canada
Representing  CIS
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 1992 Germany

Sergei Zholtok (Russian: Сергей Жолток), also known as Sergejs Žoltoks (December 2, 1972 – November 3, 2004) was a Latvian professional ice hockey centre. He played ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators from 1993 to 2004.

Playing career[edit]

Žoltoks was drafted 55th overall by the Boston Bruins in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. Prior to being drafted, he won a gold medal with USSR national team in IIHF Junior World Championships in 1992. After playing 25 games with the Boston Bruins in the 1992–93 NHL season and the 1993–94 NHL season, Žoltoks spent the next years playing in minor leagues.

Žoltoks returned to the NHL in the 1996–97 NHL season with the Ottawa Senators. In the following years, he played for the Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild and the Nashville Predators.

During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Žoltoks returned to Latvia and played for Riga 2000 team of the Latvian Hockey Higher League and the Belarusian Extraleague.

Death[edit]

On November 3, 2004, his cardiac arrhythmia resurfaced during the game between Riga 2000 and Dinamo Minsk. Žoltoks left the game with five minutes remaining, collapsing and dying after returning to the dressing room in the arms of teammate Darby Hendrickson. An autopsy determined heart failure as the cause of death.[1][2][3][4][5] He was survived by his wife, Anna, and two sons. This was not the first occurrence; in January 2003, he had to leave the game due to arrhythmia, and had been observed in a hospital overnight. He was allowed to return to playing after missing seven games.

During his ten seasons in the NHL, he played in 588 regular season games, scored 111 goals and had 147 assists.

Awards and achievements[edit]

  • 1994: AHL Player of the Week (Dec. 11)
  • 1996: Ironman Award, International Hockey League, given to a player who has played in every game for his team and displayed outstanding offensive and defensive skills.
  • 2005: Riga Secondary School No. 55 was named in honour of Sergejs Žoltoks.

Career statistics[edit]

Regular season and playoffs[edit]

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1989–90 RASMS Rīga USSR-3
1990–91 Dinamo Rīga USSR 39 4 0 4 16
1991–92 Stars Rīga CIS 27 6 3 9 6
1992–93 Boston Bruins NHL 1 0 1 1 0
1992–93 Providence Bruins AHL 64 31 35 66 57 6 3 5 8 4
1993–94 Boston Bruins NHL 24 2 1 3 2
1993–94 Providence Bruins AHL 54 29 33 62 16
1994–95 Providence Bruins AHL 78 23 35 58 42 13 8 5 13 6
1995–96 Las Vegas Thunder IHL 82 51 50 101 30 15 7 13 20 6
1996–97 Ottawa Senators NHL 57 12 16 28 19 7 1 1 2 0
1996–97 Las Vegas Thunder IHL 19 13 14 27 20
1997–98 Ottawa Senators NHL 78 10 13 23 16 11 0 2 2 0
1998–99 Montreal Canadiens NHL 70 7 15 22 6
1998–99 Fredericton Canadiens AHL 7 3 4 7 0
1999–00 Montreal Canadiens NHL 68 26 12 38 28
1999–00 Quebec Citadelles AHL 1 0 1 1 2
2000–01 Montreal Canadiens NHL 32 1 10 11 8
2000–01 Edmonton Oilers NHL 37 4 16 20 22 3 0 0 0 0
2001–02 Minnesota Wild NHL 73 19 20 39 28
2002–03 Minnesota Wild NHL 78 16 26 42 18 18 2 11 13 0
2003–04 Minnesota Wild NHL 59 13 16 29 19
2003–04 Nashville Predators NHL 11 1 1 2 0 6 1 0 1 0
2004–05 HK Rīga 2000 BLR 6 4 3 7 12
NHL totals 588 111 147 258 166 45 4 14 18 0

International[edit]

Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM
1990 Soviet Union EJC 6 6 4 10 6
1991 Soviet Union WJC 7 2 2 4 2
1992 CIS WJC 7 2 4 6 6
1994 Latvia WC B 4 6 1 7 4
1997 Latvia WC 5 3 3 6 2
1999 Latvia WC 6 4 0 4 4
2001 Latvia WC 6 5 1 6 4
2002 Latvia WC 6 0 4 4 2
2004 Latvia WC 7 3 2 5 10
Junior totals 20 10 10 20 14
Senior totals 30 15 10 25 22

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Noogie, The (2013-11-03). "Remembering Sergei Zholtok". Hockey Wilderness. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
  2. ^ "Ex-Pred Zholtok dies of apparent heart ailment". ESPN.com. 2004-11-04. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
  3. ^ "Study Adds to Debate over Heart Tests for Athletes". NPR.org. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
  4. ^ "Autopsy: Preds' Zholtok died of heart failure". ESPN.com. 2004-11-05. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
  5. ^ Company, Tampa Publishing. "Loss of Zholtok saddens many". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2021-11-06.

External links[edit]

Preceded by Minnesota Wild captain
January 2003
Succeeded by