Meet the Leafs : Mike Komisarek

Born January 19, 1982 (1982-01-19) (age 28),
West Islip, NY, USA
Height
Weight 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
245 lb (111 kg; 17 st 7 lb)
Position Defense
Shoots Right
NHL team
F. teams Toronto Maple Leafs
Montreal Canadiens
Ntl. team United States
NHL Draft 7th overall, 2001
Montreal Canadiens
Playing career 2002–present

Amateur years
Komisarek began playing competitively on Long Island, New York, starting off in the Suffolk PAL organization. He played two years of Varisty at St. Anthony's High School (New York). He then played for the New England Jr. Coyotes of the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL) under legendary coach Gary Dineen. He was then picked up by USA Hockey's National Team Development Program. He is a student of the respected Lithuanian hockey coach Aleksey Nikiforov.

[edit] College career
Komisarek played two seasons at the University of Michigan , piling up 46 points and 145 penalty minutes in 80 games. He helped the Wolverines to a 55-24-10 mark, a CCHA title and two trips to the NCAA Frozen Four.[1] One of his teammates was fellow Long Islander Eric Nystrom, who was drafted by the Calgary Flames.

[edit] Professional career
After two seasons with the University of Michigan, Komisarek was selected seventh overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. He played his first NHL game in the 2002–03 season with the Canadiens. He re-signed with the Canadiens in 2007 for a 2 year contract for 3.4 million dollars, along with his friend Christopher Higgins, who is also from Long Island.

Komisarek has made a career out of being a rough, mean, hard-hitting stay-at-home defenseman.[citation needed] He scored his first NHL goal, vs the Washington Capitals on March 20, 2006, where he was named the first star of the game.[2] His willingness to stand up for his teammates and his hard-hitting style have made him a fan favourite in the Bell Centre.

In July 2009, Komisarek signed a 5-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, averaging $4.5 million per season. On January 2, 2010, Komisarek injured his shoulder in a game against the Calgary Flames, and on February 3, 2010, it was revealed he would require season-ending surgery. This also meant Komisarek would miss the 2010 Winter Olympics, as he was chosen to represent Team USA.[3]

[edit] Personal life
Komisarek is of Polish descent. His father, Roman Komisarek, was 24 when he moved to the U.S., where he eventually opened an auto-body repair shop on Long Island.[4] Roman Komisarek left his wife Kathy behind in Poland until he could earn enough to afford an apartment and support her. Speaking of his parents' move to the U.S., Komisarek stated that, "At that time, my parents knew they wanted to start a family and give me and my sister a better opportunity. [...](My father) moved to Brooklyn, found a job and didn't know the language at all. He just had the clothes on his back. Now, we have a nice home on Long Island, and my parents provided everything we ever needed. I always carried that with me. I always wanted to make them proud." [5][dead link] Komisarek also has a sister named Joanna, who is two years younger than he is. His sister is a graduate of Boston College.[4] He also speaks Polish.

Komisarek's mother, Kathy, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January 2005 and died in November 2005. She was 51.[6]

[edit] Awards and achievements
Played in NHL All-Star Game (2009)
AHL All-Rookie Team (2003)
NCAA West First All-American Team (2002)
CCHA First All-Star Team (2002)
CCHA Best Defensive Defensemen (2002)
CCHA All-Tournament Team (2002)
CCHA All-Rookie Team (2001)


Source Wikipedia

Woikins thoughts... If Komi can stay healthy this year, and disciplined, he will be a huge piece to the Leafs making the playoffs this year. We have one of the scariest defense in the league... when they are in tact.