Branislav Mezei

 ( 1980 Births ) 

Branislav Mezei (born October 8, 1980) is a Slovak professional ice hockey player. Mezei is a defenceman currently with HK Nitra of the Slovak Extraliga. Mezei has previous played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the New York Islanders and Florida Panthers. Mezei also played for Barys Astana and HC Plzen of the KHL, and Espoo Blues of the SM-liiga. Mezei was a first-round pick of the Islanders in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, tenth overall.

---

Playing career Mezei moved to Canada to play junior hockey with the Belleville Bulls of the Ontario Hockey League. Mezei played three seasons with the Bulls from 1997 until 2000. After his second season, he was drafted tenth-overall by the New York Islanders. He joined the Islanders organization in 2000. Mezei played two seasons in the Islanders organization, including 66 games with the Islanders. He recorded his first NHL assist against the Columbus Blue Jackets on December 23, 2000, and he scored his first NHL goal on March 31, 2001, against the Boston Bruins. In July 2002, he was traded to the Florida Panthers. He was a member of the Panthers from 2002 until 2008, playing a further 178 games primarily in a defensive role. He tallied 5 goals and 19 assists in his NHL career.

During the 2004–05 lockout, Mezei played for Trinec Ocelari HC and HK Dukla Trenčín. In 2008, Mezei moved to Europe to play with Barys Astana of the KHL. He has since played for Espoo Blues, HC Plzen, HC Pardubice and Lev Poprad.

On August 31, 2014, Mezei remained in the KHL, signing with his fourth club, the Croatian based KHL Medveščak Zagreb on a one-year deal. After just 8 games with the Croatian club, Mezei was released mutually from his contract in order to return to his native Slovakia with HK Nitra on October 24, 2014.

---

International play He has also played with the Slovak national ice hockey team in Ice Hockey World Championships in 2001, 2004 and 2008.

---

Career statistics

---

Regular season and playoffs

1995–96	AC/HC Nitra	SVK U20	86	—
1996–97	AC/HC Nitra	SVK U20	114	—
1997–98	Belleville Bulls	OHL	58	8
1998–99	Belleville Bulls	OHL	90	29
1999–2000	Belleville Bulls	OHL	99	10
2000–01	New York Islanders	NHL	53	—
2000–01	Lowell Lock Monsters	AHL	28	—
2001–02	Bridgeport Sound Tigers	AHL	137	48
2001–02	New York Islanders	NHL	12	—
2002–03	Florida Panthers	NHL	10	—
2002–03	San Antonio Rampage	AHL	0	0
2003–04	Florida Panthers	NHL	80	—
2004–05	HC Oceláři Třinec	Czech Extraliga	68	—
2004–05	HK Dukla Trenčín	Slovak Extraliga	16	38
2005–06	Florida Panthers	NHL	37	—
2006–07	Florida Panthers	NHL	55	—
2007–08	Florida Panthers	NHL	64	—
2008–09	Barys Astana	KHL	151	6
2009–10	HC Plzeň 1929	ELH	61	—
2009–10	Espoo Blues	SM-liiga	120	4
2010–11	HC Eaton Pardubice	ELH	118	16
2011–12	HC Lev Poprad	KHL	117	—
2012–13	Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg	KHL	89	—
2013–14	HC Vityaz	KHL	108	—
2014–15	KHL Medveščak Zagreb	KHL	14	—
2014–15	HK Nitra	SVK	65	27
2015–16	HK Nitra	SVK	54	37
2016–17	HK Nitra	SVK	83	37
2017–18	HK Nitra	SVK	112	14
2018–19	HK Nitra	SVK	77	26
2019–20	HK Nitra	SVK	68	—

---

International

1999	Slovakia	WJC		6	0	0	0	8
2000	Slovakia	WJC	9th	7	1	0	1	6
2001	Slovakia	WC	7th	6	0	0	0	2
2004	Slovakia	WCH	7th	2	0	0	0	0
2004	Slovakia	WC	4th	9	0	0	0	6
2008	Slovakia	WC	13th	5	0	0	0	8
2013	Slovakia	WC	8th	7	0	4	4	6

---

External links

Post Comment