Patrick Thoresen
Encyclopedia
Patrick Thoresen is a Norwegian professional ice hockey
left winger
who plays for SKA Saint Petersburg
of the Kontinental Hockey League
(KHL). He resides in Hamar
, Norway
, where he grew up, during the off season. He has a younger brother, Steffen who's also an ice hockey player. His father Petter
was one of Norway's most notable players who played at five Olympic Winter Games (1980-1994). Thoresen would follow in his father's footsteps and play in the Winter Olympics in Vancouver 2010
.
before he shifted to Canada
and played junior hockey for two teams in the QMJHL
; the Moncton Wildcats
, and the Baie-Comeau Drakkar
. In the 2002–03 season, while a member of the Drakkar, he had 108 points in 71 games played, good enough for second in team scoring. His 75 assists that season were best in the QMJHL. This was a vast improvement from his first year of junior in which he compiled 73 points in 60 games played.
His first year of pro hockey in the Elitserien
was a learning year for him in which most of his time was spent with the Division 2 team, Mörrums GoIS IK. He worked hard down there and put up 41 points in 38 games and eventually found himself back among the Swedish elite. He then spent the next two years playing for Djurgården
full time, playing a total of 80 games and collecting 53 points, 27 of them being goals.
On May 31, 2006, Thoresen signed a contract with the Oilers as a free agent. He was somewhat of a major surprise in training camp before the 2006–07 season, and played well enough for Oilers coach Craig MacTavish
to publicly state that he had earned a spot on the roster.
Thoresen became only the fifth player from Norway to play a game in the NHL, the others being Bjørn Skaare
, Anders Myrvold
, Espen Knutsen
, and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen
. In fact Thoresen was the first Norwegian NHL'er not previously drafted
.
Thoresen scored his first NHL goal on October 12, 2006 against the San Jose Sharks
(Evgeni Nabokov
). He tallied four goals (including two game winners) and notched 12 assists in 68 games during his rookie campaign. He was a -1, among the best of the Oilers regulars that season.
On February 22, 2008, Thoresen was claimed off waivers by the Philadelphia Flyers
.
On April 11, 2008, Thoresen was hit in the groin by a Mike Green slapshot during a playoff game against the Capitals. Thoresen was taken off the ice and driven to a local hospital. He returned to action later in the playoffs, after becoming the first Norwegian born player to take part in NHL postseason play.
On July 14, 2008, Thoresen signed a one-year contract with HC Lugano of the Swiss League. He finished the season totaling 63 points in 48 games, good for third overall in the NLA.
On May 21, 2009, Thoresen signed a two-year contract with Salavat Yulaev Ufa
of the Kontinental Hockey League
. He finished the regular season with 57 points in 56 games, sixth overall in the entire KHL. He also lead all players in the plus/minus category with +45 (the previous season best was Alexei Tereshchenko with +41). He scored seven game winning goals (2nd overall), including four consecutive game-winning goals to end the regular season.
During the offseason of 2010 he opted out of his current contract with Salavat Yulaev, seeking a new NHL contract but after failing to do so, he decided to stay with Salavat for another season. Thoresen ended the 2010/11 KHL regular season as second overall in point scoring (65), second in goals scored (29) and third in assists (36). During the playoffs he amassed a total of 18 points en route to winning the Gagarin Cup
, as the first Norwegian ever. His three goals and fifteen assists was tied with Alexander Radulov
for the team lead in points and fourth overall in the KHL.
Thoresen is a two-time nominee for the Norwegian team sports athlete of the year award (Idrettsgallaen - 2009 and 2010).
on the Norwegian national team numerous times. His first experience came at the IIHF World U18 Championship in 2000 and 2001. He played in the World Junior Championships (division 1) in 2001 and 2002. In 2002, he posted excellent numbers: four goals and four assists in five games.
He culminated in representing the men's team in the World Championships
in 2006 and 2007, picking up a goal and four assists in the six games in 2007.
He was selected to represent Team Norway at the 2010 Winter Olympics
in Vancouver
, Canada
, in which he had an impressive tournament and tallied five assists in four games. At the 2010 World Championships
in Germany
he notched six points in six games and led all players in scoring after the preliminary round.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
left winger
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
who plays for SKA Saint Petersburg
SKA Saint Petersburg
SKA Saint Petersburg is a Russian professional ice hockey club that plays in the Kontinental Hockey League. SKA is an abbreviation for "Sports Club of the Army"...
of the Kontinental Hockey League
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League is an international professional ice hockey league in Eurasia founded in 2008. As of 2009, it is ranked as the strongest hockey league in Europe....
(KHL). He resides in Hamar
Hamar
is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Hamar. The municipality of Hamar was separated from Vang as a town and municipality of its own in 1849...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, where he grew up, during the off season. He has a younger brother, Steffen who's also an ice hockey player. His father Petter
Petter Thoresen (ice hockey)
Petter Thoresen is a Norwegian ice hockey manager and former player, currently managing Stavanger Oilers, where he has been in charge since March 2009. As a player he played for Forward, Hasle/Løren, Manglerud Star, Storhamar Dragons and Vålerenga...
was one of Norway's most notable players who played at five Olympic Winter Games (1980-1994). Thoresen would follow in his father's footsteps and play in the Winter Olympics in Vancouver 2010
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
.
Playing career
Thoresen started his career with his hometown Storhamar DragonsStorhamar Dragons
The Storhamar Dragons is an ice hockey club based in Hamar, Norway and plays in the GET-ligaen. The club also includes the largest junior department in Norwegian ice hockey.The ice hockey department of the Storhamar IL was founded on 18 March 1957...
before he shifted to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and played junior hockey for two teams in the QMJHL
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
; the Moncton Wildcats
Moncton Wildcats
The Moncton Wildcats are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They play at the Moncton Coliseum in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada....
, and the Baie-Comeau Drakkar
Baie-Comeau Drakkar
The Baie-Comeau Drakkar are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They play at Centre Henry-Leonard in Baie-Comeau, Quebec, Canada. Their franchise was granted for the 1997–98 season.-History:...
. In the 2002–03 season, while a member of the Drakkar, he had 108 points in 71 games played, good enough for second in team scoring. His 75 assists that season were best in the QMJHL. This was a vast improvement from his first year of junior in which he compiled 73 points in 60 games played.
His first year of pro hockey in the Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
was a learning year for him in which most of his time was spent with the Division 2 team, Mörrums GoIS IK. He worked hard down there and put up 41 points in 38 games and eventually found himself back among the Swedish elite. He then spent the next two years playing for Djurgården
Djurgårdens IF Hockey
Djurgårdens IF Hockey are a professional ice hockey team based in Stockholm, Sweden. They are the ice hockey department of the sports club Djurgårdens IF. The department was formed in 1922 with the help of Wilhelm Arwe and have since then become Sweden's most successful team, having won the Swedish...
full time, playing a total of 80 games and collecting 53 points, 27 of them being goals.
On May 31, 2006, Thoresen signed a contract with the Oilers as a free agent. He was somewhat of a major surprise in training camp before the 2006–07 season, and played well enough for Oilers coach Craig MacTavish
Craig MacTavish
Craig "MacT" MacTavish is the current head coach of the American Hockey League Chicago Wolves and a former ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League. He played centre for 19 NHL seasons with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis...
to publicly state that he had earned a spot on the roster.
Thoresen became only the fifth player from Norway to play a game in the NHL, the others being Bjørn Skaare
Bjørn Skaare
Bjørn Skaare was a Norwegian ice hockey player. He was the first Norwegian to play in the NHL, playing a single game with the Detroit Red Wings during the 1978–79 NHL season.-Playing career:...
, Anders Myrvold
Anders Myrvold
Anders Myrvold is a Norwegian ice hockey player, currently playing for Norwegian GET-ligaen club Frisk Tigers. He made his National Hockey League debut for the Colorado Avalanche on 6 October 1995, and has been part of the Norwegian national team...
, Espen Knutsen
Espen Knutsen
Kjell Espen Knutsen is a Norwegian former professional ice hockey player and currently the head coach of Vålerenga in the Norwegian GET-ligaen. He played five seasons in the National Hockey League , and is to date the only Norwegian to have played in the NHL All-Star Game...
, and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen
Ole-Kristian Tollefsen
Ole-Kristian Tollefsen is a Norwegian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for Modo in Elitserien.Tollefsen was selected to play for the Norway men's national ice hockey team at the 2010 Winter Olympics....
. In fact Thoresen was the first Norwegian NHL'er not previously drafted
NHL Entry Draft
The NHL Entry Draft is an annual meeting in which every franchise of the National Hockey League systematically select the rights to available amateur ice hockey players who meet draft eligibility requirements...
.
Thoresen scored his first NHL goal on October 12, 2006 against the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
(Evgeni Nabokov
Evgeni Nabokov
Evgeni Viktorovich Nabokov is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender who is playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League .Nabokov was selected by San Jose in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft...
). He tallied four goals (including two game winners) and notched 12 assists in 68 games during his rookie campaign. He was a -1, among the best of the Oilers regulars that season.
On February 22, 2008, Thoresen was claimed off waivers by the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
On April 11, 2008, Thoresen was hit in the groin by a Mike Green slapshot during a playoff game against the Capitals. Thoresen was taken off the ice and driven to a local hospital. He returned to action later in the playoffs, after becoming the first Norwegian born player to take part in NHL postseason play.
On July 14, 2008, Thoresen signed a one-year contract with HC Lugano of the Swiss League. He finished the season totaling 63 points in 48 games, good for third overall in the NLA.
On May 21, 2009, Thoresen signed a two-year contract with Salavat Yulaev Ufa
Salavat Yulaev Ufa
Salavat Yulaev is a professional ice hockey team based in Ufa in the Republic of Bashkortostan, a federal subject of the Russian Federation. They are members of the Chernyshev Division of the Kontinental Hockey League, and were part of Group C of the 2008–09 Champions Hockey League.-History:The...
of the Kontinental Hockey League
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League is an international professional ice hockey league in Eurasia founded in 2008. As of 2009, it is ranked as the strongest hockey league in Europe....
. He finished the regular season with 57 points in 56 games, sixth overall in the entire KHL. He also lead all players in the plus/minus category with +45 (the previous season best was Alexei Tereshchenko with +41). He scored seven game winning goals (2nd overall), including four consecutive game-winning goals to end the regular season.
During the offseason of 2010 he opted out of his current contract with Salavat Yulaev, seeking a new NHL contract but after failing to do so, he decided to stay with Salavat for another season. Thoresen ended the 2010/11 KHL regular season as second overall in point scoring (65), second in goals scored (29) and third in assists (36). During the playoffs he amassed a total of 18 points en route to winning the Gagarin Cup
Gagarin Cup
The Gagarin Cup is the trophy presented to the winner of the Kontinental Hockey League playoffs, and is named after cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space...
, as the first Norwegian ever. His three goals and fifteen assists was tied with Alexander Radulov
Alexander Radulov
Alexander Valerievich Radulov is a Russian professional ice hockey player currently playing for Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Kontinental Hockey League . Radulov is the KHL's all-time assist leader with 125 career assists...
for the team lead in points and fourth overall in the KHL.
Thoresen is a two-time nominee for the Norwegian team sports athlete of the year award (Idrettsgallaen - 2009 and 2010).
International career
Thoresen has represented his country of NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
on the Norwegian national team numerous times. His first experience came at the IIHF World U18 Championship in 2000 and 2001. He played in the World Junior Championships (division 1) in 2001 and 2002. In 2002, he posted excellent numbers: four goals and four assists in five games.
He culminated in representing the men's team in the World Championships
Ice Hockey World Championships
The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...
in 2006 and 2007, picking up a goal and four assists in the six games in 2007.
He was selected to represent Team Norway at the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, in which he had an impressive tournament and tallied five assists in four games. At the 2010 World Championships
2010 IIHF World Championship
The 2010 IIHF World Championship was the 74th IIHF World Championship, an annual international ice hockey tournament. It took place between 7 and 23 May 2010 in Germany. The games were played in the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, SAP Arena in Mannheim, and one game at Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
he notched six points in six games and led all players in scoring after the preliminary round.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1999–00 | Storhamar Dragons Storhamar Dragons The Storhamar Dragons is an ice hockey club based in Hamar, Norway and plays in the GET-ligaen. The club also includes the largest junior department in Norwegian ice hockey.The ice hockey department of the Storhamar IL was founded on 18 March 1957... |
NOR1 | 26 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Storhamar Dragons | NOR1 | 41 | 18 | 27 | 45 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2000–01 | Storhamar Dragons | IIHF CC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 2001–02 QMJHL season The 2001–02 QMJHL season was the 33rd season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The league inaugurates the Luc Robitaille Trophy for the team that scored the most goals during the regular season. Sixteen teams played 72 games each in the schedule... |
Moncton Wildcats Moncton Wildcats The Moncton Wildcats are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They play at the Moncton Coliseum in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.... |
QMJHL Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League... |
60 | 30 | 43 | 73 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Baie-Comeau Drakkar Baie-Comeau Drakkar The Baie-Comeau Drakkar are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They play at Centre Henry-Leonard in Baie-Comeau, Quebec, Canada. Their franchise was granted for the 1997–98 season.-History:... |
QMJHL | 71 | 33 | 75 | 108 | 57 | 12 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 8 | ||
| 2003–04 | Djurgården Djurgårdens IF Hockey Djurgårdens IF Hockey are a professional ice hockey team based in Stockholm, Sweden. They are the ice hockey department of the sports club Djurgårdens IF. The department was formed in 1922 with the help of Wilhelm Arwe and have since then become Sweden's most successful team, having won the Swedish... |
SEL Elitserien Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden... |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 2004–05 Elitserien season The 2004–05 Elitserien season was the 30th season of Elitserien. It started on September 20, 2004, with the regular season ending March 1, 2005. The playoffs of the 81st Swedish Championship ended on April 11, with Frölunda HC taking the championship.... |
Djurgården | SEL | 30 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 33 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 29 | ||
| 2005–06 2005–06 Elitserien season The 2005–06 Elitserien season was the 31st season of Elitserien. It ran from September 26, 2005 until March 6, 2006, with the Elitserien playoffs, the 82nd Swedish Championship, to April 18, with Färjestads BK taking the championship.-Final standings:... |
Djurgården | SEL | 50 | 17 | 19 | 36 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Edmonton Oilers Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League .... |
NHL | 68 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 2006–07 AHL season The 2006–07 AHL season was the 71st season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs won their first Calder Cup, defeating the defending champions, the Hershey Bears in the finals.... |
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins. They play in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
5 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 2007–08 AHL season The 2007–08 AHL season is the 72nd season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-nine teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Chicago Wolves won their second Calder Cup, defeating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the Calder Cup Final.-Team changes:... |
Springfield Falcons Springfield Falcons The Springfield Falcons are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . They play in Springfield, Massachusetts, at the MassMutual Center and are the top affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League. The Falcons' two main rivals are the Connecticut Whale and the... |
AHL | 29 | 13 | 13 | 26 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 17 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 21 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 2008–09 | HC Lugano | NLA | 48 | 22 | 41 | 63 | 83 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 KHL season The 2009–10 KHL season was the second season of the Kontinental Hockey League. It was held from 10 September 2009 to 27 April 2010, with a break for the Olympic winter games from 8 February to 3 March... |
Salavat Yulaev Ufa Salavat Yulaev Ufa Salavat Yulaev is a professional ice hockey team based in Ufa in the Republic of Bashkortostan, a federal subject of the Russian Federation. They are members of the Chernyshev Division of the Kontinental Hockey League, and were part of Group C of the 2008–09 Champions Hockey League.-History:The... |
KHL Kontinental Hockey League The Kontinental Hockey League is an international professional ice hockey league in Eurasia founded in 2008. As of 2009, it is ranked as the strongest hockey league in Europe.... |
56 | 24 | 33 | 57 | 71 | 15 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 37 | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 KHL season The 2010–11 KHL season is the third season of the Kontinental Hockey League. It was held from 8 September 2010 and ended on 16 April 2011.The season started with the Opening Cup game between the last season's finalists, Ak Bars Kazan and the new team that was created by merging last season's... |
Salavat Yulaev Ufa | KHL Kontinental Hockey League The Kontinental Hockey League is an international professional ice hockey league in Eurasia founded in 2008. As of 2009, it is ranked as the strongest hockey league in Europe.... |
54 | 29 | 36 | 65 | 30 | 21 | 3 | 15 | 18 | 16 | ||
| NHL totals | 106 | 6 | 18 | 24 | 66 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||