Sergejs Žoltoks

Sergei Zholtok
Born	(1972-12-02)December 2, 1972 Riga, Soviet Union
Died	Minsk, Belarus
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Right
Played for	Boston Bruins Ottawa Senators Montreal Canadiens Edmonton Oilers Minnesota Wild Nashville Predators
National team	Latvia  CIS & Soviet Union
NHL Draft	55th overall, 1992 Boston Bruins
Playing career	1992–2004

Sergejs Žoltoks

Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing Soviet Union
World Junior Championships
	1991 Canada
Representing CIS
World Junior Championships
	1992 Germany

Sergei Zholtok (December 2, 1972 – November 3, 2004) was a Latvian professional ice hockey center who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators.

Playing career

Žoltoks was drafted by the Boston Bruins 55th overall in 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 the Riga 2000 team in the Latvian national hockey championship and the Open Belarus hockey championship. On November 3, 2004, his cardiac arrhythmia resurfaced during the game between HK Riga 2000 (Latvia) and HC Dinamo Minsk (Belarus). Žoltoks left the game with 5 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. This was not the first occurrence; in January 2003 he had to leave a game due to this arrhythmia, and had been observed in a hospital overnight. He was allowed to return to play after missing seven games.

During his 10 years in the NHL, he played in 588 regular-season games, scored 111 goals and had 147 assists. He is survived by his wife, Anna, and sons Edgar and Nikita.

Awards and achievements

• 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

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1990–91	Dinamo Riga	USSR		39	4	0	4	16		—	—	—	—	—
1991–92	Pardaugava Riga	CIS		27	6	3	9	6		—	—	—	—	—
1992–93	Providence Bruins	AHL		64	31	35	66	57		6	3	5	8	4
1992–93	Boston Bruins	NHL		1	0	1	1	0		—	—	—	—	—
1993–94	Providence Bruins	AHL		54	29	33	62	16		—	—	—	—	—
1993–94	Boston Bruins	NHL		24	2	1	3	2		—	—	—	—	—
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	Las Vegas Thunder	IHL		19	13	14	27	20		—	—	—	—	—
1996–97	Ottawa Senators	NHL		57	12	16	28	19		7	1	1	2	0
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	Quebec Citadelles	AHL		1	0	1	1	2		—	—	—	—	—
1999–00	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		68	26	12	38	28		—	—	—	—	—
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 Riga 2000	BHL		6	4	3	7	12		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				588	111	147	258	166		45	4	14	18	0

International

Year	Team	Comp	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1990	Soviet	EJC	6	6	4	10	6
1991	Soviet	WJC	7	2	2	4	2
1992	CIS	WJC	7	3	2	5	10
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 int'l totals			20	10	10	20	14
Senior int'l totals			34	21	11	32	26

See also

• List of ice hockey players who died during their playing career

External links

• Official Sergei Zholtok Memorial Site
• Sergei Zholtok's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database

Preceded by Matt Johnson

Minnesota Wild captain January 2003

Succeeded by Brad Bombardir