IIHF Hall of Fame Induction 2019
Miroslav SATAN
Player
Born Jacovce, Czechoslovakia (Slovakia), 22 October 1974
IIHF Hall of Fame Inductee Miroslav Satan speaks at the 2019 IIHF Hall of Fame Inductee Miroslav Satan speaks at the 2019 IIHF Hall of Fame Ceremony at Double Tree by Hilton Hotel Bratislava on May 26, 2019 in Bratislava, Slovakia.
A legend among the first generation of Slovak players after the country achieved independence in the early 1990s, Miro Satan was the consummate professional, leader of the highest standing, and an inspiration to teammates and kids alike.
As with Peter Stastny, Ziggy Palffy, and Robert Petrovicky, Satan achieved two milestones in the mid-1990s. He helped his new nation qualify for the 1994 Olympics (where he led the tournament with nine goals), but at the same time he helped the team fight from C Pool of the World Championships (also in 1994) to B Pool (in 1995) to A Pool (1996), achieving their proper placing despite having to start from scratch after breaking free from Czechoslovakia.
But perhaps more than any other player of his era, Satan was at home in both the NHL and IIHF. His international achievements are why he is being inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame, but he also played 1,050 regular-season games in the NHL and won the Stanley Cup, with Pittsburgh, in 2009.
Drafted 111th overall by Edmonton in 1993 on the strength of a good rookie season in the Czechoslovak league, Satan made his way to North America a year later during the lockout-shortened season, playing with four teams in three leagues. It wasn’t until 1995/96 that he made his NHL debut with the Oilers, and before his second season he played for Slovakia at a third major event, the World Cup, in September 1996.
Satan was traded to Buffalo late in that season, and it was with the Sabres that he had many of his finest NHL seasons, culminating in 1999 when the Sabres went to the Stanley Cup finals before losing to Dallas.
A year later, the Slovaks showed what they were capable of at the 2000 World Championship, advancing to the gold-medal game before losing to arch-rivals Czech Republic, 5-3. Satan, the Slovak team captain, led the tournament in goals (10) and points (12) and was named tournament MVP.
Two years later, the Slovaks were back--and finished what they started--winning gold and earning their place in Slovak history. Satan also captained that team and was named IIHF Directorate Best Forward. In all, he wore the “C” a total of nine times for Slovakia, eight at the World Championships as well as at the 2004 World Cup.
One extraordinary aspect of Satan’s accomplishments is the never waning quality of his play. He led the 1994 Olympics in goals, but he also led the 2000 and 2002 Worlds in points. Even still, he won his only Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2009, at age 34, and he won another monumental silver at the Worlds in 2012.
Satan is one of only two players to win silver in 2000, gold in 2002, and silver in 2012 (Michal Handzus being the other).
Since retiring as a player in 2014, Satan has gone on to some success at the executive level. He was named general manager for the Team Europe entry at the 2016 World Cup, the team that shocked the world by advancing to the finals against Canada. He then became General Manager of the Slovak national team program.
As with Peter Stastny, Ziggy Palffy, and Robert Petrovicky, Satan achieved two milestones in the mid-1990s. He helped his new nation qualify for the 1994 Olympics (where he led the tournament with nine goals), but at the same time he helped the team fight from C Pool of the World Championships (also in 1994) to B Pool (in 1995) to A Pool (1996), achieving their proper placing despite having to start from scratch after breaking free from Czechoslovakia.
Induction Speech
But perhaps more than any other player of his era, Satan was at home in both the NHL and IIHF. His international achievements are why he is being inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame, but he also played 1,050 regular-season games in the NHL and won the Stanley Cup, with Pittsburgh, in 2009.
Drafted 111th overall by Edmonton in 1993 on the strength of a good rookie season in the Czechoslovak league, Satan made his way to North America a year later during the lockout-shortened season, playing with four teams in three leagues. It wasn’t until 1995/96 that he made his NHL debut with the Oilers, and before his second season he played for Slovakia at a third major event, the World Cup, in September 1996.
Satan was traded to Buffalo late in that season, and it was with the Sabres that he had many of his finest NHL seasons, culminating in 1999 when the Sabres went to the Stanley Cup finals before losing to Dallas.
A year later, the Slovaks showed what they were capable of at the 2000 World Championship, advancing to the gold-medal game before losing to arch-rivals Czech Republic, 5-3. Satan, the Slovak team captain, led the tournament in goals (10) and points (12) and was named tournament MVP.
Two years later, the Slovaks were back--and finished what they started--winning gold and earning their place in Slovak history. Satan also captained that team and was named IIHF Directorate Best Forward. In all, he wore the “C” a total of nine times for Slovakia, eight at the World Championships as well as at the 2004 World Cup.
One extraordinary aspect of Satan’s accomplishments is the never waning quality of his play. He led the 1994 Olympics in goals, but he also led the 2000 and 2002 Worlds in points. Even still, he won his only Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2009, at age 34, and he won another monumental silver at the Worlds in 2012.
Satan is one of only two players to win silver in 2000, gold in 2002, and silver in 2012 (Michal Handzus being the other).
Since retiring as a player in 2014, Satan has gone on to some success at the executive level. He was named general manager for the Team Europe entry at the 2016 World Cup, the team that shocked the world by advancing to the finals against Canada. He then became General Manager of the Slovak national team program.