Bates Battaglia

Jonathan "Bates" Battaglia (born December 13, 1975) is an American former professional ice hockey left winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals and the Toronto Maple Leafs. He finished his professional career in 2012 with Karlskrona HK of the Swedish HockeyAllsvenskan.

Bates Battaglia
Born (1975-12-13) December 13, 1975
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Position Left wing
Shot Left
Played for Carolina Hurricanes
Colorado Avalanche
Washington Capitals
Toronto Maple Leafs
Jokerit
National team  United States
NHL Draft 132nd overall, 1994
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Playing career 19972012

Playing career

Battaglia was drafted by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the sixth round, 132nd overall, of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. Growing up, Bates played hockey in Park Ridge, Illinois, under coach Tom Godwin. He played on the three-time NCAA National Championship-winning Lake Superior State University Lakers ice hockey team from 1994 to 1997.

On March 18, 1997, Battaglia was traded by the Mighty Ducks to the Hartford Whalers for Mark Janssens. He made his professional debut in the 1997–98 season with the Beast of New Haven of the American Hockey League (AHL) before making his NHL debut with the Carolina Hurricanes in their inaugural season in Raleigh, having relocated from Hartford, Connecticut. Battaglia established himself as a NHL regular with the Hurricanes, enjoying his most successful period as a third of the "BBC line" (consisting of Rod Brind'Amour, Battaglia and Erik Cole) during their run to the 2002 Stanley Cup Final.[1]

On March 11, 2003, Battaglia was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Radim Vrbata.[2] His tenure with Colorado was short, as he was traded at the start of the 2003–04 season (along with Jonas Johansson) to the Washington Capitals in exchange for Steve Konowalchuk.[3]

During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, on February 21, 2005, Battaglia joined his younger brother Anthony on the Mississippi Sea Wolves of the ECHL for the 2004–05 season.

On October 2, 2005, Battaglia was signed by the AHL's Toronto Marlies to a one-year contract. For the following season, on July 2, 2006, he signed as a free agent with the Marlies' NHL parent club, the Toronto Maple Leafs, to a one-year contract. On July 2, 2007, he re-signed as a free agent with the Maple Leafs to a two-year contract. On December 13, 2007, he was assigned to the Marlies on a conditioning stint, but was left in the minors for the duration of the season. He was again assigned to the Marlies at the start of the 2008–09 season and scored a respectable 51 points in 59 games for the Marlies.

A free agent in the 2009–10 season, on November 11, 2009, Battaglia signed with the AHL's Syracuse Crunch.[4] After 29 games with the Crunch, he left the club after signing a contract for the rest of the season with Finnish team Jokerit of the SM-liiga as an injury replacement on January 28, 2010.[5]

On December 8, 2010, Battaglia signed a 25-game professional try-out contract with the AHL's Rochester Americans.[6] After contributing only 3 points in 20 games with the Americans, he was released and signed with Lausitzer Füchse of the German 2nd Bundesliga. Battaglia's brief stay with Füchse was limited to two games due to injury, and on March 16, 2011, he returned to North America and signed to again join his brother Anthony, this time with the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League.[7]

On November 2011, Battaglia signed with Karlskrona HK of the Swedish Division 1.[8] In the 2011–12 season, Battaglia scored 23 points in 25 games to help Karlskrona gain promotion to the HockeyAllsvenskan. Battaglia finished third among import players in league scoring behind Andrew Fournier and Bill Keenan.

Personal life

Battaglia is the grandson of former Chicago Outfit mobster Sam Battaglia, although this family connection has been downplayed by Battaglia in interviews.[9][10] Bates and his brother Anthony competed in twenty-second season of The Amazing Race and won the season.[11]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1992–93Team Illinois AAAMWEHL6042428468
1993–94Caledon CanadiansMetJHL44153348104
1994–95Lake Superior State UniversityCCHA386152132
1995–96Lake Superior State UniversityCCHA4013223548
1996–97Lake Superior State UniversityCCHA3812273980
1997–98Beast of New HavenAHL481521364810000
1997–98Carolina HurricanesNHL3324610
1998–99Carolina HurricanesNHL60711182260338
1999–2000Carolina HurricanesNHL7716183439
2000–01Carolina HurricanesNHL801215277660222
2001–02Carolina HurricanesNHL822125464423591414
2002–03Carolina HurricanesNHL705141990
2002–03Colorado AvalancheNHL131561070224
2003–04Colorado AvalancheNHL40114
2003–04Washington CapitalsNHL66461038
2004–05Mississippi Sea WolvesECHL256111724400010
2005–06Toronto MarliesAHL792047678651126
2006–07Toronto Maple LeafsNHL8212193145
2007–08Toronto Maple LeafsNHL130007
2007–08Toronto MarliesAHL56121426421962828
2008–09Toronto MarliesAHL591734515562354
2009–10Syracuse CrunchAHL296162215
2009–10JokeritSM-l171011221010
2010–11Rochester AmericansAHL2012312
2010–11Lausitzer Füchse2.GBun21122
2010–11Tulsa OilersCHL61344105274
2011–12Karlskrona HKDiv.12510132320102464
AHL totals2917113420525831961538
NHL totals58080118198385425162128

International

Medal record
Representing  United States
Ice hockey
World Championships
2004 Prague
Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
1995 United States WJC 5th 7 3 2 5 2
1998 United States WC 12th 6 1 1 2 6
2004 United States WC 9 2 2 4 14
Junior totals 7 3 2 5 2
Senior totals 15 3 3 6 20

Awards and honors

Award Year
College
CCHA All-Tournament Team 1995 [12]

References

  1. "Canes' BBC line at eye of the storm". ESPN. 2002-05-12. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
  2. "Avs acquire Battaglia; Kings trade Smolinski". ESPN. 2003-03-11. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
  3. "Colorado acts fast to replace star forward". ESPN. 2003-10-23. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
  4. "Crunch sign left wing Bates Battaglia". oursportscentral.com. 2009-11-11. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
  5. "Battaglia signs contract" (in Finnish). Jokerit. 2010-01-28. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
  6. "Amerks sign veteran forward Bates Battaglia to a P.T.O". Rochester Americans. 2010-12-08. Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2010-12-13.
  7. "Oh brother!". Tulsa Oilers. 2011-03-16. Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
  8. "Bates Battaglia ready for Karlskrona HK". Karlskrona HK. 2011-11-04. Archived from the original on 2012-04-26. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
  9. "Barstool Sports".
  10. Weekes, Don (2007). Crease-Crashing Hockey Trivia. Canada: Greystone Books. p. 128. ISBN 9781553653288.
  11. "Bates and Anthony". CBS. Retrieved 2013-01-27.
  12. "2012-13 CCHA Media Guide". ISSUU.com. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Wayne Strachan
CCHA Best Defensive Forward
1995-96
Succeeded by
John Madden
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge
The Amazing Race (American TV series)
Winners of The Amazing Race 22
with Anthony Battaglia
Succeeded by
Jason Case and Amy Diaz
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