Mike Commodore
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Michael W. Commodore (born November 7, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Commodore played for several teams in the National Hockey League (NHL). In
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, he won the
Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
as part of the
Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, ...
. Commodore was selected by the
New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional sports, professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern ...
in the second round (42nd overall) of the
1999 NHL Entry Draft The 1999 NHL Entry Draft was the 37th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 26 at the FleetCenter in Boston. According to ''Sports Illustrated'' and other sports news agencies, at the time the 1999 draft was considered one of the deepest in tale ...
.


Playing career

Commodore played his collegiate years at the
University of North Dakota The University of North Dakota (also known as UND or North Dakota) is a public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It was established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of ...
Fighting Sioux, playing three years and winning the NCAA Championship in 2000. He was drafted 42nd overall by the
New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional sports, professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern ...
in the
1999 NHL Entry Draft The 1999 NHL Entry Draft was the 37th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 26 at the FleetCenter in Boston. According to ''Sports Illustrated'' and other sports news agencies, at the time the 1999 draft was considered one of the deepest in tale ...
. He was traded to the
Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division, and play their home games at Honda Center. ...
and then to the
Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
, playing in the
2004 Stanley Cup Finals The 2004 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2003–04 season, and the culmination of the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Western C ...
. Calgary's depth on the blue line left no place for Commodore in the regular lineup, and he was traded to the
Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, ...
prior to the start of the
2005–06 NHL season The 2005–06 NHL season was the 89th season of operation (88th season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). This season succeeded the 2004–05 season which had all of its scheduled games canceled due to a labor dispute with the Nation ...
. Commodore and the Hurricanes ended up becoming NHL champions at the
2006 Stanley Cup Finals The 2006 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2005–06 season, and the culmination of the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs. The first Stanley Cup Finals since 2004 after a lockout in 2004 and 2005, it ...
. During both final runs, Commodore became noted for his red
playoff beard A playoff beard is the superstitious practice of male athletes not shaving their beards during the playoffs. Playoff beards were introduced by ice hockey players participating in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and are now a tradition in many sports l ...
and
afro The afro is a hair type created by natural growth of kinky hair, or specifically styled with chemical curling products by individuals with naturally curly or straight hair.Garland, Phyl"Is The Afro On Its Way Out?" ''Ebony'', February 1973. ...
hair. As the Hurricanes were received at the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
in 2006, president
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
joked that "I'm not sure what is prettier, the
Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
, or Mike Commodore's hair." Both times Commodore followed the finals having his hair shaved for organizations which helped the Jimmy V Foundation cancer research. The first time he had his hair shaved was at his mother's former school, Fort High. The second time, Commodore held ten
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auctions for the highest bidders which would allow them to have a chance to shave his head and keep his hair. During the 2006 playoffs, Commodore also had fans copying a
bathrobe A bathrobe, also known as a housecoat or a dressing gown, is a loose-fitting outer garment (a robe) worn by people, often after washing the body or around a pool. A bathrobe is considered to be very informal clothing, and is not worn with every ...
he wore before the pre-game skate. Along with
Rhett Warrener Rhett Adam Warrener (born January 27, 1976) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played over 700 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Florida Panthers, Buffalo Sabres and Calgary Flames between 1995 an ...
, he played a role in
Paul Brandt Paul Rennée Belobersycky (born July 21, 1972), known professionally as Paul Brandt, is a Canadian country music artist. Growing up in Calgary, he was a pediatric RN at the time of his big break. In 1996, he made his mark on the country music c ...
's music video, "Convoy", as a truck driver. In the 2006-07 regular season, Commodore tied
Mike Komisarek Michael Komisarek (born January 19, 1982) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who spent his career with the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). Playing career A ...
of the
Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
for most shorthanded goals scored among defensemen, with two. He was a member of the 2007 Canadian
IIHF The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF; french: Fédération internationale de hockey sur glace; german: Internationale Eishockey-Föderation) is a worldwide governing body for ice hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 83 m ...
World Championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
team that won gold in a 4–2 win against
Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
in
Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
. On February 11, 2008, Commodore was dealt to the Ottawa Senators along with
Cory Stillman Cory Stillman (born December 20, 1973) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for several teams between 1994 and 2011, winning the Stanley Cup twice. He is currently an assi ...
from Carolina for
Joe Corvo Joseph Edward Corvo (born June 20, 1977) is an Americans, American former professional ice hockey player who played 11 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals ...
and
Patrick Eaves Patrick Campbell Eaves (born May 1, 1984) is a Canadian-born American former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricanes, Detroit Red Wings, Nashville Predators, Dal ...
. Commodore was signed as an
unrestricted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
by the
Columbus Blue Jackets The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, ...
on July 1, 2008 to a five-year contract worth $18.75 million. He scored five goals as well as adding 19 assists during his first season in Columbus that saw the Blue Jackets appear in their first ever
Stanley Cup Playoff The season structure of the National Hockey League (NHL) is divided into the pre-season, regular season, and the Stanley Cup playoffs. In the pre-season, which is generally held during the last two weeks of September, each team plays several not-fo ...
series against the
Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
, who won in a sweep. Commodore recorded 18 penalty minutes during the series. Commodore cleared waivers on January 17, 2011, and was assigned to the
Springfield Falcons The Springfield Falcons were a former ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) and played in Springfield, Massachusetts, at the MassMutual Center. In 2016, the Falcons' franchise was purchased by the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Ar ...
of the AHL. The
Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
signed Commodore to a one-year contract worth $1 million on July 1, 2011. After signing, Commodore was offered to pick his own jersey number, which incited several Internet petitions to suggest the number 64, in reference to the
Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness ...
. The idea was supported by both the team and Commodore himself, but he decided against it. On February 27, 2012, Commodore was traded to the
Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...
for a conditional seventh-round draft pick after playing only 17 games for Detroit. With the
2012 NHL lockout 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
affecting his free agent status, Commodore was signed to a professional try-out contract midway into the 2012–13 season on November 20, 2012. He was released on January 23, 2013. Commodore played in the
Kontinental Hockey League The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; russian: Континентальная хоккейная лига (КХЛ), Kontinental'naya khokkeynaya liga) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs ba ...
during the 2013–14 season.


Personal

Commodore has a brother, Matt, who also briefly played junior hockey with the
Alberta Junior Hockey League The Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) is an Alberta-based Junior A ice hockey league that belongs to the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). It was formed as a five-team league in 1964. There are currently 16 teams in the league. The reg ...
Fort Saskatchewan Traders The Fort Saskatchewan Traders were an ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. They played in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada, at the Jubilee Recreation Centre, capacity 2000. :Founded: 1976–77 :Division titles won: 1983–84 :R ...
during the 2000-01 season. Politically, Commodore opposes the premiership of
Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...
. In particular, Commodore has been critical of Trudeau's handling of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
and Trudeau's economic policy.


Feud with Mike Babcock

Commodore has been very open over his disapproval of former
Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
,
Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
, and
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Mighty may refer to: * ''Mighty'' (The Planet Smashers album) * ''Mighty'' (Kristene DiMarco album) * ''The Mighty'' (1929 film), a 1929 American action film *''The Mighty'', a 1998 comedy-drama film * ''The Mighty'' (comics), a DC Comics title *Th ...
head coach
Mike Babcock Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and document ...
. Commodore has stated he was "screwed over" by Babcock while with the
Cincinnati Mighty Ducks The Cincinnati Mighty Ducks were a professional ice hockey team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They were members of the American Hockey League, and played their home games at the Cincinnati Gardens. Throughout their existence they were the primary mi ...
of the AHL, claiming Babcock refused to play him in favour of new addition Kurt Sauer. The relationship worsened nine years later, after Commodore signed with the Red Wings, who Babcock was coaching. Commodore states this signing is what ended his career in the NHL. Commodore claimed that Babcock misled him by telling him he was wanted as a physical presence; Commodore remained a healthy scratch for a month and a half to start the season before playing in two games, and was then scratched again until December, only reentering the line up when, according to Commodore, Red Wings general manager
Ken Holland Kenneth Mark Holland (born November 10, 1955) is a Canadian-American ice hockey executive and former goaltender. Holland is currently the president of hockey operations and general manager of the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League. H ...
ordered Babcock to play him. Commodore would go on to say he was traded out of Detroit "because Holland felt bad
or me Or or OR may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * "O.R.", a 1974 episode of M*A*S*H * Or (My Treasure), a 2004 movie from Israel (''Or'' means "light" in Hebrew) Music * ''Or'' (album), a 2002 album by Golden Boy with Mis ...
, referring to his lack of playing time. Commodore (along with Hall of Fame defenseman
Chris Chelios Christos Kostas Chelios (born January 25, 1962) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He was one of the longest tenured players in the National Hockey League, and is a three-time Stanley Cup champion—one with the Montreal Can ...
) also held against Babcock the fact that he healthy scratched
Mike Modano Michael Thomas Modano Jr. (; born June 7, 1970) is an American former professional ice hockey player, who played primarily for the Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars franchise. He spent the final season of his NHL career with his hometown Detroi ...
when he had 1,499 games played. Modano retired following that season and never reached the 1,500 games played milestone. Commodore frequently uses Twitter hashtag "#FuckBabs" in his tweet, a slogan he created. Following his retirement, Commodore has lashed out at Babcock multiple times, particularly on
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where he constantly refers to the coach as a "piece of shit." Commodore has also said he hopes Babcock "gets hit by a truck." Commodore engaged in a notable Twitter rant on November 20, 2019, expressing glee at Babcock's firing from the Maple Leafs earlier that day. Babcock addressed Commodore's criticisms in an appearance on
Cam Janssen Cameron Wesley Janssen (born April 15, 1984) is an American former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues. He was selected by the New Jersey Devils 117th overa ...
's podcast in March, 2021, stating that Commodore was scratched because he did not perform better than other defenders on the 2011 team (he did not recall much interacting with Commodore in Anaheim), and refuted that Commodore was scratched because of a personal vendetta. Commodore rejected this in a Tweet, saying Babcock 'said the exact opposite on the phone July 1, 2011 you piece of shit.'


Career statistics


Regular season and playoffs


International


Awards and honors


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Commodore, Mike 1979 births Living people Admiral Vladivostok players Albany River Rats players Calgary Flames players Canadian ice hockey defencemen Carolina Hurricanes players Cincinnati Mighty Ducks players Columbus Blue Jackets players Detroit Red Wings players Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL) players People from Fort Saskatchewan Lowell Lock Monsters players New Jersey Devils draft picks New Jersey Devils players Ottawa Senators players Saint John Flames players Springfield Falcons players Stanley Cup champions Tampa Bay Lightning players Texas Stars players North Dakota Fighting Hawks men's ice hockey players Ice hockey people from Alberta Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in Russia NCAA men's ice hockey national champions