Richard Pánik (; born 7 February 1991) is a Slovak professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
right winger for
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; ) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs based in Russia (20), Belarus (1), Kazakhstan (1), and China (1) for a total of 23 clubs.
It was considered in ...
(KHL). Pánik was drafted in the second round, 52nd overall, in the
2009 NHL Entry Draft by the
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. The Lightning compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the ...
.
Playing career
Junior
As a youth, Pánik played in the 2004
Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament
The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament () is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, and give an opportunity for international competition to p ...
with a team from
Bratislava
Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...
.
Pánik played two years professionally for
HC Oceláři Třinec of the
Czech Extraliga (ELH) before being drafted in the second round, 52nd overall, of the
2009 NHL Entry Draft by the
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. The Lightning compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the ...
. He attended the Lightning's training camp ahead of the
2009–10 season but was ultimately cut from their roster, after which he joined the
Windsor Spitfires of the
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; ) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League, alongside the Western Hockey League and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. The league is for players ag ...
(OHL). Later that season, Pánik played for
Slovakia
Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
at the
2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (''2009 WJHC''), was the 33rd edition of the Ice Hockey World Junior Championship and was played in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, between December 26, 2008, and January 5, 2009. Games were held at the O ...
, where he scored two goals and three assists in five games.
On 5 January 2010, the Spitfires sent Pánik to the
Belleville Bulls
The Belleville Bulls were a junior ice hockey team, founded in 1981 and based in Belleville, Ontario. The team played in the Eastern Division of the Eastern Conference of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The team relocated to Hamilton, Ontario, ...
in a blockbuster trade, along with Austen Brassard, Steve Gleeson, Paul Bezzo, a second-round pick in 2012, a third-round pick in 2010 and a seventh-round pick in 2012, in exchange for
Philipp Grubauer
Philipp Grubauer (born 25 November 1991) is a German professional ice hockey goaltender for the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the fourth round, 112th overall, at the 2010 NHL ent ...
, Marc Cantin and Stephen Johnson.
Professional
Turning professional in
2011–12, Pánik was a member of the
Norfolk Admirals team that set the longest win streak in professional hockey in North America, winning a record-breaking 28 consecutive victories that season. Pánik also helped the Admirals capture the
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League (AHL). It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars.
The cup is made of sterling silver mounted on a base of Brazilian mahogany. In it ...
championship in a 4–0 sweep over the
Toronto Marlies
The Toronto Marlies are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a member of the North Division of the Eastern Conference. The Marlies are owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, a c ...
.

Due to the
2012–13 NHL lockout
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to ...
that cancelled nearly half of the
regular season
In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from the last week of March to the last week of S ...
, Tampa Bay assigned Pánik, as well as 17 others, to the
Syracuse Crunch
The Syracuse Crunch are a professional ice hockey team based in Syracuse, New York. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the National Hockey League's Tampa Bay Lightning. They play in they home games at the Upstate Medical Univer ...
, the Lightning's new AHL affiliate for the
2012–13 season. On 11 February 2013, several weeks after NHL play had resumed, the Lightning recalled Pánik, where he later scored his first career NHL goal on 23 February against
Dan Ellis Daniel, Danny or Dan Ellis may refer to:
Sports
*Dan Ellis (ice hockey) (born 1980), Canadian ice hockey player
*Danny Ellis (footballer, born 1985), English footballer for Guiseley, Harrogate, Farsley, and Darlington
*Daniel Ellis (footballer, bor ...
of the
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Con ...
in a 5–2 victory. On 1 March, the
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. The Lightning compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the ...
reassigned Pánik to Syracuse after playing nine games in the NHL, registering one goal from eight shots on net. At the end of the AHL regular season, Pánik had played in 43 games with the Crunch, recording 21 goals and 35 points, including an AHL-high 12-game point streak from 2 November through 1 December 2013, with 17. Pánik then helped Syracuse reach the Calder Cup Final, though the team fell to the
Grand Rapids Griffins
The Grand Rapids Griffins are a professional ice hockey team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They compete in the American Hockey League (AHL), playing their home games at Van Andel Arena. They are the AHL affiliate to the Detroit Red Wings of t ...
in a 4–2 series defeat.
Pánik made the
2013–14 Lightning roster out of training camp to begin the regular season. Despite making the team, he saw his playing time dwindle as the season went on, however, and, after struggling to find consistency in his game, was demoted on 24 January 2014, to Syracuse. Several months later, on 5 March, Tampa Bay again recalled Pánik from the Crunch. He finished the regular season with 50 appearances for Tampa Bay, scoring three goals and ten assists for 13 points, in addition to
Stanley Cup playoff games played against the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...
in the
Eastern Conference Quarter-finals.
On 11 July 2014, Pánik signed a one-year, two-way contract extension with Tampa Bay. After failing to make the
2014–15 Lightning roster out of training camp, however, he was placed on waivers, where he was then claimed by the
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. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...
on 9 October 2014. On 25 October, he scored his first goal as a Maple Leaf in a 4–1 loss to the visiting
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...
. Pánik experienced a breakout season in Toronto, setting career-highs in games played (76), goals scored (11) and points (17). Following this noteworthy campaign, on 1 July 2015, Pánik signed a one-year, $925,000 contract with the Maple Leafs.
Pánik was expected to play with the Maple Leafs in the
2015–16 season; however, he was beaten on the depth chart by new additions such as
Brad Boyes
Bradley Keith Boyes (born April 17, 1982) is a Canadians, Canadian former professional ice hockey player, who spent thirteen seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of seven different teams.
Boyes made his NHL debut in 2003 for t ...
and
P. A. Parenteau
Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau (born March 24, 1983) is a Canadians, Canadian former professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), right winger.
In the National Hockey League (NHL) he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, New York Isla ...
. Additionally, the Maple Leafs claimed defenceman
Frank Corrado off waivers on 6 October 2015. Having reached the maximum roster size, Pánik was placed on waivers with the purpose of being sent down to the
Toronto Marlies
The Toronto Marlies are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a member of the North Division of the Eastern Conference. The Marlies are owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, a c ...
. Pánik cleared waivers the following day.
On 3 January 2016, after playing 32 games with the Marlies, Pánik was traded to the
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (N ...
in exchange for
Jeremy Morin. He finished the season with the Blackhawks and was re-signed to a one year, $875,000 contract extension. Pánik scored his first career NHL hat-trick against the
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators (colloquially referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Predators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Divisio ...
on 15 October 2016. Pánik tallied a career-high 22 goals and 22 assists during the season. On 11 May 2017, he signed a two-year extension worth $2.8 million per year with the Blackhawks.
On 10 January 2018, Pánik (alongside
Laurent Dauphin) was traded to the
Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes are an inactive professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division (1996–1998, 2021–2024) and ...
in exchange for
Anthony Duclair and
Adam Clendening.
On 1 July 2019, as a free agent from the Coyotes, Pánik left to sign a four-year $11 million contract with the Washington Capitals.
During the pandemic delayed season, on 12 April 2021, Pánik was traded at the trade deadline to 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 ...
, along with
Jakub Vrána, a first-round pick in
2021
Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
, and a second-round pick in
2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
, in exchange for
Anthony Mantha. In closing out the regular season with the cellar-dwelling Red Wings, Pánik registered 1 goal and 4 points in 12 games.
On 16 July 2021, Pánik was traded by the Red Wings, along with a second-round pick in the
2021 NHL Entry Draft, to the
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...
in exchange for
Nick Leddy
Nicholas Michael Leddy (born March 20, 1991) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the first round, 16th overall, by the Minnesota Wild in the 2009 NHL ...
. In the following 2021–22 season, after clearing waivers Pánik was assigned by the Islanders to AHL affiliate, the
Bridgeport Islanders. He played in 28 games with the Bridgeport, recording seven goals and five assists for 12 points. He also collected one assist in four appearances in a recall with New York. On 28 March 2022, Pánik was loaned by the Islanders to the
Chicago Wolves
The Chicago Wolves are a professional ice hockey team based in Rosemont, Illinois. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Wolves play home games at the Allstate Arena ...
of the AHL for the remainder of the season.
On 12 October 2022, Pánik signed a one-year contract with
Lausanne HC of the Swiss
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
(NL). On 13 March 2023, the team announced that they would not re-sign Pánik after the team failed to qualify for the playoffs during the
2022–23 season.
On 2 July 2023, Pánik agreed to return to HC Oceláři Třinec of the Czech Extraliga on a one-year contract.
On 27 September 2024, HC Slovan Bratislava announced Pánik signed a short-term contract with the team, lasting until November league break. Following the end of his contract with Bratislava, Panik signed with
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; ) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs based in Russia (20), Belarus (1), Kazakhstan (1), and China (1) for a total of 23 clubs.
It was considered in ...
(KHL) for the remainder of the
2024–25 season.
International play
Pánik was selected to play for
Slovakia
Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
at the
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 Mannh ...
, where he recorded two assists and finished a
plus-minus rating of +3.
Pánik also represented Slovakia at the
2014 Winter Olympics
The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially called the XXII Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Sochi 2014 (), were an international winter multi-sport event that was held from 7 to 23 February 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Opening ro ...
in
Sochi
Sochi ( rus, Сочи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg, from – ''seaside'') is the largest Resort town, resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi (river), Sochi River, along the Black Sea in the North Caucasus of Souther ...
, where the nation finished in 11th in the tournament; Pánik did not record a point.
Personal life
In July 2016, Pánik married his long-time girlfriend, Nikola Kochanová.
In April 2018, Pánik was arrested after refusing to leave the entrance of Bevvy, near Scottsdale, Arizona. He was later released with criminal citation.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
Awards and honours
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Panik, Richard
1991 births
Living people
Arizona Coyotes players
Belleville Bulls players
Bridgeport Islanders players
Chicago Blackhawks players
Chicago Wolves players
Detroit Red Wings players
Guelph Storm players
HC Dynamo Pardubice players
HC Oceláři Třinec players
HC Slovan Bratislava players
Ice hockey players at the 2014 Winter Olympics
Lausanne HC players
New York Islanders players
Norfolk Admirals players
Olympic ice hockey players for Slovakia
Ice hockey people from Martin, Slovakia
Slovak expatriate ice hockey players in Canada
Slovak expatriate ice hockey players in Switzerland
Slovak expatriate ice hockey players in the Czech Republic
Slovak expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
Slovak ice hockey right wingers
Syracuse Crunch players
Tampa Bay Lightning draft picks
Tampa Bay Lightning players
Toronto Maple Leafs players
Toronto Marlies players
Washington Capitals players
Windsor Spitfires players
21st-century Slovak sportsmen