Wade Belak

Infobox Ice Hockey Player
position = Defence/Forward
shoots = Right
height_ft = 6
height_in = 5
weight_lb = 228
team = Florida Panthers
former_teams = Calgary Flames
Colorado Avalanche
Toronto Maple Leafs
league = NHL
nationality = Canada
birth_date = Birth date and age|1976|7|3|mf=y
birth_place = Saskatoon, SK
career_start = 1996
draft = 12th overall
draft_year = 1994
draft_team = Quebec Nordiques


image_size =

Wade Belak (born July 3, 1976) is a Canadian professional hockey forward and defenceman for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, 12th Overall. He has played for the Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs. Belak is an enforcer.

Playing career

In 2004-05 he played for Coventry Blaze in the British Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) during the NHL lockout. Belak won man of the match a number of times and was voted to the EIHL All-Star team at the end of the season.

Until December 4, 2007 Belak was on pace to set a Leafs record for most consecutive games without a goal. He went 143 games until he scored against the Nashville Predators.cite news | title = Toskala, Leafs stonewall Predators | url = http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=224392&hubname= | publisher = Associated Press | date = 2007-12-04 | accessdate = 2007-12-05] Belak was previously featured in a Rogers Sportsnet interview where he jokingly admitted he was attempting the record intentionally. Belak has scored on goalies such as Martin Brodeur, [cite news | title = Belfour reaches milestone win | url = http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/recap?gid=2003040111 | publisher = Associated Press | date = 2003-04-01 | accessdate = 2007-12-05] Roberto Luongo, [cite news | title = Leafs, Belfour shutout the Panthers | url = http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/recap?gid=2003020526 | publisher = Associated Press | date = 2003-02-05 | accessdate = 2007-12-05] and Chris Mason. Wade Belak was traded to the Florida Panthers on February 26, 2008 for a 5th round draft pick in the 2008 NHL Draft. [ cite web | last = McGourty | first = John | url = http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=355057 | title = Leafs duo head to Florida | publisher = NHL.com | date = 2008-02-26 | accessdate = 2008-02-26]

Personal life

Belak was born in St. Paul's Hospital in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to Lorraine Belak and Lionel Aadland. At age six, his family moved to Battleford where he attended St. Vital Elementary School, Battleford Junior High, and North Battleford Comprehensive High School. He was described as a typical jock, and by 14, he was aiming to become a certified lifeguard.cite web | url = http://www.wadebelak.com/biography.html | title = Wade Belak: Biography | publisher = Wade Belak | accessdate = 2008-03-01]

On July 20, 2002, Wade married Jennifer Jordan Russell in Banff, Alberta. They have two daughters, Andie Marie (born 2004) and Alex Grace (born 2006), who were both born in Toronto. The family owns two Yorkshire dogs: Oscar and Macie. In the summer, the family resides in Kelowna, British Columbia, where Wade enjoys golfing, bike-riding, softball, and water sports. Wade's younger brother Graham Belak played in several lower-tier leagues and was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche, 53rd overall, in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, although he never played a game in the NHL. [cite web | url = http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?page=HistoricalPlayerDetail&service=page&pkey=8466187 | title = Graham Belak | publisher = NHL | accessdate = 2008-03-01] He has since moved on to become a police officer.

Off the ice, the Toronto media portrayed Belak as a charismatic, easy-going person who loves to joke, contrary to his aggressive style of play. He has participated in spoof interviews with Greg Ross of Rogers Sportsnet; Ross characterizes him as an athlete who has a sense of humour about his career. He also had his own segment with Leafs TV called "Wade a Minute". [cite web | last = Ross | first = Greg | url = http://www2.sportsnet.ca/blogs/greg_ross/2006/09/25/belak_gets_it/ | title = Belak gets it | publisher = Rogers Sportsnet | date = 2006-09-26 | accessdate = 2007-12-05]

Career statistics

ee also

*List of NHL seasons
*List of NHL players
*List of AHL seasons

References

External links

* [http://www.wadebelak.com/ Wade Belak's official website]
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Persondata
NAME = Belak, Wade
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Canadian ice hockey player
DATE OF BIRTH = Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
PLACE OF BIRTH = July 3, 1976
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =