The New York Islanders announced today goaltender Jaroslav Halak has been assigned to the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
Halak, 31, has played 106 games with the Islanders since he agreed to a four-year contract with the team on May 22, 2014. In his first season with New York, the Bratislava, Slovakia native set the Islanders’ all-time wins record (38-17-4) and was named to the 2014 NHL All-Star Game in Columbus, Ohio, becoming the first Islanders netminder to make the All-Star Game since Rick DiPietro in 2007-08. Halak also won a franchise-record 11 straight games during the 2014-15 season.
On March 2, 2016, Halak was selected to the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto with Team Europe. He became a key piece to the squad, logging a 3-3-0 record with a 2.15 goals-against average and .941 save percentage and backstopping Europe to a runner-up finish against Team Canada.
In 388 career NHL games with New York, Montreal, St. Louis and Washington, Halak has a 206-123-42 record with a 2.43 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage and 40 shutouts. He’s also appeared in 30 Stanley Cup Playoff games with New York, Montreal and St. Louis. Aside from his All-Star Game and World Cup of Hockey selections, Halak’s career highlights include leading Montreal to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2010 and winning the Jennings Trophy in 2011-12 for backstopping St. Louis to the fewest goals allowed in the league.
In the American Hockey League, Halak played 69 games over parts of three seasons with the Hamilton Bulldogs (2005-08), going 38-27-2 with a 2.10 GAA and a .930 save percentage with 11 shutouts. He played in the 2007 AHL All-Star Game, and was named a member of the AHL All-Rookie Team in 2006-07.
Montreal selected Halak in the ninth round (271st overall) of the 2003 NHL Draft. On the international stage, Halak also represented Slovakia at two Winter Olympic Games, three World Championships and two Junior World Championships.
