The New York Islanders announced this summer that they had agreed to terms on a one-year contract with Zenon Konopka. Konopka will see ample of fisticuffs in the 2010-2011 season, as most of the league’s top ten heavyweights Derek Boogaard (New York Rangers), Jody Shelley (Philadelphia Flyers), D.J. King (Washington Capitals), and Eric Godard (Pittsburgh Penguins) are now all in the Atlantic Division at the same time.
Zenon Konopka New York Islanders
Konopka, 29, a native of Niagara on the Lake, Ontario, was a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning the past two years. The fierce centerman played in a career-high 74 NHL games and tallied two goals and three assists while amassing a hefty 265 penalty minutes to lead the National Hockey League. Konopka fought Nick Tarnasky of the Florida Panthers three times in 2009-2010, and his fight card included multiple battles with Zack Stortini and Aaron Voros.
Fighting 33 times in a single season is enough to get Zenon Konopka included in the top 20 list of pure contemporary NHL tough guys. Willing, eager, and combative, he is a throwback player who will shed the gloves in each and every game. Not surprisingly, Konopka led the league in fighting penalties and dropped the gloves more than any player since Peter Worrell had 33 in 2001-02. Only Konopka, Worrell, Andrei Nazarov, Jody Shelley, and Krzysztof Oliwa had 30 or more fighting majors in a single season the past 10 seasons. In a preseason game, September, 22, 2008, for the Tampa Bay Lightning, he fought three times and was ejected for the fight hat trick.
Zenon Konopka Hockey Fights
An undrafted free agent, Konopka started his pro career with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in 2005-06, dressing in 23 games and tallying seven points – four goals and three assists. His first regular season fight, as a Mighty Duck, took place in the first period of game November 27, 2005, against Chicago Blackhawk’s scrappy agitator Matthew Barnaby. He also played a total of nine games with the Columbus Blue Jackets, compiling 35 penalty minutes, which included scraps on back-to-back night, April 5-6, against Matt Walker of the St. Louis Blues.
Heading into the 2010 season, Konopka, who has also played in Cincinnati (AHL), Portland (AHL), Syracuse (AHL) and Norfolk (AHL), has collected 377 penalty minutes in 113 regular season contests. It appears that Konopka has, by fighting so frequently, and so gamely, secured an NHL roster place. The New York Islanders badly needed Konopka’s services, and he should oblige willingly and enthusiastically, in the process undoubtedly becoming a New York Islanders’ fan favorite. Ironically, the New York Islanders only had 33 team fighting majors in 2009-2010; Konopka should equal or better that number this season. He and rugged winger Trevor Gillies should give the Islanders their first real one-two fistic duo since Mick Vukota and Ken Baumgartner patrolled the ice in the early 1990s.
Brian D'Ambrosio - Brian D'Ambrosio is the author of more than 500 published articles and seven books, including From Haikus to Hatmaking: A Year in the Life ...
