Ladislav Ščurko

Ladislav Ščurko (born April 4, 1986 in Gelnica) is a Slovak professional ice hockey center who played for HC Košice of the Slovak Extraliga until he confessed to the murder of a referee in 2009.

Playing career
Ščurko started his junior career by playing in 37 games with his junior team, HK VTJ Spisská Nová Ves, in Slovakia. He scored 44 points on 20 goals and 24 assists. Following that season he was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 6th round, 170th overall, in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Shortly after, he was drafted seventh overall in the CHL Import Draft by the Seattle Thunderbirds. In his first year in the Western Hockey League (WHL), he scored 42 points, which put him in fifth in the league for points scored by a rookie. Ladislav also set a Thunderbird record with a nine-game point streak from December 11, 2004 through January 12, 2005, during which he scored 12 points. He enjoyed similar success in fewer games the following season.

Murder
On April 23, 2009, Ščurko confessed to the murder of referee Marek Liptaj in January 2008 at a motorway service area near Kosice. He admitted that he killed Liptaj by stabbing him down with a knife 14 times. Liptaj's body was hastily buried in a forest. Scurko is now facing up to 20 years in jail. No motive has been revealed yet, but police say the crime was not premeditated.

Records

 * Seattle Thunderbirds' franchise record for longest point streak: 9 games (12 points, from 11 December 2004 to 12 January 2005)