| James Wisniewski | |
| |
| Position | Defenceman |
| Shoots | Right |
| Height Weight |
5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 194 lb (88 kg) |
| NHL Team F. Teams |
Montreal Canadiens Chicago Blackhawks Anaheim Ducks New York Islanders |
| Nationality |  American
|
| Born | February 21, 1984, Canton, MI |
| NHL Draft | 156th overall, 2002 Chicago Blackhawks |
| Pro Career | 2004 – present |
James Wisniewski (born February 21, 1984, in Canton, Michigan) is an American professional ice hockey player currently with the Montreal Canadiens of the NHL.
Playing career[]
Wisniewski started his junior hockey career with his hometown Plymouth Whalers of the OHL, in 2000. He improved every year significantly, and was drafted in the 4th round by the Blackhawks in 2002. At the start of the 2003–04 season, he was named captain of the Whalers. Wielding a rocket slap-shot (good for 17 goals, 11 on the power-play), "Wiz" was arguably the most feared defenseman in the OHL that year. He finished 24th in overall scoring with 70 points, but 3rd in defenseman scoring, short 6 points of Kingston Frontenacs defenseman Bryan Rodney. However, Wisniewski played in 17 less games, playing in only 50 to Rodney's 67 (in a 68 game season). For his work, Wisniewski was awarded the OHL's 2004 Max Kaminsky Trophy as most outstanding defenceman. The accolades didn't stop there, as Wisniewski also took home the parent league, CHL's Defenseman of the Year award. This recognition gained Wisniewski a contract with Chicago, and a jump to the AHL's Norfolk Admirals.
Wisniewski was called up early to the Blackhawks in the 2006–07 season and has since stuck with the Blackhawks. James tore his ACL during the 1st period against Los Angeles on March 5, 2007. He was placed on injured reserve and missed the rest of the season.
On March 4, 2009, Wisniewski was traded by the Blackhawks along with Petri Kontiola to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Samuel Pahlsson and Logan Stephenson.
Awards and achievements[]
- 2000–01 OHL First All-Rookie Team
- 2003–04 OHL First All-Star Team
- 2003–04 OHL Max Kaminsky Trophy
- 2003–04 CHL First All-Star Team
- 2003–04 CHL Defenceman of the Year
Career statistics[]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2000–01 | Plymouth Whalers | OHL | 53 | 6 | 23 | 29 | 72 | 19 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 34 | ||
| 2001–02 | Plymouth Whalers | OHL | 62 | 11 | 25 | 36 | 100 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 2002–03 | Plymouth Whalers | OHL | 52 | 18 | 34 | 52 | 60 | 18 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 14 | ||
| 2003–04 | Plymouth Whalers | OHL | 50 | 17 | 53 | 70 | 63 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 8 | ||
| 2004–05 | Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 66 | 7 | 18 | 25 | 110 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2005–06 | Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 61 | 7 | 28 | 35 | 67 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 2005–06 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 19 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 10 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 50 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 68 | 7 | 19 | 26 | 103 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Rockford IceHogs | AHL | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 31 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 17 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 16 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 | ||
| 2009–10 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 69 | 3 | 27 | 30 | 56 | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| NHL totals | 254 | 17 | 80 | 97 | 264 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 | ||||
International play[]
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Competitor for
| ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| World Junior Championships | ||
| Gold | 2004 Helsinki | Ice hockey |
| World U18 Championships | ||
| Gold | 2002 Trnava | Ice hockey |
Played for United States in:
- 2002 World U18 Championships (Gold Medal)
- 2003 World Junior Championships
- 2004 World Junior Championships (Gold Medal)
- 2008 World Championships
International statistics[]
| Year | Team | Comp | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | United States | WJ18 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 2003 | United States | WJC | 7 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| 2004 | United States | WJC | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| 2008 | United States | WC | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Junior int'l totals | 16 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 16 | ||
| Senior int'l totals | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | ||