Victor Oreskovich Victor J . Oreskovich ( born August 15 , 1986 ) is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger currently playing with the the Vancouver Canucks in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . Playing career . Amateur career . Oreskovich played minor hockey with the Oakville Rangers of the OMHA SCTA League , winning two provincial rep championships with the club . Following minor , Oreskovich was drafted in the 6th round by the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League ( OHL ) , but he joined the Junior A ranks to maintain his eligibility for college hockey in the United States . He played the 2002 – 03 season with the Milton Icehawks of the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League ( OPJHL ) , before joining the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League ( USHL ) the following year . He recorded 37 points in 58 games and was named to the 2004 USHL All - Star Game . Following his season with the Gamblers , Oreskovich was selected in the second round , 55th overall , of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche . Recruited to play college hockey with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association ( CCHA ) , Oreskovich joined the club following his draft on a $ 42 , 000 annual scholarship . He struggled in his freshman year , recording three points in 37 games . With aspirations to turn professional sooner , he left Notre Dame nine games into his sophomore year to join the OHL , where his major junior rights had been traded on November 24 , 2005 , from Windsor to the Kitchener Rangers . Kitchener was Oreskovich ' s desired destination to play major junior , as his best friend and former minor hockey teammate Evan McGrath starred with the Rangers . In December 2005 , he debuted with the Rangers , scoring goals in his first three games . He went on to record 16 points over 19 games for the remainder of the 2005 – 06 season . Oreskovich attended the Avalanche ' s training camp for the 2006 – 07 , where he was among the first cuts re - assigned back to junior . Returning to the Rangers for a second season , he finished second in team scoring with 28 goals and 60 points in 62 games . Professional career . The following off - season , on July 7 , 2007 , Oreskovich was signed to a two - year , entry level contract by the Colorado Avalanche . He returned for his second Avalanche training camp for the 2007 – 08 season and was assigned to their American Hockey League ( AHL ) affiliate , the Lake Erie Monsters . Oreskovich , however , did not report to the Monsters ; he was suspended by the Avalanche , before announcing his retirement from the game , citing burnout and a lost drive . After a two - year hiatus , Oreskovich regained ambitions to play professionally and reached out to former Kitchener Rangers coach Peter DeBoer , now head coach of the NHL ' s Florida Panthers . He earned a try - out with the Panthers at their training camp for the 2009 – 10 season . He was assigned to Florida ' s AHL affiliate , the Rochester Americans and was signed a two - year contract with the Panthers on October 7 , 2009 . Within less than a month , Oreskovich was called up to the NHL and capped off his comeback by making his NHL debut with the Panthers in a 4 - 3 victory over the St . Louis Blues on October 31 . Providing a energetic checking presence with the Panthers , he scored his first NHL goal against Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings in a 4 - 3 defeat on November 16 . He split his professional rookie season between the Panthers and Americans , scoring six points over 50 games in the NHL and 15 points over 34 games in the AHL . During the 2010 NHL Entry Draft on June 25 , 2010 , Oreskovich was traded to the Vancouver Canucks along with defenceman Keith Ballard in exchange for Michael Grabner , Steve Bernier , and Vancouver ' s first round pick , the 25th overall selection , used to select Quinton Howden . Following the pre - season the Canucks assigned Oreskovich to their AHL affiliate the Manitoba Moose . Shortly after returning from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for 15 games , he was recalled by the Canucks on February 10 , 2011 . Personal life . Oreskovich attended high school at Notre Dame Catholic School in Welland , Ont , as well as at Iroquois Ridge High School in Oakville , Ontario . While playing college hockey with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish , he studied finance before dropping out to join the major junior ranks . He later re - enrolled at University of Notre Dame during his two - year hiatus from his hockey career , to complete his finance degree . He has a younger sister who is entering her first year of optometry school at the University of Waterloo .