Patrik Elias Patrik Eliáš ( [ ˈpatrɪk ˈɛlɪjaːʃ ] , born 13 April 1976 ) is a Czech former professional hockey winger who played his entire NHL career with the New Jersey Devils . Eliáš is the franchise ' s all - time leader in points , goals , and assists , and he holds the franchise record for the most points in a season ( 96 ) and the most career game - winning goals ( 79 ) . Elias has won the Stanley Cup twice with the Devils , one in 2000 , and another in 2003 . Playing career . Eliáš was drafted by the New Jersey Devils 51st overall ( 2nd round ) in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft . As part of the A Line with Petr Sýkora and Jason Arnott , he helped lead the team to the 1999 – 2000 Stanley Cup championship . He assisted on Arnott ' s Cup - clinching goal in double overtime in Game 6 at Dallas . The following year he scored a team record 96 points in the regular season , third best in the league . He also played a key role in helping New Jersey win the Stanley Cup in 2002 – 03 . During the 2004 – 05 NHL lockout , he played hockey in Russia , where he contracted Hepatitis A from the food he ate while there . His bout with the disease severely weakened him , resulting in a weight loss of 30 pounds and being confined to a bed for 4 weeks . It kept him out of NHL action until after the lockout was resumed . Three months into the 2005 – 06 season , he made his first appearance of the season on January 3 , 2006 , against the Florida Panthers , resuming his role as an alternate captain ( replacing Alexander Mogilny ) . He picked up where he left off , scoring eight points in his first four games and helping the Devils win his first nine games back with the team . Paired with Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez to form the " EGG Line " , Eliáš helped the team instrument a historic comeback and win the Atlantic Division title , despite being 19 points out of first place when he returned in January . In the first game of the 2006 playoffs against the New York Rangers , he became the 10th player to score six points in an NHL playoff game , with two goals and four assists . Eliáš ' 2006 postseason campaign was spectacular , even though the Devils were eliminated by eventual Cup champions , Carolina , in the second round . Eliáš scored 6 goals and added 10 assists for an impressive 16 points in just 9 games . He was named the Devils new captain on October 5 , 2006 , becoming the seventh captain in team history . The previous captain of the Devils was Canadian born defenceman Scott Stevens , now retired . He is also the first European born captain in the history of the franchise . At the start of the 2007 – 08 season , Eliáš was stripped of the captaincy by new coach Brent Sutter . The Devils named Jamie Langenbrunner captain on December 5 , 2007 . Sutter later placed Eliáš on a top scoring line which consisted of Dainius Zubrus and Brian Gionta . Eliáš is also known to work well with Devils superstar Zach Parise , with whom he occasionally plays with on " heroes line " and frequently plays with on the power - play unit . On March 17 , 2009 , Eliáš became the New Jersey Devils ' all - time leading scorer by recording his 702nd regular season point , an assist on Brian Gionta ' s shorthanded goal . Gionta ' s goal was the game - winner in a 3 - 2 win over the visiting Chicago Blackhawks , giving the edge for Martin Brodeur ' s record - breaking 552nd win as a goaltender to pass Patrick Roy , who held the former record at 551 wins . Chants of " Pa - trik E - li - as " were heard as Devils ' PA announcer Kevin Clark confirmed to the crowd that Eliáš had broken John MacLean ' s record . Eliáš was the second star of the night , only behind Brodeur . Eliáš was the winner of the 2009 Golden Hockey Stick as the world ' s best Czech hockey player , ending Jaromir Jagr ' s four - year streak . He scored his 300th career goal on 12 December 2009 , against the Philadelphia Flyers . Despite a weak first half by the Devils during the 2010 - 11 season , Eliáš was selected to be the Devils sole representative at the 2011 NHL All - Star Game in Raleigh , North Carolina . This was his third All - Star appearance , and he was eventually selected by Team Staal in the first - ever NHL All - Star " fantasy draft . " On 19 February 2011 , Eliáš recorded the 800th point of his career with his third assist of the game against the . At the conclusion of the season , on April 1st , Eliáš scored his eighth career hat trick , coming against the Philadelphia Flyers . In the following 2011 - 12 season , Eliáš scored two goals ( 347 , 348 ) against the Montreal Canadiens to tie , then pass John MacLean as the leading goal scorer for the Devils on 17 December 2011 . Eliáš played his 1 , 000th NHL game on 6 January 2012 , against the Florida Panthers . In the game , he scored a goal and recorded two assists in a 5 – 2 victory . On 27 January 2013 , Eliáš Recorded his 900th career point with a goal and two assists against the Montreal Canadiens . On 6 January 2015 , Eliáš became the 82nd player in NHL history to recorded 1 , 000 career points in a 4 – 1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres . He scored one goal and had two assists . A month later , on 6 February , Eliáš scored his 400th NHL goal , becoming the 91st player in the league ' s history to do so , in the Devils ' 4 – 1 home win over the Toronto Maple Leafs . After several months of deciding whether or not to return to NHL play for the Devils in the 2016 - 17 season , Eliáš announced his retirement from professional hockey on March 31st 2017 . International play . Eliáš played his first game in the national squad in 1998 , and has played 40 times for the national team , score 20 goals ( as of end of season 2010 / 2011 ) . He was selected as the Captain of the Czech Republic for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver , Canada . Personal life . Eliáš married Petra Volakova , also a native Czech , in the 2007 off - season . Together they have one child , a daughter named Sophia Gabriella , born on 27 November 2010 . International play . Eliáš played his first game in the national squad in 1998 , and has played 20 times for the national team External links .