Michael Kostka

Michael Christopher Kostka (born November 28, 1985) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently playing with the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL).
==Playing career==
 thumb|right|Kostka in 2014 with the Lightning.|200px After playing four seasons at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, he was signed to a professional contract by the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League on March 25, 2008. He was assigned to the organization's American Hockey League affiliate (at the time), the Rochester Americans. In his second professional season he moved with the Sabres to new affiliate, the Portland Pirates before returning after two years to sign with the Rochester Americans for the 2010–11 season on August 24, 2010.
On June 30, 2011, Kostka was signed to a one-year NHL contract with then Rochester affiliate, the Florida Panthers.
On December 2, 2011, Kostka was traded by the Panthers, along with Evan Oberg, to the Tampa Bay Lightning for James Wright and Mike Vernace.
After helping Norfolk capture the Calder Cup, on July 1, 2012, Kostka was signed as a free agent to a one-year contract by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kostka got his first NHL point in his debut NHL game against the Montreal Canadiens on January 19, 2013.
On July 19, 2013, Kostka signed as a free agent to a one-year, two way contract with the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Chicago Blackhawks. He then scored his first NHL goal against the Leafs on October 19, 2013, against Jonathan Bernier. After only nine games with the Blackhawks and approaching the last quarter of the season, on February 23, 2014, Kostka was claimed off waivers by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
After a successful stint with the Lightning, Kostka left as a free agent to sign a one-year contract with the New York Rangers on July 1, 2014.
==Career statistics==
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
2000–01 	Ajax-Pickering Raiders 	OMHA-ETA 		39 	5 	13 	18 	28 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2001–02 	Ajax-Pickering Raiders 	OMHA-ETA 		23 	6 	11 	17 	38 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2001–02 	Ajax Axemen 	OPJHL 		19 	1 	4 	5 	8 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	Ajax Axemen 	OPJHL 		39 	4 	11 	15 	32 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	Aurora Tigers 	OPJHL 		42 	9 	27 	36 	4 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2004–05 	U. of Massachusetts-Amherst	HE 		32 	1 	5 	6 	14 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	U. of Massachusetts-Amherst	HE 		36 	2 	6 	8 	20 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	U. of Massachusetts-Amherst	HE 		39 	3 	15 	18 	20 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	U. of Massachusetts-Amherst	HE 		36 	9 	12 	21 	20 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	Rochester Americans 	AHL 		1 	0 	0 	0 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	Portland Pirates 	AHL 		80 	4 	26 	30 	33 		4 	1 	0 	1 	6
2009–10 	Portland Pirates 	AHL 		76 	2 	25 	27 	37 		4 	0 	0 	0 	0
2010–11 	Rochester Americans 	AHL 		80 	16 	39 	55 	46 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2011–12 	San Antonio Rampage 	AHL 		18 	2 	4 	6 	14 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2011–12 	Norfolk Admirals 	AHL 		52 	7 	25 	32 	43 		18 	6 	6 	12 	8
2012–13 	Toronto Marlies 	AHL 		34 	6 	28 	34 	38 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2012–13 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 		35 	0 	8 	8 	27 		1 	0 	0 	0 	0
2013–14 	Chicago Blackhawks 	NHL 		9 	2 	1 	3 	8 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2013–14 	Rockford IceHogs 	AHL 		2 	0 	1 	1 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2013–14 	Tampa Bay Lightning 	NHL 		19 	2 	6 	8 	0 		3 	0 	2 	2 	0
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		63 	4 	15 	19 	35 		4 	0 	2 	2 	0
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==Awards and honors==
Award 	Year 	
All-Hockey East Second Team	2007–08	
==References==
==External links==
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Category:Born in 1985
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Chicago Blackhawks players
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:Norfolk Admirals players
Category:Portland Pirates players
Category:Rochester Americans players
Category:Rockford IceHogs (AHL) players
Category:San Antonio Rampage players
Category:Tampa Bay Lightning players
Category:Toronto Maple Leafs players
Category:Toronto Marlies players
Category:UMass Minutemen players