Thomas Greiss

Thomas Greiss (born 29 January 1986) is a German professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). Selected 94th overall in the fourth round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks, he has also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Phoenix Coyotes in his NHL career.
==Playing career==
A native of Füssen, Germany, Greiss came through the youth ranks of EV Füssen before heading to the Kölner Haie organization in 2002. He made his debut in the German top-flight Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) for the Cologne-based team during the 2003-04 campaign.
The San Jose Sharks selected Greiss in the third round, with the 94th overall selection, in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
Greiss played for San Jose during the Sharks' pre-season games ahead of the 2007–08 season, though he was eventually assigned to the team's then-American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Worcester Sharks. On 8 January 2008, he was recalled to replace German compatriot Dimitri Pätzold as the backup goaltender to Evgeni Nabokov. Greiss started his first career NHL game on 13 January 2008, an eventual 4–3 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks. For the 2009–10 season, he served as the back-up goaltender to starter Nabokov.
On 12 October 2010, just prior to the commencement of the 2010–11 season, Greiss was put on waivers by San Jose, eventually clearing and reporting to Worcester of the AHL. Greiss' demotion was in large part due to the off-season signings of Finnish goaltenders Antero Niittymäki and Antti Niemi. Nine days later, after failing to see any gameplay as Worcester's third-string goaltender, he was reassigned to Brynäs IF in the Swedish Elitserien to provide him regular playing time. In April 2011, Greiss was recalled from Brynäs to San Jose for the team's run in the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs. He later re-signed with the Sharks on 7 July.
For the Sharks' 2011–12 season opener, Greiss was the team's starter in a 6–3 win over the Phoenix Coyotes in San Jose. He went on to start the next two games—losses to the Anaheim Ducks and St. Louis Blues—before Antti Niemi returned from off-season surgery. Later in the season, Greiss recorded his first career NHL shutout on 26 January 2013, recording 24 saves in a 4–0 win over the Colorado Avalanche.
Greiss became a free agent in July 2013 and subsequently signed a one-year contract with the Phoenix Coyotes. In his only season with Phoenix, he played in 25 games, posting a 2.25 goals against average (GAA) and .920 save percentage. At the end of the 2013–14 season, he was not re-signed by the Coyotes, whereupon he signed a one-year, $1 million contract as an unrestricted free agent with the Pittsburgh Penguins on 1 July 2014. After the 2014–15 season in which he appeared in 20 games for the Penguins, Greiss once again switched teams as a free agent, signing with the New York Islanders on a two-year, $3 million contract. In March 2016, Jaroslav Halák, the Islanders' starting goaltender, suffered a lower-body injury sidelining him six weeks, leaving Greiss as the team's new starting goaltender.
In December 2016, the Islanders waived Halák, leaving Greiss and Jean-François Bérubé as the Islanders' two goaltenders. On January 30th 2017, Greiss signed a new three-year contract.
==International play==
In 2006, he earned a roster spot on the German team for the 2006 Winter Olympics; at just 20 years of age he was the youngest goaltender in the tournament. During the tournament, Greiss notably turned-in an impressive 35-save performance against Canada.
He was again named to the German squad for in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
==Personal life==
Greiss's wife, Brittany (née Palmer), was Miss South Dakota USA in 2014. Together, they have a daughter.
==Career statistics==
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	W 	L 	T/OT 	MIN 	GA 	SO 	GAA 	SV% 		GP 	W 	L 	MIN 	GA 	SO 	GAA 	SV%
2003–04 	Kölner Haie 	DEL 		1 	0 	0 	0 	20 	4 	0 	12.00 	.600 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2004–05 	Kölner Haie 	DEL 		8 	— 	— 	— 	459 	16 	0 	2.09 	.936 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2004–05 	Eisbären Regensburg	2.GBun 		1 	— 	— 	— 	60 	2 	0 	2.00 	— 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	Kölner Haie 	DEL 		27 	— 	— 	— 	1560 	64 	1 	2.46 	.926 		9 	6 	3 	533 	27 	1 	3.03 	.898
2006–07 	Fresno Falcons 	ECHL 		3 	1 	2 	0 	180 	7 	0 	2.34 	.929 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	Worcester Sharks 	AHL 		43 	26 	15 	2 	2555 	111 	0 	2.61 	.912 		3 	0 	3 	172 	12 	0 	4.18 	.865
2007–08 	Worcester Sharks 	AHL 		41 	18 	21 	2 	2424 	125 	0 	3.09 	.892 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	San Jose Sharks 	NHL 		3 	0 	1 	1 	129 	7 	0 	3.26 	.860 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	Worcester Sharks 	AHL 		57 	34 	20 	2 	3346 	138 	1 	2.47 	.910 		12 	6 	6 	742 	30 	2 	2.43 	.912
2009–10 	San Jose Sharks 	NHL 		16 	7 	4 	1 	782 	35 	0 	2.68 	.912 		1 	0 	0 	40 	2 	0 	3.00 	.929
2010–11 	Brynäs IF 	SEL 		32 	— 	— 	— 	1850 	90 	2 	2.92 	.901 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2011–12 	San Jose Sharks 	NHL 		19 	9 	7 	1 	1043 	40 	0 	2.30 	.915 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2012–13 	Hannover Scorpions 	DEL 		9 	3 	6 	0 	535 	31 	0 	3.47 	.905 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2012–13 	San Jose Sharks 	NHL 		6 	1 	4 	0 	308 	13 	1 	2.53 	.915 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2012–13 	Worcester Sharks 	AHL 		1 	0 	1 	0 	60 	5 	0 	5.04 	.815 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2013–14 	Phoenix Coyotes 	NHL 		25 	10 	8 	5 	1312 	50 	2 	2.29 	.920 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2014–15 	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL 		20 	9 	6 	3 	1159 	50 	0 	2.59 	.908 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2015–16 	New York Islanders 	NHL 		41 	23 	11 	4 	2288 	90 	1 	2.36 	.925 		11 	5 	6 	734 	30 	0 	2.46 	.923
2016–17 	New York Islanders 	NHL 		51 	26 	18 	5 	2814 	126 	3 	2.69 	.913 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		181 	85 	59 	20 	9,835 	411 	7 	2.51 	.916 		12 	5 	6 	774 	32 	0 	2.48 	.923
DEL totals	DEL totals 	DEL totals		45 	— 	— 	— 	2574 	115 	1 	2.58 	.917 		9 	6 	3 	533 	27 	1 	3.03 	.898
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
===International===
Year 	Team 	Event 		GP	W 	L	T	MIN	GA	SO	GAA 	SV%
2003 	Germany 	WJC18-D1 		2 	2 	0	0	120	2 	0 	1.00	.955
2004 	Germany 	WJC18-D1 		3 	2 	0	0	140	8 	0 	3.43	.867
2004 	Germany 	WJC-D1 		2 	2 	0	0	— 	— 	— 	1.51	.909
2005 	Germany 	WJC 		3 	0 	2	0	104	13	0 	7.50	.806
2006 	Germany 	WJC-D1 		4 	4 	0	0	240	2 	2 	0.50	.978
2006 	Germany 	OG 		1 	0 	1	0	60 	5 	0 	5.00	.875
2006 	Germany 	WC-D1 		2 	1 	0	0	61 	2 	0 	1.97	.882
2010 	Germany 	OG 		3 	0 	3	0	179	15	0 	5.03	.815
2016 	Germany 	WC 		4 	3 	1	0	240	10	0 	2.50	.904
Junior totals	Junior totals	Junior totals		15	10	2	0	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
Senior totals	Senior totals	Senior totals		10	4 	5	0	540	32	0 	3.56	—
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==References==
==External links==
* Thomas Greiss' stats on hockeydb
Category:Born in 1986
Category:Brynäs IF players
Category:German ice hockey players
Category:Hannover Scorpions players
Category:Kölner Haie players
Category:New York Islanders players
Category:Phoenix Coyotes players
Category:Pittsburgh Penguins players
Category:San Jose Sharks draft picks
Category:San Jose Sharks players
Category:Worcester Sharks players