Erik Christensen

Erik Christensen (born December 17, 1983) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL).
==Playing career==
Christensen was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third round (69th overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. In the 2002–03 season, Christensen received the Bob Clarke Trophy for being the leading scorer of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He tallied 108 points (54 goals) in 67 games with the Kamloops Blazers.
The 2004–05 NHL lockout left the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League (AHL) stacked with talent, but Christensen impressed Penguins management by scoring 27 points (14 goals) in his first pro season. In the 2005–06 season, he jumped out of the gate quickly, tallying 19 points (9 goals) in only 9 games. The Pittsburgh Penguins called him up on October 31, 2005.
Christensen scored his first NHL goal on November 3, 2005 against the New York Islanders (against goaltender Rick DiPietro) at 15:43 into the 2nd period. Another promising rookie for the Penguins in 2005–06 (along with Sidney Crosby, Colby Armstrong, Ryan Whitney and others), Christensen earned 13 points (6 goals) in 33 games with the Penguins during his rookie campaign. 
On February 26, 2008, the Atlanta Thrashers acquired Christensen along with Colby Armstrong, Angelo Esposito, and a 1st Round Draft Pick in a trade deadline deal that sent Marián Hossa and Pascal Dupuis to the Penguins.
On March 4, 2009, the Thrashers sent Christensen to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Eric O'Dell. He contributed 2 goals and 7 assists to the Ducks during the remainder of the season, and contributed 2 assists during the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Christensen was claimed off waivers by the New York Rangers on December 2, 2009.
Christensen has been highly valuable in shootouts his entire career. As of the end of the 09-10 season, he has scored 23 goals in 43 attempts for an impressive 53.5% success rate.
Erik's nickname is Crusher, one that he has had since he was 14 years old.
During a game against the New Jersey Devils on December 27, 2010, Christensen sustained an injury to his right knee ligament requiring him to miss four to six weeks.
==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
1999–00 	Kamloops Blazers 	WHL 		66 	9 	5 	14 	41 		4 	0 	0 	0 	2
2000–01 	Kamloops Blazers 	WHL 		72 	21 	23 	44 	36 		4 	1 	1 	2 	0
2001–02 	Kamloops Blazers 	WHL 		70 	22 	36 	58 	68 		4 	0 	0 	0 	4
2002–03 	Kamloops Blazers 	WHL 		67 	54 	54 	108 	60 		6 	1 	7 	8 	14
2003–04 	Kamloops Blazers 	WHL 		29 	10 	14 	24 	40 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	Brandon Wheat Kings 	WHL 		34 	17 	21 	38 	20 		11 	8 	4 	12 	8
2004–05 	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL 		77 	14 	13 	27 	33 		11 	1 	6 	7 	4
2005–06 	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL 		48 	24 	22 	46 	50 		11 	2 	2 	4 	2
2005–06 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	NHL 		33 	6 	7 	13 	34 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL 		16 	12 	12 	24 	8 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	NHL 		61 	18 	15 	33 	26 		4 	0 	0 	0 	6
2007–08 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	NHL 		49 	9 	11 	20 	28 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	Atlanta Thrashers 	NHL 		10 	2 	2 	4 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	Atlanta Thrashers 	NHL 		47 	5 	14 	19 	14 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	Anaheim Ducks 	NHL 		17 	2 	7 	9 	6 		8 	0 	2 	2 	0
2009–10 	Anaheim Ducks 	NHL 		9 	0 	0 	0 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2009–10 	New York Rangers 	NHL 		49 	8 	18 	26 	24 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2010–11 	New York Rangers 	NHL 		63 	11 	16 	27 	18 		5 	1 	0 	1 	2
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		338 	61 	90 	151 	154 		17 	1 	2 	3 	8
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==Awards & Achievements==
*Bob Clarke Trophy WHL Scoring Champion (2003)
==References==
==External links==
*
Category:Born in 1983
Category:Anaheim Ducks players
Category:Atlanta Thrashers players
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Kamloops Blazers alumni
Category:Manitoba Moose players
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:Pittsburgh Penguins draft picks
Category:Pittsburgh Penguins players
Category:Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins players
Category:Brandon Wheat Kings players