Glen Metropolit

Glen Metropolit (born June 25, 1974) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently playing for EV Zug in the Swiss National League A.
==Playing career==
===Early years===
A native of Mississauga, Ontario, Metropolit was never drafted by an OHL or NHL team, yet managed a 10 year NHL career and 407 games played. After a GTHL career mostly in AA hockey, Metropolit played two seasons for the Richmond Hill Dynes Jr.B. hockey club (OHA) before heading west to play for the Vernon Vipers of the BCHL. 
After graduating Tier II Jr.A. hockey, Metropolit started out playing for the Nashville Knights in the ECHL in the 1995–96 season. He also played for the Pensacola Ice Pilots and Grand Rapids Griffins before making his NHL debut in 1999–2000 for the Washington Capitals. For the next three seasons, he alternated between the Capitals and the AHL's Portland Pirates, and also played two games for Tampa Bay in 2001–02.
===Overseas===
In 2003 Metropolit crossed the Atlantic to play in Helsinki with Jokerit for the 2003–04 season. In a brilliant first season, he scored the most points on the team, 50, with 15 goals and 35 assists, the fifth-highest total during the regular season. He scored six goals during seven playoff games that year, but Jokerit were eliminated in the quarterfinals.
In the 2004–05 season Metropolit and Marko Jantunen were the team's best goal scorers during the regular season, both scoring 16 goals, and Metropolit scored the most points on the team with 31 assists, totalling 47 points; the eighth-highest total in the league. In the playoffs he scored five goals and six assists, including a 3-on-5 shorthanded goal against Ilves's Vesa Toskala in the quarterfinals. The team went on to win the silver medal.
Metropolit became a very popular player with the Jokerit fans, who had a number of chants dedicated to him. He is remembered as a gifted playmaker, with one of his favorite spots, on the outside of the left faceoff circle in the offensive zone, being called "Metro's office" by TV commentators and fans, in honor of Wayne Gretzky's "office" behind the goal. He and Marko Jantunen formed a memorable duo on the penalty kill, scoring several short-handed goals. His player number in Jokerit was #50.
After two years with Jokerit, Metropolit moved to Switzerland where he won the Nationalliga A championship with HC Lugano. He also led the league in scoring during the regular season.
===Atlanta/St. Louis/Boston===
In 2006, Metropolit returned to North America when he was signed by the Atlanta Thrashers. After limited playing time with Atlanta, Metropolit was dealt near the trade deadline to the St. Louis Blues, along with a package of draft picks, in exchange for Blues centre/wing Keith Tkachuk.
Metropolit became a free agent at the end of the season before being invited by the Boston Bruins to the team training camp. Just prior to the 2007–08 season on October 3, 2007, he signed a one-year contract with the Bruins. Having established a role within the checking lines and on the powerplay he excelled with the Bruins posting a career high 33 points in 82 games.
===Philadelphia/Montreal===
Metropolit signed a two-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers as a free agent on July 1, 2008. He was placed on waivers and picked up near the trading deadline on February 27, 2009 by the Montreal Canadiens in need of a veteran centreman. He trained with the Philadelphia Flyers on the morning of February 27 before being claimed in the afternoon. Later that night, he played against his former team with the Montreal Canadiens. He scored his first goal with Montreal on March 10 against Dwayne Roloson from the Edmonton Oilers. 
In the 2009–10 season on March 30, 2010, it was announced that Metropolit would miss the final 6 games of the season with a torn shoulder muscle, after enjoying a career high 16 goals with Montreal. An extremely speedy recovery allowed him to be back on the ice on April 19, 2010 for the third game of the playoff series against the Washington Capitals.
On August 2, 2010, Metropolit left the NHL as a free agent and signed a two-year contract to return the Swiss NLA with EV Zug.
==Career statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs===
  	  	  	 	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
1994–95 	Vernon Lakers 	BCHL 	 	60 	43 	74 	117 	92 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1995–96 	Nashville Knights 	ECHL 	 	58 	30 	31 	61 	62 	 	5 	3 	8 	11 	2
1995–96 	Atlanta Knights 	IHL 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1996–97 	Pensacola Ice Pilots 	ECHL 	 	54 	35 	47 	82 	45 	 	12 	9 	16 	25 	28
1996–97 	Quebec Rafales 	IHL 	 	22 	5 	4 	9 	14 	 	5 	0 	0 	0 	2
1997–98 	Grand Rapids Griffins	IHL 	 	79 	20 	35 	55 	90 	 	3 	1 	1 	2 	0
1998–99 	Grand Rapids Griffins	IHL 	 	77 	28 	53 	81 	92 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1999–00 	Portland Pirates 	AHL 	 	48 	18 	42 	60 	73 	 	1 	1 	0 	1 	0
1999–00 	Washington Capitals 	NHL 	 	30 	6 	13 	19 	4 	 	2 	0 	0 	0 	2
2000–01 	Portland Pirates 	AHL 	 	51 	25 	42 	67 	73 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2000–01 	Washington Capitals 	NHL 	 	15 	1 	5 	6 	10 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0
2000–01 	Tampa Bay Lightning 	NHL 	 	2 	0 	0 	0 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2001–02 	Portland Pirates 	AHL 	 	32 	17 	22 	39 	20 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2001–02 	Washington Capitals 	NHL 	 	33 	1 	16 	17 	6 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	Portland Pirates 	AHL 	 	33 	7 	23 	30 	23 	 	3 	1 	1 	2 	0
2002–03 	Washington Capitals 	NHL 	 	23 	2 	3 	5 	6 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	Jokerit 	SM-l 	 	55 	15 	35 	50 	77 	 	7 	6 	1 	7 	33
2004–05 	Jokerit 	SM-l 	 	51 	16 	31 	47 	42 	 	12 	5 	6 	11 	20
2005–06 	HC Lugano 	NLA 	 	44 	23 	43 	66 	60 	 	17 	9 	17 	26 	8
2006–07 	Atlanta Thrashers 	NHL 	 	57 	12 	16 	28 	20 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	St. Louis Blues 	NHL 	 	20 	2 	3 	5 	14 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 	 	82 	11 	22 	33 	36 	 	7 	1 	0 	1 	4
2008–09 	Philadelphia Flyers 	NHL 	 	55 	4 	10 	14 	15 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	21 	2 	1 	3 	13 	 	4 	0 	2 	2 	2
2009–10 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 	 	69 	16 	13 	29 	24 	 	16 	0 	2 	2 	4
2010–11 	EV Zug 	NLA 	 	47 	15 	38 	53 	32 	 	10 	2 	10 	12 	8
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	407 	57 	102 	159 	148 	 	30 	1 	4 	5 	12
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
===International===
Year 	Team 	Comp 	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2006 	Canada 	WC 	9 	0	2	2 	6
Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	9 	0	2	2 	6
==References==
==External links==
* 
* Glen Metropolit's profile at ESPN.com
Category:Born in 1974
Category:Atlanta Knights players
Category:Atlanta Thrashers players
Category:Boston Bruins players
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:EV Zug players
Category:Grand Rapids Griffins (IHL) players
Category:Jokerit players
Category:Montreal Canadiens players
Category:Nashville Knights players
Category:Pensacola Ice Pilots players
Category:Philadelphia Flyers players
Category:Portland Pirates players
Category:Quebec Rafales players
Category:St. Louis Blues players
Category:Tampa Bay Lightning players
Category:Washington Capitals players
Category:Vernon Vipers alumni
Category:1999 debut