Casey Cizikas

Casey Cizikas
Cizikas with the New York Islanders in January 2015
Born	(1991-02-27) February 27, 1991 Toronto, ON, CAN
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	187 lb (85 kg; 13 st 5 lb)
Position	Centre
Shoots	Left
NHL team	New York Islanders
NHL Draft	92nd overall, 2009 New York Islanders
Playing career	2011–present

Casey Cizikas (born February 27, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). He spent four seasons with the Mississauga St. Michaels Majors of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where he had two 20-goal seasons. Cizikas was selected by the Islanders in the fourth round, 92nd overall, of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He began playing for their minor league affiliate, the American Hockey League (AHL)'s Bridgeport Sound Tigers, two years after the draft, during the 2011–12 season; he was recalled to the Islanders' NHL roster mid-season, where he has played since.

Playing career

Cizikas in the 2012 AHL All-Star Game, playing for the Eastern Conference All-Stars

The Mississauga St. Michaels Majors selected Cizikas with their first selection, third overall, in the 2007 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Priority Selection draft. He made his OHL debut in the 2007–08 season, finishing tenth in rookie scoring with 41 points in 62 games.

At the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Cizikas was selected by the New York Islanders with their fourth round pick, 92nd overall. He returned to the Majors for the 2009–10 season, where he tied for the team lead in scoring with 62 points and led with a plus-minus rating of +32. Cizikas served as their captain in the 2010–11 season, where he recorded 64 points. He added 19 more in the OHL playoffs that year, leading the Majors to the championship series, which they ultimately lost to the Owen Sound Attack in seven games.

Cizikas spent the majority of the 2011–12 season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Islanders' minor league affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He scored his first two goals with the team on October 18, 2011, against the Providence Bruins, and was second in team scoring with 45 points by the end of the season. He was recalled by the Islanders during the season, and made his NHL debut on February 24, 2012, against the New York Rangers. He appeared in 15 games with the Islanders that season and recorded four assists. His first two NHL points came on March 1, 2012, against the Philadelphia Flyers. After returning to the Sound Tigers, an upper body injury prevented him from playing in the team's last five games of the regular season, but he returned in time for the playoffs.

As a result of the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Cizikas began the season with the Sound Tigers. He had 21 points in 31 games with Bridgeport before the labour dispute was settled and he was recalled to the Islanders. He then scored his first career NHL goal on January 29, 2013, against goaltender Marc-André Fleury of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Cizikas finished the season with six goals and 15 points in 45 regular season games, then added four points in six Stanley Cup playoff games.

International play

Medal record
Representing Canada
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
	2011 USA
World U17 Hockey Challenge
	2008 Canada

Cizikas made two appearances with the Canadian national junior team program during the 2008–09 season. He was first a member of the Team Ontario squad that won the gold medal in the 2008 World U17 Hockey Challenge during the season, then won gold with the under-18 national team at the 2008 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament following his OHL season.

During the 2011–12 season, Cizikas was a surprise pick for the national junior team at the 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He recorded two goals and one assist to help Canada win a silver medal.

Playing style

Cizikas, in his first full season with the Islanders, was described as a player with a lot of energy and intensity whose offensive skills have improved over time. His forecheck has been called relentless and he became known for being willing to create energy by throwing his body around the ice.

Personal life

During a rugby football game in 2007, Cizikas tackled Manny Castillo in what was described by Cizikas as a "headlock." Castillo died of a head injury two days later; it was noted by physicians that two weeks prior to the battle with Cizikas, Castillo suffered a major concussion. One doctor testified that Castillo’s concussion was severe enough that it should have kept him out of competition with physical contact for a full year. The Castillo family supported Cizikas throughout his ordeal and believed the death to have been accidental, asking that Cizikas be spared punishment. Their request could not be met, however, because Peel Regional Police' supported Cizikas' conviction, as the tackle led to a death. Castillo's father provided a statement that called for fighting in youth hockey to be abolished, but again did not blame Cizikas for his son's death.

In 2009, Cizikas was found guilty of manslaughter by Judge Bruce Duncan, who believed Cizikas used "unnecessary force." He was given a sentence of one year probation and 100 hours of community service.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2007–08	Mississauga St. Michael's Majors	OHL		62	18	23	41	41		4	1	2	3	6
2008–09	Mississauga St. Michael's Majors	OHL		55	16	20	36	39		11	5	4	9	11
2009–10	Mississauga St. Michael's Majors	OHL		68	25	37	62	77		16	7	7	14	16
2010–11	Mississauga St. Michael's Majors	OHL		52	29	34	64	40		16	5	14	19	14
2011–12	Bridgeport Sound Tigers	AHL		52	15	30	45	30		3	0	0	0	20
2011–12	New York Islanders	NHL		15	0	4	4	6		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Bridgeport Sound Tigers	AHL		31	10	11	21	35		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	New York Islanders	NHL		45	6	9	15	14		6	2	2	4	12
2013–14	New York Islanders	NHL		80	6	10	16	30		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	New York Islanders	NHL		70	9	9	18	24		7	1	0	1	0
2015–16	New York Islanders	NHL		80	8	21	29	31		11	0	3	3	16
NHL totals				290	29	53	82	105		24	3	5	8	28

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2008	Canada Ontario	U17			6	4	5	9	0
2011	Canada	WJC			7	2	1	3	6
Junior totals					13	6	6	12	6

External links

• Casey Cizikas's career statistics at EliteProspects.com
• Casey Cizikas's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
• Casey Cizikas's player profile at NHL.com
• Casey Cizikas statistics at Yahoo! Sports