Joe Piskula

Joe Piskula
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Born	(1984-07-05) July 5, 1984 Antigo, WI, USA
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight	214 lb (97 kg; 15 st 4 lb)
Position	Defense
Shoots	Left
NHL team (P) Cur. team Former teams	Anaheim Ducks San Diego Gulls (AHL) Los Angeles Kings Calgary Flames Nashville Predators
NHL Draft	Undrafted
Playing career	2006–present

Joseph J. Piskula (born July 5, 1984) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman who is currently under contract to the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL) and has had brief stints with the Nashville Predators, Calgary Flames and with the Los Angeles Kings, with whom he signed as an undrafted free agent in 2006.

Playing career

A native of Antigo, Wisconsin, of Croatian ancestry, Piskula played junior hockey with the Chicago Steel and Des Moines Buccaneers of the United States Hockey League (USHL). He was recruited to play with the Wisconsin Badgers hockey program, and was a member of the team for three seasons between 2004 and 2007. He appeared in 112 games for the Badgers and was given the Otto Breitenbach Award as the team's most improved player in 2005–06. An undrafted player, Piskula chose to forgo his senior year of eligibility by signing as a free agent with the Los Angeles Kings on March 21, 2007. He made his NHL debut two nights later, against the Chicago Blackhawks, and played in five games with Los Angeles at the end of the 2006–07 NHL season.

Piskula spent the following three seasons playing in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Kings' affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs. He appeared in 189 games over that time, scoring 2 goals and 29 assists. As a free agent in 2010, he was offered a try-out with the Philadelphia Flyers, but ultimately signed a contract with the AHL's Abbotsford Heat. His play in Abbotsford during the 2010–11 season impressed the Heat's parent club, leading the Calgary Flames to sign him to an NHL two-way contract on July 1, 2011. He spent the majority of the season with Abbotsford, but earned a recall to Calgary on December 1, 2011. He appeared in five games with the Flames before being returned to Abbotsford.

During the 2012–13 season whilst with the Abbotsford Heat, Piskula was traded by the Flames to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Brian McGrattan on February 28, 2013 and was reassigned to AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. On October 9, 2014, Piskula was named Captain of the Milwaukee Admirals.

On July 1, 2015, Piskula joined his fourth organization as a free agent in signing a one-year, two-way contract with the Anaheim Ducks.

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2002–03	Chicago Steel	USHL		13	0	0	0	18		—	—	—	—	—
2002–03	Des Moines Buccaneers	USHL		32	2	6	8	18		4	0	1	1	4
2003–04	Des Moines Buccaneers	USHL		58	2	4	6	68		3	0	1	1	0
2004–05	U. of Wisconsin–Madison	WCHA		40	0	6	6	24		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	U. of Wisconsin–Madison	WCHA		34	2	9	11	22		—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	U. of Wisconsin–Madison	WCHA		38	1	4	5	34		—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		5	0	0	0	6		—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Manchester Monarchs	AHL		55	0	6	6	57		4	0	0	0	4
2008–09	Manchester Monarchs	AHL		67	0	12	12	40		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Manchester Monarchs	AHL		72	2	10	12	51		16	2	2	4	12
2010–11	Abbotsford Heat	AHL		71	1	11	12	73		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Abbotsford Heat	AHL		59	3	15	18	48		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Calgary Flames	NHL		5	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Abbotsford Heat	AHL		46	2	8	10	51		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Milwaukee Admirals	AHL		23	1	3	4	15		4	0	0	0	0
2013–14	Milwaukee Admirals	AHL		73	3	20	23	56		3	0	1	1	4
2013–14	Nashville Predators	NHL		2	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Milwaukee Admirals	AHL		67	1	16	17	30		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Nashville Predators	NHL		1	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				13	0	0	0	10		—	—	—	—	—

External links

• Joe Piskula's career statistics at EliteProspects.com
• Joe Piskula's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database