Kris Chucko

Kris Chucko
Born	(1986-03-13) March 13, 1986 (age 38) Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shot	Right
Played for	Calgary Flames
NHL draft	24th overall, 2004 Calgary Flames
Playing career	2006–2011

Kristopher J. Chucko (born March 13, 1986) is a Canadian former ice hockey player who played two National Hockey League (NHL) games for the Calgary Flames. He was a first-round selection, 24th overall, of the Flames in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft and played his entire professional career in the team's organization. Chucko retired in 2011 as a result of concussions.

Playing career

As a youth, Chucko played in the 2000 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Burnaby.^[1]

Chucko was drafted after scoring 87 points in 53 games for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks of the British Columbia Hockey League. He then moved on to the University of Minnesota, where he spent two years (2004–2006).^{[citation needed]}

He signed with the Flames on May 22, 2006. He was later assigned to the Flames AHL farm club, the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights, where he made his professional debut. Chucko was recalled by the Flames on March 5, 2009, and made his NHL debut that night against the Philadelphia Flyers. He appeared in two games total before being returned to Omaha.^[2] He remained in the Flames system in 2009–10, joining the team's new AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Heat. His season ended just after Christmas when he suffered a severe concussion during a game.^[3] The Flames re-signed Chucko to a one-year contract for the 2010-11 season.^[3]

Chucko suffered another serious concussion in October 2010, exacerbating a neck injury and limiting him to just two games for the Heat in 2010–11. Following the season, he decided to retire as a player.^[4]

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2002–03	Salmon Arm Silverbacks	BCHL		59	14	19	33	80		11	5	3	8	12
2003–04	Salmon Arm Silverbacks	BCHL		53	32	55	87	161		14	10	10	20	36
2004–05	Minnesota Golden Gophers	WCHA		43	10	11	21	59		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Minnesota Golden Gophers	WCHA		33	4	9	13	40		—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	Omaha Ak–Sar–Ben Knights	AHL		80	14	14	28	72		6	0	0	0	2
2007–08	Quad City Flames	AHL		80	15	15	30	38		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Quad City Flames	AHL		74	28	23	51	59		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Calgary Flames	NHL		2	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Abbotsford Heat	AHL		41	9	9	18	56		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Abbotsford Heat	AHL		2	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
AHL totals				277	66	61	127	227		6	0	0	0	2
NHL totals				2	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—

References

1. "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
2. Sportak, Randy (2009-03-08). "No luck in Atlanta for Flames". Calgary Sun. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved 2010-09-27.
3. MacFarlane, Steve (2010-09-22). "Chucko aims to bust out". Calgary Sun. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved 2010-09-27.
4. Mahiban, Dhiren (2011-10-20). "Concussions take their toll: Former Flames first-round pick Kris Chucko retires". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 2011-10-20.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Dion Phaneuf	Calgary Flames' first round draft pick 2004	Succeeded by Matt Pelech