Miroslav Satan

[Garlando]

I was randomly reminded of Miro Satan today over lunch and I wanted to get an others thoughts on his career! I remember him to be the top offensive player on a low scoring Sabres team during their competitive run with Hasek backstopping them in the late 90's and early 2000's. He led the Sabres in scoring every year from 1997 to 2003, often by signifigant margins including by 25 in 2001-2002 and 31 in 2002-2003. He scored 40 goals in 1998-1999 in the middle of the dead puck era, and had 3 more 30+ goal seasons. He achieved this success as a winger without a quality center with the likes of Mike Peca, Stu Barnes, and Chris Gratton being the top C's on most of those Sabres teams. Interestingly, he had his 2nd worst season as a Sabre in 2003-2004 which was Danny Briere's first full-season with the team. After the lockout, he ended up with the Islanders and was fairly productive leading the team in goals before slowly declining and eventually retiring from the NHL after the 2010 season. Along the way, he won a cup with the Penguins and was a 2-time all star. He was a notable productive playoff performer, scoring 54 points in 86 games, and note that his playoff PPG ratio was brought down by the Penguins run in 2009 in which he played more of a support role.

He also has international hockey success, winning 12 medals including gold at the World Hockey Championships in 2002 as Captain.

Overall in his career, he posted 735 points in 1050 games with 363 of those points being goals. Those 735 points rank 6th all-time among Slovakian players, right between Pavel Demitra and Ziggy Palffy.

My questions are: Was Miro Satan ever considered a true top line player and where does he rank among best Slovakian players of all time?

Any other thoughts or stories are welcomed!

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[sr edler]

I remember Satan from the 94 Olympics. He scored 9 goals in 8 games, and I remember I thought "who is this guy?".

Sweden won the Olympic gold medal that year with a bunch of high quality NHL veterans (Loob, Mats Näslund, Tomas Jonsson), and an up-and-coming super star in Peter Forsberg, but what not many people remember is that our best goal scorer that tournament was Patrik Juhlin with 7 goals in 8 games, and I remember I thought for myself "who's best, Juhlin or Satan?" I was 13 then though so I didn't follow the sport from a hawk-scout view point.

My questions are: Was Miro Satan ever considered a true top line player and where does he rank among best Slovakian players of all time?

Satan was a prototype bad team scorer. Or, a complimentary scorer on a real contending team. I liked him though. And he was a top line player, in Buffalo. And kinda on the Islanders too I guess, half ass. He was out injured most of the 99 playoffs though and Juneau stepped in instead scoring points, much like he did the year before outscoring another Slovak star scorer.

As for Slovak players who were better than Satan then I guess off the top of my head Chara, Stastny, Hossa, Palffy, Gaborik, Demitra, Bondra, Dzurilla.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Satan was a prototype bad team scorer. Or, a complimentary scorer on a real contending team.

This. I’m really not sure whether he’s underrated or overrated.

 

[Michael Farkas]

I think underrated...he was kind of by himself on a defensive Buffalo club in the 90's...I'm not sure if he could have been *the* guy in an offensive spot, but his "plight" (ok, I'm being dramatic) was like Gaborik on those early Wild teams...where you'd just find a way to get it to him for that second goal and then just hang on to win 2-1...

 

[kudla]

Underrated. He was an exceptional goal scorer called "silent killer" and the best goal scorer in slovak history.

 

[Sanf]

One of the first things that comes to my mind is his odd start to his career in NA. He actually signed with the "rival" IHL and with Detroit Vipers. And the start wasn´t that great. He even spend time in Colonial Hockey League. Vipers loaned him first to San Diego Gulls and then to Cape Breton Oilers (AHL). In a way he ended up to NHL organization as IHL reject.

I would be tempted to say underrated. Watched him quite a lot in Sabres due to Hasek and liked him in Slovak NT too.

 

[The Panther]

I mainly remember him with Edmonton for a couple of seasons. But I liked him.

 

[Tarantula]

Always thought of him as under apprciated when he was at his prime. While not likely a top line player on most teams, he was productive in Buffalo.

Then again I could be biased as I loved seeing his last name on a jersey.

 

[McGarnagle]

His last stint in the NHL was joining the Bruins in midseason in 2010 after being unsigned all year, and honestly he was a lot better than I expected. In fact, he pretty much was their offensive catalyst in the playoffs. Had two game winning goals against Buffalo in round 1 (one double-OT goal to put the B's up 3-1, then the winner late in game 6 to eliminate them) and was producing well in round 2 against the Flyers until Krejci got hurt, then everything fell apart for the team. He still had enough in the tank then to produce goals with a good center, don't know why he didn't come back for another season.

 

[ForsbergForever]

The one thing about him that sticks in my mind was what was probably his last game with Buffalo, just before he was about to become a UFA. He scored a goal and then in celebration took off his glove and made the universal "call me" sign with his outstretched thumb and pinky fingers to his ear. I remember thinking that it was both a huge F-U to Buffalo fans+management, and really ballsy to market himself like that.

 

[boyko10]

Underrated. He was an exceptional goal scorer called "silent killer" and the best goal scorer in slovak history.

I always thought that title belonged to Bondra. Not that I'd know, but certainly my pick for best scorer.

 

[Big Phil]

A skilled scorer. Not someone you were in good shape with if he was your best forward, but you'd be on a pretty good team if he was your 3rd or 4th best in his prime.

I remember one thing about his name, and that is that writers would trip over themselves to make funny headlines with his name in it. (eg. "Satan scores against Leafs"). I always chuckled seeing his name because even though we as hockey fans knew how to say it you knew there were tons of people who are saying "Is his name really Satan?"

 

[Michael Farkas]

With that little goatee thing he had, I always assumed he was actually Satan personified...

Satan (below) enjoys pummeling a local, Southern church-goer...

 

[Troubadour]

One hell of a name.

Part of the great Slovak crop. He was shifty, smart and good. Very smooth, very skilled. I thought the Sabres got a bit of a gem in him.

Btw I think he was too talented to be labeled a bad team scorer. It was awfully hard to score more than thirty goals a year with Buffalo in those years. Barnes did with the Pens, never with the Sabres. Sanderson did it with the Whalers and Blue Jackets, never came close in Buffalo.

Satan is kinda underrated.

 

[Killion]

One hell of a name.

Yeah, quite the handle, name... funny thing that.... opposite.... the name Jesus as a 1st name very popular with Latino's... Spanish speaking world... so... some free advice guys, tip... ever find yourselves in a Mexican jail for some innocent/fun drunken Shenanigans or a trumped up bogus driving charge unwilling or unable to pay the "Multa/Fine"... & someone comes up to you & says "Jesus Loves You"..... you should be worried..... very worried... entirely different meaning from what you might just naturally assume.... Follow?

 

[Tarantula]

Don't need no stinkin' badges!!!

I knew someone who had something like that happen. They had to give the cops their motocross two stroke bikes and saw them dissappear into small dots on the horizon while out in the blazing heat. They were told to wait "there" and close to a hour later they returned and let them back on the road, considerable dirt on them, some new scrstches and less gas in both tanks!

Troubadour raises good points. Was a avid listener to the Buffalo area sports program/ soon to be station back then and Buffalo had serious issues scoring, even more so then the rest of the league, dead puck and all.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

With that little goatee thing he had, I always assumed he was actually Satan personified...

The one thing about him that sticks in my mind was what was probably his last game with Buffalo, just before he was about to become a UFA. He scored a goal and then in celebration took off his glove and made the universal "call me" sign with his outstretched thumb and pinky fingers to his ear.

couldn’t find a photo or video of this on the internet to check against my memory, but the way that image is in my head was satan with that goatee and a devilish grin almost possessed look in his eyes, making a hand gesture that isn’t so far off from the satan salute.



when i was searching, i did find this. not sure what it’s supposed to be.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Running joke in Edmonton was a when it came to team photo day he saw someone he had never seen before and went over to introduce himself to the new guy and welcome him to the team. The other guy looking slightly perplexed at Satan welcoming him had to mention he had been on the team for two years. When Satan asked why they had never met. The guy responded "I am the starting goalie"

 

[alko]

This guy made many WCH Slovakia records, that will be hard to crack.

This guy was real. I remember him in his seasons in Slovan Bratislava in KHL. With him, Slovan team was on the next level.

He also has international hockey success, winning 12 medals including gold at the World Hockey Championships in 2002 as Captain.

12 medals? What do you mean?

 

[The Panther]

the name Jesus as a 1st name very popular with Latino's...

So, what you're saying is, if he had married a Latino woman and they'd named their kid Jesus, his son would be Jesus Satan.






It's been a long day.

 

[Sentinel]

Then again I could be biased as I loved seeing his last name on a jersey.

Basically this. But I always wanted him to do more than he did.

 

[SovietWings]

Everytime I hear/read about him I remember a story of Buffallo fans having a sign: "Hasek is God but we praise Satan". It happened shortly after the Nagano Olympics, I believe...

 

[Killion]

So, what you're saying is, if he had married a Latino woman and they'd named their kid Jesus, his son would be Jesus Satan.






It's been a long day.

... oh dear.... and pretty much the same thing that crossed my mind... good job he didnt have an Old Man like the one in Johnny Cash's famous number.... www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOHPuY88Ry4 ... likely wouldve wound up an Enforcer.... Evil tattoo'd across one set of knuckles.... Good on the other.