Pavol Demitra's Career

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Pavol Demitra of Slovakia celebrates a goal during their Men's Ice Hockey preliminary round against Latvia 10 February 2002 at the E Center at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, UT.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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Pavol Demitra #38 of the St. Louis Blues takes the puck against the Detroit Red Wings on December 4, 2003 at the Savvis Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The Blues and the Red Wings tied at 4-4 in overtime.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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Pavol Demitra #38 of the St. Louis Blues looks on during the game against the Los Angeles Kings at Savvis Center on December 2, 2003 in St. Louis, Missouri. The Blues defeated the Kings 4-1.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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Goalie Roberto Luongo (L) of Canada stops a shot attempt by Pavol Demitra of Slovakia during the Semifinals match at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship May 8, 2004 in Prague, Czech Republic. Canada defeated Slovakia 2-1.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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Pavol Demitra #38 of the Los Angeles Kings skates against the Edmonton Oilers during the NHL game on October 11, 2005 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Kings defeated the Oilers 3-1.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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Pavol Demitra #38 of the Los Angeles Kings looks on in warm-ups prior to the start of the NHL game against the Calgary Flames on October 23, 2005 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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Pavol Demitra #38 of the Los Angeles Kings looks on from the bench during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at General Motors Place on December 19, 2005 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The Kings defeated the Canucks 4-3 in shootout overtime.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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Pavol Demitra #38 of Slovakia lays on the ground after being hit during the quarter final of the men's ice hockey match between Slovakia and Czech Republic during Day 12 of the Turin 2006 Winter Olympic Games on February 22, 2006 at the Palasport Olimpico in Turin, Italy.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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Pavol Demitra #38 of the Minnesota Wild poses for a portrait on September 14, 2006 at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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Pavol Demitra #38 of the Minnesota Wild checks Kimmo Timonen #44 of the Nashville Predators to the ice during a game at Xcel Energy Center on October 07, 2006 in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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The Vancouver Canucks play the Minnesota Wild at General Motors Place on January 11, 2007 in Vancouver, Canada. Minnesota defeated Vancouver 5-2.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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Referee Dan O'Rourke #42 tries to break up a fight between Pavol Demitra #38 of the Minnesota Wild and Marc Savard #91 of the Boston Bruins on March 8, 2007 at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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Pavol Demitra #38 of the Minnesota Wild celebrates his second period goal against the Anaheim Ducks in the second period during the 2007 Western Conference Quarterfinals at Honda Center on April 11, 2007 in Anaheim, California.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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Jiri Novotny #12 of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Pavol Demitra #38 of the Minnesota Wild look at a loose puck October 6, 2007 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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Pavol Demitra #38 of the Minnesota Wild skates in warmups before a game with the Chicago Blackhawks on October 4, 2007 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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Pavol Demitra of the Minnesota Wild poses for his 2007 NHL headshot at photo day in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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Pavol Demitra #38 of the Minnesota Wild and Kurt Sauer #34 of the Colorado Avalanche watch a shot from Pierre-Marc Bouchard of the Wild beat Jose Theodore #60 of the Avalanche in the first period of game five of the 2008 NHL Western Conference Quarterfinals on April 17, 2008 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Colorado won, 3-2.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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Pavol Demitra #38 and Shane O'Brien #55 of the Vancouver Canucks celebrate Demitra's goal which came at 49 seconds of the first period in a game against the New York Islanders on November 17, 2008 at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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Pavol Demitra #38 of the Vancouver Canucks stretches before the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre on February 21, 2009 in Toronto, Ontario.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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Kris Versteeg #32 of the Chicago Blackhawks and Pavol Demitra #38 of the Vancouver Canucks battle for the puck on March 29, 2009 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Canucks defeated the Blackhawks 4-0.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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Pavol Demitra of Slovakia celebrates his game-winning goal with his teammates during the ice hockey men's preliminary game between Slovakia and Russia on day 7 of the 2010 Winter Olympics at Canada Hockey Place on February 18, 2010 in Vancouver, Canada.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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Pavol Demitra of Slovakia scores the game-winning goal against Ilya Bryzgalov of Russia during the ice hockey men's preliminary game between Slovakia and Russia on day 7 of the 2010 Winter Olympics at Canada Hockey Place on February 18, 2010 in Vancouver, Canada.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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Pavol Demitra (L) of Slovakia scores the game-winning goal against Ilya Bryzgalov of Russia during the ice hockey men's preliminary game between Slovakia and Russia on day 7 of the 2010 Winter Olympics at Canada Hockey Place on February 18, 2010 in Vancouver, Canada.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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Pavol Demitra #38 of Slovakia celebrates after scoring a goal in the second period during the ice hockey men's bronze medal game between Finland and Slovakia on day 16 of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics at Canada Hockey Place on February 27, 2010 in Vancouver, Canada.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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Pavol Demitra #38 of the Vancouver Canucks skates during the warm up period priro to facing the Montreal Canadiens in their NHL game on February 2, 2010 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Canadiens defeated the Canucks 3-2.

Pavol Demitra's Career

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A family picture taken on August 21, 2011 shows Lokomotiv ice hockey team in Yaroslavl. At least 44 people were killed September 7, 2011 when a Russian jet carrying hockey players to their first match of the season crashed on takeoff in the latest blow to the country's tainted air safety record. The Yak-42 passenger jet took off from Yaroslavl airport about 300 kilometres (185 miles) northeast of Moscow just as a two-day political forum expected to be attended by President Dmitry Medvedev got under way.