Andrej Šustr
Šustr with the Kölner Haie in November 2023
Born (1990-11-29) 29 November 1990
Plzeň, Czechoslovakia
Height 6 ft 8 in (203 cm)
Weight 220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Right
DEL team
Former teams		 Kölner Haie
Tampa Bay Lightning
Anaheim Ducks
Kunlun Red Star
National team  Czech Republic
NHL Draft Undrafted
Playing career 2013–present

Andrej Šustr (born 29 November 1990) is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman for the Kölner Haie of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Previously he played in the NHL for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Anaheim Ducks. An undrafted player, Šustr made his NHL debut with the Lightning in 2013 after playing three seasons of college ice hockey with the University of Nebraska Omaha.

Playing career

Junior and college

Šustr playing collegiate hockey with the Omaha Mavericks in 2010

Šustr grew up in the city of Plzeň, but after finding little opportunity in his home town, was encouraged to move to the United States at the age of 17 to play junior hockey. He spent a year with the Kenai River Brown Bears of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) in 2008–09 before moving up to the Youngstown Phantoms of the United States Hockey League (USHL) in 2009–10.[1] The University of Omaha Nebraska Mavericks ice hockey program then recruited Šustr to join their program in 2010.[2] He played three seasons with the Mavericks, appearing in 111 games and recording 15 goals and 51 points.[3]

Professional

An undrafted player, Šustr participated in NHL development camps with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers. After completing his junior season at Omaha, he signed a professional contract with the Lightning on 21 March 2013.[4] He made his NHL debut on 29 March against the New Jersey Devils.[5] He appeared in two games in Tampa before being assigned to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.[6] He played eight regular season games with Syracuse, scoring two goals and adding an assist,[3] while the Crunch reached the Calder Cup Final against the Grand Rapids Griffins.[7]

Šustr playing with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2013

Šustr scored his first career NHL goal on 5 April 2014, against Kari Lehtonen of the Dallas Stars. On 7 July 2014, the Lightning announced that they had re-signed Šustr to a one-year, one-way contract. He made his Stanley Cup playoff debut against the Montreal Canadiens, appearing in three games in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Additionally, Šustr appeared in 12 games with the Crunch, recording a goal and three assists.[8]

On 16 February 2015, during the 2014–15 season he played in his 100th career NHL game in Tampa Bay's 3–2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings.[9] On 30 March, the Lightning announced that Šustr would be out one-to-two weeks with an upper body injury, but was expected to return in time for the start of the 2015 playoffs.[10] On 18 April, he scored his first career playoff goal in a 5–1 Lightning win over the visiting Detroit Red Wings.[11]

On 30 June 2015, the Tampa Bay Lightning re-signed Šustr to a two-year, two-way contract. Šustr played in 72 games with the Lightning in the 2014-15 NHL season, recording 13 assists and 34 penalty minutes. Šustrset career highs in games played, assists, plus/minus (+10) and penalty minutes. Šustr also appeared in 26 Stanley Cup playoffs games for the Lightning, registering one goal and two points. Šustr has skated in 117 NHL games, all with the Lightning over the past three seasons, collecting one goal and 21 points. Šustr ranked fourth on the Lightning for blocked shots with 84 during the 2014–15 season. He also set the Lightning franchise record for the best plus/minus (+7) in a playoff series in the first round of the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Detroit Red Wings.[12]

On 25 October 2016, Šustr skated in his 200th career NHL game, which came in a 7–3 Lightning victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre.[13] On 26 June 2017, the Lightning announced that it had re-signed Šustr to a one-year, $1.95 million contract extension.[14]

After six seasons within the Lightning organization following the 2017–18, Šustr left as a free agent and agreed to a one-year, $1.3 million contract with the Anaheim Ducks on 5 July 2018.[15] Šustr began the 2018–19 season with the Ducks. However he was limited to just 5 games over the duration of the year, reassigned for the majority of the campaign to add a veteran presence to AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls.

With his NHL career stagnating, Šustr as an impending free agent from the Ducks opted to halt his North American career, agreeing to a one-year contract with Chinese club, Kunlun Red Star of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) on 7 June 2019.[16]

Šustr returned to the Lightning organization on 28 July 2021, when he signed a one-year, two-way contract with the team.[17] He began the 2021–22 season with the Lightning, appearing in his first NHL contest in three years in a 7–6 overtime victory over the Detroit Red Wings on 14 October 2021.[18] He registered 1 goal in 8 games with the Lightning before he was reassigned to AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, registering 12 points through 25 games. In a recall to the Lightning, on 7 March 2022, Šustr was later placed on waivers by the Lightning, and was claimed the following day by one of his former teams, the Anaheim Ducks.[19]

On 13 July 2022, Šustr joined the Minnesota Wild, signing a one-year, two-way contract as a free agent.[20] In the 2022–23 season, Šustr made 39 appearances with AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild, collecting 12 points. On 3 March 2023, Šustr was traded by the Wild back to Anaheim, for his third stint with the team, in a package for defenceman John Klingberg.[21]

At the conclusion of the season, as a pending free agent, Šustr was traded by the Ducks to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Andrew Agozzino on 27 June 2023.[22] While not offered a contract by the Sharks, Šustr left North America as a free agent and agreed to a one-year deal with German outfit, Kölner Haie of the DEL, on 10 July 2023.[23]

International play

On 2 March 2016, the Czech Ice Hockey Association named Šustr to its roster for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Šustr was joined by Lightning teammate Ondřej Palát. The tournament ran from 17 September to 1 October 2016, in Toronto.[24]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2005–06 HC Lasselsberger Plzeň Czech.18 8 0 0 0 2 — — — — —
2005–06 HC Dukla Jihlava Czech.18 17 1 4 5 22 — — — — —
2006–07 HC Dukla Jihlava Czech.18 37 5 15 20 56 — — — — —
2006–07 HC Dukla Jihlava Czech.20 5 0 0 0 4 — — — — —
2007–08 HC Lasselsberger Plzeň Czech.20 41 2 8 10 44 5 1 0 1 4
2008–09 HC Lasselsberger Plzeň Czech.20 13 1 4 5 14 — — — — —
2008–09 HK Rokycany Czech.2 2 0 0 0 2 — — — — —
2008–09 Kenai River Brown Bears NAHL 36 1 7 8 58 — — — — —
2009–10 Youngstown Phantoms USHL 50 1 18 19 95 — — — — —
2010–11 University of Nebraska Omaha WCHA 39 2 7 9 38 — — — — —
2011–12 University of Nebraska Omaha WCHA 33 4 13 17 26 — — — — —
2012–13 University of Nebraska Omaha WCHA 39 9 16 25 53 — — — — —
2012–13 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 2 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2012–13 Syracuse Crunch AHL 8 2 1 3 8 18 2 5 7 25
2013–14 Syracuse Crunch AHL 12 1 3 4 2 — — — — —
2013–14 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 43 1 7 8 16 3 0 0 0 2
2014–15 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 72 0 13 13 34 26 1 1 2 18
2015–16 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 77 4 17 21 30 17 1 2 3 16
2016–17 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 80 3 11 14 43 — — — — —
2017–18 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 44 2 5 7 18 — — — — —
2018–19 Anaheim Ducks NHL 5 0 0 0 6 — — — — —
2018–19 San Diego Gulls AHL 39 0 3 3 20 — — — — —
2019–20 Kunlun Red Star KHL 58 0 8 8 55 — — — — —
2020–21 Kunlun Red Star KHL 41 0 5 5 18 — — — — —
2021–22 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 15 1 0 1 6 — — — — —
2021–22 Syracuse Crunch AHL 25 2 10 12 32 — — — — —
2021–22 Anaheim Ducks NHL 23 0 5 5 10 — — — — —
2022–23 Iowa Wild AHL 39 2 10 12 35 — — — — —
2022–23 San Diego Gulls AHL 12 1 1 2 6 — — — — —
NHL totals 361 11 58 69 163 46 2 3 5 36

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2010 Czech Republic WJC 7th 5 0 0 0 6
2016 Czech Republic WCH 6th 3 1 0 1 2
2021 Czech Republic WC 7th 6 0 1 1 2
Junior totals 5 0 0 0 6
Senior totals 9 1 1 2 4

Awards and honors

Award Year
All-WCHA Third Team 2012–13

References

  1. ↑ Jáchim, Václav (27 December 2009). "Andrej Šustr jde vlastní cestou, z americké juniorky by rád zamířil na univerzitu" (in Czech). hokej.cz. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  2. ↑ White, Rob (26 October 2011). "Mavs defenseman a big problem for opponents". Omaha.com. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Andrej Sustr statistics". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  4. ↑ "Lightning sign college free agent Andrej Sustr". National Hockey League. 21 March 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  5. ↑ Smith, Joe (29 March 2013). "Lightning's Sustr makes NHL debut". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  6. ↑ "Lightning assign Angelidis, Palat, Sustr and Desjardins to Syracuse – Brett Connolly and Dana Tyrell recalled to Tampa". Syracuse Crunch Hockey Club. 3 April 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  7. ↑ "Griffins beat Crunch for 2–0 Calder Cup final lead". The Sports Network. 9 June 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  8. ↑ Tampa Bay, Lightnign (4 July 2014). "Lightning Re-Sign Defensemen Andrej Sustr". Lightning Team News. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  9. ↑ Burns, Bryan (17 February 2015). "Kings rally to beat Bolts 3–2". Lightning News. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  10. ↑ Smith, Joe (30 March 2015). "Jason Garrison out 3–4 weeks, big blow among Lightning injuries". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  11. ↑ Burns, Bryan (18 April 2015). "Lightning pound Red Wings 5–1 to even series". Tampa Bay Lightning Beat Writer. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  12. ↑ Tampa Bay, Lightning (30 June 2015). "Lightning Re-sign Defensemen Andrej Sustr". Tampa Bay Lightning. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  13. ↑ Associated, Press (25 October 2016). "Stamkos' 4 points lead Lightning over Maple Leafs". Tampa Bay Lightning. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  14. ↑ "Lightning re-sign defenseman Andrej Sustr to one-year contract". National Hockey League. 26 June 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  15. ↑ "Ducks sign Sustr to one-year contract". Anaheim Ducks. 5 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  16. ↑ "Gulls to Dragons – Andrej Sustr". HC Kunlun Red Star. 6 June 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  17. ↑ "Lightning sign five players to one-year, two-way contracts". Tampa Bay Lightning. 28 July 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  18. ↑ "Palat scores in OT in lift Lightning over Red Wings". ESPN. 14 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  19. ↑ "Anaheim Ducks claim Andrej Sustr". The Sports Network. 8 March 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  20. ↑ "Minnesota Wild agree to terms with four players". Minnesota Wild. 13 July 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  21. ↑ "Minnesota Wild Acquires John Klingberg from the Anaheim Ducks". National Hockey League. 3 March 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  22. ↑ "Ducks acquire Andrew Agozzino from San Jose". Anaheim Ducks. 27 June 2023. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  23. ↑ "Kölner Haie strengthened by Andrej Šustr" (in German). Kölner Haie. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  24. ↑ Peters, Chris (2 March 2016). "World Cup of Hockey: Czech Republic names prelim roster without Jagr". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
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