Zac Bierk
Born (1976-09-17) September 17, 1976
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 186 lb (84 kg; 13 st 4 lb)
Position Goaltender
Caught Left
Played for Tampa Bay Lightning
Minnesota Wild
Phoenix Coyotes
NHL Draft 212th overall, 1995
Tampa Bay Lightning
Playing career 19972004

Zachary Bierk (born September 17, 1976) is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in 47 NHL games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Minnesota Wild, and Phoenix Coyotes between 1997 and 2004. On April 6, 2021, he was hired as the goaltending coach with the Ottawa Senators.

Junior career

Bierk was born in Peterborough, Ontario. He spent four years with the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League from 1993–94 to 1996–97. In the 1995/96 season, Bierk led the Petes to the Memorial Cup final, where they were defeated by the Granby Prédateurs 4–0 in the final. The following season, Bierk won the OHL goaltender of the year award, the Leo Lalonde trophy as the best over-age player in the league and was named to the OHL All-Star First Team and Canadian Hockey League All-Star Second Team.[1]

Professional career

Bierk was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft as their ninth-round pick, #212 overall, from the Peterborough Petes, although he originally expected to be drafted in the fourth or fifth round, and left the draft after he had not been selected by the end of the sixth-round.[2] His first victory came on March 30, 1998 in only his second career start, a 3–1 win in New York against the Rangers.[1]

On January 8, 2003, while playing for the Phoenix Coyotes Bierk and Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Michael Leighton both earned their first NHL shutouts in a 0–0 tie. It was the first time in league history that two goalies had both earned their first career shutouts in the same game.[3]

His final NHL appearance came on November 9, 2003, in a 2–1 overtime loss to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.[1]

Bierk finished his career with 47 game appearances, a 9–20–5 record, a 3.18 GAA and a 0.901 save percentage with 1 shutout. Bierk also had 1 assist and 6 penalty minutes.[1]

Post-playing career

Bierk returned to the Coyotes organization in 2017 as the team's goaltending development coach, also serving as the goalie coach of their AHL farm club. He previously served as goalie coach of the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League, winning a Memorial Cup with the team in 2015.

Bierk also co-owns and runs a high-level goaltending school in the Greater Toronto Area, known as “Armour Goaltending”.

On April 6, 2021, Bierk was hired as the goaltending coach for the Ottawa Senators.

Bierk family

Bierk is the brother of Peterborough, Ontario, City Councillor and artist, Alex Bierk, former Skid Row lead singer Sebastian Bach, Canadian actress Dylan Bierk, and Toronto-based artists Jeff, Nick, and Charles Bierk. Bierk is the son of David Bierk, an artist whose paintings are still displayed at the Nancy Hoffman Gallery in New York City. One of Bierk's sisters was a model and his mother is also an artist.[2]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPWLTMINGASOGAASV% GPWLMINGASOGAASV%
1993–94 Peterborough Bees OPJHL 42051704.98
1993–94 Peterborough Petes OHL 90424233705.22.870 100337012.70
1994–95 Peterborough Petes OHL 3511155177911703.95 6233012404.78
1995–96 Peterborough Petes OHL 5831166329217423.17.910 2214713838303.60
1995–96 Peterborough Petes M-Cup 5323031402.77.929
1996–97 Peterborough Petes OHL 4928160274415123.30.916 11656663503.15
1997–98 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 131414333004.16.857
1997–98 Adirondack Red Wings AHL 121615573603.87.891
1998–99 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 101059202.04.905
1998–99 Cleveland Lumberjacks IHL 271112415567903.05.914
1999–00 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 124415093103.66.899
1999–00 Detroit Vipers IHL 154828464613.26.914
2000–01 Minnesota Wild NHL 101060606.00.778
2000–01 Cleveland Lumberjacks IHL 4924185278513462.89.909 4031821003.29.903
2001–02 Augusta Lynx ECHL 30169317486812.33.925
2001–02 Springfield Falcons AHL 1010204012.00.778
2002–03 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 164918843212.17.932
2002–03 Springfield Falcons AHL 136416853302.89.915
2003–04 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 40121901203.79.889
2003–04 Springfield Falcons AHL 2011106603.38.903
NHL totals 479205213511313.18.901

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Zac Bierk (1997-present)". Hockeygoalies.org. Retrieved 2010-10-15.
  2. 1 2 "Lightning's Bierk finds fame often is relative". Tampa Bay Times. September 16, 1997. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  3. Hockey's Book of Firsts, p. 19, James Duplacey, JG Press, ISBN 978-1-57215-037-9
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.