Ľuboš Bartečko

Ľuboš Bartečko (born July 14, 1976) is a Slovak former ice hockey coach and former professional player. He is the current head coach of the Red River Spartans of the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL). He began and concluded his career with hometown club, HK ŠKP Poprad in the Slovak Extraliga. He most notably played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the St. Louis Blues and Atlanta Thrashers. He also competed at three Winter Olympics.

Playing career Before Bartečko started his career in the NHL he played for the Chicoutimi Saguenéens and Drummondville Voltigeurs in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and for the Worcester Ice Cats of the American Hockey League (AHL). He started his NHL career in 1998–99 with the St. Louis Blues.

His best year was the 1999–2000 season when he scored 16 goals and 39 points in 67 games and often played on a line with his fellow countrymen Pavol Demitra and Michal Handzuš. In 2001, he moved to Atlanta, playing for the Atlanta Thrashers. Since the 2003–04 season he returned to Europe, where he played for HC Sparta Praha in the Czech Extraliga and for HC Dynamo Moscow of Russian Superleague (RSL), where he won the league title in 2004–05.

After completing his 21 professional season, with his original club HK ŠKP Poprad in 2015–16, Bartečko announced his retirement from professional hockey and return to North America, in accepting an assistant coaching role in Illinois, with McKendree University Bearcats who compete in the ACHA Division II on August 24, 2016.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1993–94 HK ŠKP Poprad SVK 2 0 1 1 0 — — — — — 1994–95 HK ŠKP Poprad SVK 3 1 0 1 0 — — — — — 1995–96 Chicoutimi Saguenéens QMJHL 70 32 41 73 50 17 8 15 23 10 1996–97 Drummondville Voltigeurs QMJHL 58 40 51 91 47 8 1 8 9 4 1997–98 Worcester IceCats AHL 34 10 12 22 24 10 4 2 6 2 1998–99 HK ŠKP Poprad SVK 1 1 0 1 0 — — — — — 1998–99 St. Louis Blues NHL 32 5 11 16 6 5 0 0 0 2 1998–99 Worcester IceCats AHL 49 14 24 38 22 — — — — — 1999–00 St. Louis Blues NHL 67 16 23 39 51 7 1 1 2 0 1999–00 Worcester IceCats AHL 12 4 7 11 4 — — — — — 2000–01 St. Louis Blues NHL 50 5 8 13 12 — — — — — 2001–02 Atlanta Thrashers NHL 71 13 14 27 30 — — — — — 2002–03 Atlanta Thrashers NHL 37 7 9 16 8 — — — — — 2003–04 HC Sparta Praha ELH 25 12 8 20 45 13 2 4 6 26 2004–05 HC Dynamo Moscow RSL 40 6 10 16 28 7 0 1 1 2 2005–06 HK ŠKP Poprad SVK 7 4 1 5 36 — — — — — 2005–06 Luleå HF SEL 50 14 26 40 32 6 3 3 6 35 2006–07 HK ŠKP Poprad SVK 14 3 4 7 10 — — — — — 2006–07 Luleå HF SEL 44 22 27 49 46 2 0 0 0 0 2007–08 MHK Kežmarok SVK 7 5 4 9 2 — — — — — 2007–08 Luleå HF SEL 48 16 21 37 79 — — — — — 2008–09 MHK Kežmarok SVK 13 5 5 10 29 — — — — — 2008–09 Luleå HF SEL 44 12 11 23 22 5 0 0 0 16 2009–10 SC Bern NLA 28 8 11 19 32 — — — — — 2009–10 Färjestad BK SEL 11 7 5 12 2 7 1 3 4 2 2010–11 HK ŠKP Poprad SVK 13 6 7 13 24 — — — — — 2010–11 Modo SEL 25 7 10 17 8 — — — — — 2011–12 Lev Poprad KHL 53 16 14 30 30 — — — — — 2012–13 Lev Praha KHL 32 6 5 11 8 — — — — — 2013–14 Piráti Chomutov ELH 45 8 10 18 32 — — — — — 2014–15 HK ŠKP Poprad SVK 38 12 21 33 53 10 1 3 4 16 2015–16 HK ŠKP Poprad SVK 46 8 18 26 4 — — — — — NHL totals 257 46 65 111 107 12 1 1 2 2 KHL totals 85 22 19 41 38 — — — — —

International

Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM 2000 Slovakia WC 7 2 3 5 14 2002 Slovakia OG 4 0 1 1 0 2002 Slovakia WC 9 2 2 4 2 2004 Slovakia WC 9 2 2 4 6 2004 Slovakia WCH 4 0 1 1 2 2005 Slovakia WC 7 0 1 1 4 2006 Slovakia OG 6 0 0 0 6 2009 Slovakia WC 6 3 0 3 6 2010 Slovakia OG 7 0 1 1 0 2011 Slovakia WC 4 1 1 2 8 Senior totals 63 10 12 22 48