Richard Park

Richard Park (Korean name: Bak Yong-Su, Hangul: 박용수; born May 27, 1976) is a South Korean-born American former professional ice hockey forward who played 14 National Hockey League (NHL) seasons with six different teams. Park is currently a pro scout for the Minnesota Wild.

Playing career Born in Seoul, South Korea, Park moved to Rancho Palos Verdes, California, with his family at age three. As a youth, he played in the 1989 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Los Angeles Kings minor ice hockey team. At age 13, he moved to Ontario and played minor hockey in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL), and played in the 1990 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Toronto Young Nationals.

Following his second OHL season, he was drafted 50th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 1994 NHL entry draft. He made his NHL debut when he played one regular season game and three Stanley Cup playoff games for Pittsburgh during the 1994–95 season. He became only the second Korean-born person to play in the NHL after Jim Paek. Coincidentally, both of them were drafted by the Penguins. Park played most of the 1995–96 NHL season, appearing in 56 games. He spent the next few years moving between the Anaheim Ducks, Philadelphia Flyers and various International Hockey League (IHL) and American Hockey League (AHL) teams. He played again in the NHL during the 2001–02 season after signing with the Minnesota Wild.

Park spent three seasons in Minnesota, from 2001–02 to 2003–04, where over the course of several seasons, he achieved career-highs in games played (81), goals scored (14), assists earned (15) and points totalled (25). During the Wild's run in the 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs, Park scored the winning goal in overtime in Game 6 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Colorado Avalanche.

During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Park played in Europe as a member of the United States national men's ice hockey team, which won the 2004 Deutschland Cup. He would go on to sign short-term contracts in Sweden and Switzerland with the Malmö Redhawks and SCL Tigers respectively. On August 8, 2005, prior to the 2005–06 season, Park signed a one-year, US$750,000 contract with the Vancouver Canucks. At the end of his contract, he signed a two-year contract with the New York Islanders.

On March 29, 2008, Park was named the recipient of the Bob Nystrom Award, awarded annually to the Islander "who best exemplifies leadership, hustle and dedication". Park usually played in a penalty killing role and is considered an above-average skater. He also served as the Islanders alternate captain in the 2008–09 season. During his time with the Islanders, he scored two shorthanded goals on 5-on-3's, a very rare feat in the NHL.

On September 9, 2010, Park left the NHL after 684 career games, signing a three-year contract with Genève-Servette HC of the National League A (NLA), marking his return to Switzerland after a brief stint during the 2004–05 lockout.

On September 8, 2011, Park made a return to the NHL, signing a one-year, two-way contract for a second stint with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In August 2012, Park signed a two-year contract to return to the NLA with HC Ambrì-Piotta, where he finished his playing career.

Post-playing career In 2014, Park was hired as a player development coach for the Minnesota Wild organization. During the 2018–19 season, he transitioned to the role of pro scout.

Park served as assistant coach of the South Korea men's national ice hockey team from 2014 to 2018.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1992–93 Belleville Bulls OHL 66 23 38 61 38 5 0 0 0 14 1993–94 Belleville Bulls OHL 59 27 49 76 70 12 3 5 8 18 1994–95 Belleville Bulls OHL 45 28 51 79 35 16 9 18 27 12 1994–95 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 1 0 1 1 2 3 0 0 0 2 1995–96 Belleville Bulls OHL 6 7 6 13 2 14 18 12 30 10 1995–96 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 56 4 6 10 36 1 0 0 0 0 1996–97 Cleveland Lumberjacks IHL 50 12 15 27 30 — — — — — 1996–97 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 1996–97 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim NHL 11 1 1 2 10 11 0 1 1 2 1997–98 Cincinnati Mighty Ducks AHL 56 17 26 43 36 — — — — — 1997–98 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim NHL 15 0 2 2 8 — — — — — 1998–99 Philadelphia Phantoms AHL 75 41 42 83 33 16 9 6 15 4 1998–99 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 7 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 1999–2000 Utah Grizzlies IHL 82 28 32 60 36 5 1 0 1 0 2000–01 Cleveland Lumberjacks IHL 75 27 21 48 29 4 0 2 2 4 2001–02 Houston Aeros AHL 13 4 10 14 6 — — — — — 2001–02 Minnesota Wild NHL 63 10 15 25 10 — — — — — 2002–03 Minnesota Wild NHL 81 14 10 24 16 18 3 3 6 4 2003–04 Minnesota Wild NHL 73 13 12 25 28 — — — — — 2004–05 Malmö Redhawks SEL 9 1 3 4 4 — — — — — 2004–05 SCL Tigers NLA 10 3 0 3 8 — — — — — 2005–06 Vancouver Canucks NHL 60 8 10 18 29 — — — — — 2006–07 New York Islanders NHL 82 10 16 26 33 5 0 1 1 2 2007–08 New York Islanders NHL 82 12 20 32 20 — — — — — 2008–09 New York Islanders NHL 71 14 17 31 34 — — — — — 2009–10 New York Islanders NHL 81 9 22 31 28 — — — — — 2010–11 Genève–Servette HC NLA 47 15 19 34 16 3 2 1 3 2 2011–12 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 54 7 7 14 12 2 0 1 1 2 2012–13 HC Ambrì–Piotta NLA 48 9 22 31 18 — — — — — 2013–14 HC Ambrì–Piotta NLA 41 12 17 29 22 4 1 0 1 29 NHL totals 738 102 139 241 266 40 3 6 9 12

International Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM 1994 United States WJC 7 3 2 5 4 1995 United States WJC 7 1 7 8 29 2002 United States WC 7 3 3 6 0 2004 United States WC 9 5 3 8 0 2005 United States WC 5 1 0 1 0 2006 United States WC 7 1 1 2 0 Junior totals 14 4 9 13 33 Senior totals 28 10 7 17 0

Richard Park on the Nassau Coliseum ice, playing for the New York Islanders.

Awards Bob Nystrom Award – 2007–08 OHL All-Rookie Team – 1993 AHL Second All-Star Team – 1999

Transactions March 18, 1997 – Traded to Anaheim by Pittsburgh for Roman Oksiuta. August 24, 1998 – Signed as a free agent by Philadelphia. September 22, 1999 – Signed as a free agent by Utah (IHL). June 6, 2000 – Signed as a free agent by Minnesota. November 8, 2004 – Signed as a free agent by Malmo (Sweden). January 4, 2005 – Signed as a free agent by Langnau (Swiss). August 8, 2005 – Signed as a free agent by Vancouver. October 2, 2006 – Signed as a free agent by NY Islanders. September 9, 2010 – Signed as a free agent by Geneve (Swiss). September 8, 2011 – Signed as a free agent by Pittsburgh. August 7, 2012 – Signed as a free agent by Ambri-Piotta (Swiss). October 14, 2014 – Retired.