Peter Bartos: Minnesota Wild A-Z

Apr 28, 2014; Saint Paul, MN, USA; A general view of the Xcel Energy Center prior to game six of the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Colorado Avalanche and the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Today in Minnesota Wild A-Z we take a look at Peter Bartos.  He was a 7th round, 214th overall pick by the Minnesota Wild in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.  This was the Wild’s first draft class and they didn’t fair too badly.  Their picks in the first two rounds, Marian Gaborik and Nick Szhultz are still playing in the NHL today.  Four others played in the NHL, two played in the AHL and one at the ECHL level. Peter Bartos was one who made it to the NHL.

Peter Bartos is currently 40 years old, in his playing days he weighed in at 185 lbs., stood 6′ 0″ tall and was a laft handed shot.  Bartos’ NHL and AHL experience all came in 2000-01 season.  He started the 2000-01 season with the Cleveland Lumberjacks of the IHL eventually playing 60 games.  Bartos made his NHL debut with the Minnesota Wild that same season, totaling 13 games with the NHL club.  That would be the full extent of his NHL experience.

Peter Bartos Upper Deck Black Diamond #122 Rookie Card

Bartos’ stat line for his NHL career reads; four goals, two assists, six total points, a +2 rating, and six penalty minutes.  He scored one power play goal, had one game winning goal and totaled 18 shots over his 13 games in a Wild sweater.  While with the Lumberjacks he scored 18 goals and added 28 assists for a season total of 46 points.  He accumulated just 18 minutes in penalties over 60 games in Cleveland.

Peter Bartos’ road to the NHL started with HC Hutnik Martin Czech-2 at the age of 18.  He would spend two seasons there before moving to Dukla Trencin-Czech at 20 years of age.  His next season would see him jump to a league in Slovakia.  HC Martimex ZTS Martin-Slovakia would be his team for the next 5 seasons.   Over those years with HC Hutnik Bartos would total 91 goals and 86 assists for 177 points in 188 games.  He also had no more than 24 penalty minutes in a season.  Bartos would total just 82 PIMS in 188 games played.

The next two season would see Peter Bartos jump to HC Ceske Budejovice-Czrep.  These would be the last two seasons before he would play in North America.  He would be drafted by the Minnesota Wild after his second season.  In 104 games he totaled 45 goals and 51 assists for 96 points and just 48 penalty minutes.  Peter showed consistent play in both the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 season with 48 points and 24 PIMS in each.

By this time he had caught the eye of the Wild scouting staff and at the age of 26 he was drafted.  Bartos is one of the oldest players ever taken by the Minnesota Wild in the NHL Entry Draft.  He is also one of the oldest rookies for the Wild, playing in his first NHL game at the age of 27.  After just one season of North American hockey in the AHL and NHL Bartos returned to Czech Republic and Slovakian league teams for the remainder of his career.

Bartos played for three teams after his return to Europe, HC Ceske Budejovice-CZREP, HKM Zvolen-Slovakia,and HC Kosice-Slovakia. In 502 games he accumulated 171 goals and 185 assists for 356 points.  His penalty minutes continued to be low each season with an average of 31 minutes a season over 11 seasons.  

I don’t think Peter Bartos is a case of not being able to handle the North American style of hockey.  He had the ability to skate score and pass the puck at the AHL and NHL level.  I think he felt more comfortable in the Czech and Slovakian leagues where there was no language barrier and a larger ice sheet.  He continued to play professional hockey in Europe until his retirement at the age of 38.

That wraps up our look at Peter Bartos in today’s edition of Minnesota Wild A-Z.  Coming up next we have center Eric Belanger, veteran of 820 NHL games.