Sundogs Ink Former NHL Draft Pick Goaltender Levente Szuper

November 4, 2010 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Arizona Sundogs News Release


PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - Arizona Sundogs Head Coach and General Manager Marco Pietroniro announced today the team has agreed to terms with goaltender and former NHL Draft Pick Levente Szuper (luh-VAHN-tay ZOO-puhr). Additionally, rookie netminder Bobby Jarosz has been placed on I.R.

Szuper, 30, was initially expected to take part in the Sundogs' 2010 training camp but immigration issues delayed his arrival.

The former fourth round (116th overall) draft pick of the Calgary Flames in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft most recently skated in the German Elite League (DEL) with the Hannover Scorpions. Szuper appeared in 22 contests with Hannover and finished the 2009-10 season with a 7-7-0 record, .903 save percentage (SV%) and 3.01 goals against average (GAA), helping the German club to the DEL Championship.

The accomplished goaltender helped the Ontario Hockey League's Ottawa 67s to a Memorial Cup Championship in 1999, finishing the year with a 22-6-3 record, .913 SV% and 2.33 GAA and earning the F.W. 'Dinty' Moore Trophy as the league's best rookie goaltender.

After closing out his junior career in 2000, Szuper played the next three seasons with Calgary's American Hockey League affiliate, the Saint John Flames, winning a Calder Cup Championship during the 2000-01 season. The Budapest, Hungary, native's eight career shutouts remain a team record in the now-defunct franchise's history.

During the 2002-03 season, the 5-foot-11, 175-pound backstop was called up to the NHL, becoming the first Hungarian native to appear on an active NHL roster. Szuper dressed for nine games that year but never saw any playing time with the Flames. He was then signed by the St. Louis Blues and spent the 2003-04 season with their ECHL affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen, recording a 23-8-1 mark, 2.31 GAA and .915 SV% before returning to Europe.

The netminder has also appeared in eight World Championships with Hungary, winning gold (2008), silver (2002, 2007) and bronze medals (2003, 2005) and earning numerous accolades including Best GAA (2002), Best SV% (2002, 2008) and Best Goaltender (1998, 2005) awards.

Jarosz is 1-2-0 in three appearances with Arizona this season, compiling a 4.40 GAA and .857 SV%.

Arizona (2-4-0) opens a season-long eight-game road trip against the Wichita Thunder on Friday, Nov. 5 at 5:05pm (Arizona time). Listen to the game live online at www.cattlecountryradio.com or on KDDL 'Cattle Country' 94.3FM, the Official Radio Home of Arizona Sundogs Hockey.



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