About Marián Gáborík
Marián Gáborík (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈmarijaːŋ ˈɡaːbɔriːk]; born 14 February 1982) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey right winger. He began his playing career in the Slovak Extraliga with Dukla Trenčín for two seasons before being drafted third overall in the 2000 NHL entry draft by the Minnesota Wild, becoming the highest-drafted Slovak player in National Hockey League (NHL) history until Juraj Slafkovský, who was drafted 1st overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 2022. Gáborík was the Wild's first-ever draft pick and would score the team's first-ever regular season goal. Gáborík spent eight seasons with the Wild from 2000 to 2009, becoming the team's all-time leading goal scorer, before signing with the New York Rangers in 2009. He has also played for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings, and Ottawa Senators in the NHL until retiring in 2018. Gáborík won the Stanley Cup with the Kings, defeating his former team, the Rangers, in the 2014 Stanley Cup Final. Internationally, Gáborík was a two-time Olympian with Slovakia and won a bronze medal at the 1999 World Junior Championships. Gáborík immediately showed promise during his rookie season with the Wild, scoring the team's first ever regular season goal en route to collecting 18 goals and 36 points for the expansion Wild. Gáborík won the Stanley Cup with the Kings, defeating his former team, the Rangers, in the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.