Mark Eaton (hockey player)
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Mark Eaton (Born May 6, 1977, in Wilmington, Delaware), is a professional ice hockey player.
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Overview
Mark Eaton was never drafted in NHL Entry Draft. He was signed as a free agent by the Philadelphia Flyers on August 4, 1998.
Eaton was traded from the Flyers to the Nashville Predators on September 29, 2000 for the Detroit Red Wings' third round pick in the draft. Nashville had previously acquired the pick from Detroit and the Flyers used it to select Patrick Sharp.
He played his first game in the NHL for the Flyers on April 13, 2000 against the Buffalo Sabres. He scored his first NHL goal on April 8, 2000 when he scored the game winner against Robbie Tallas and the Boston Bruins.
He had what was considered by many to be his breakout season during the 2003-04 NHL season. During the off season he had gained several pounds from dilligent working out and came back stronger than ever. Coupled with this, the Predators had either traded or not resigned several of their top defenseman which paved the way for Eaton to get considerable ice time. He took advantage of the opportunity with a very solid season setting the franchise record for plus/minus at +16. Not especially know for offensive play he gave a very offensive performance on October 25 2003 when he scored a career-high three assists in a 5-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.
Eaton currently plays for the Predators (as of the 2003-04 NHL season).
Awards
- Won the 1996-97 United States Hockey League (USHL) Curt Hammer Award (most gentlemanly play).
- Second Team USHL All-Star in 1997.
- Only the second University of Notre Dame player to be named CCHA Rookie of the Year (as selected by the conference's coaches) in 1997-98.
- Won the Barry Ashbee Award in 1998-99 which is given to the Philadelphia Phantoms' top defenseman.
- The first ice hockey player to be named Delaware's athlete of the year by the Delaware Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association on January 27, 2000.
- Named the IHL Defenseman of the Week for the week of December 18-24, 2000.
Records
- Nashville Predators plus/minus record (+16) set in the 2003-04 NHL season.
Career Statistics
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1996-97 | Waterloo Black Hawks | USHL | 50 | 6 | 32 | 38 | 62 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1997-98 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | CCHA | 41 | 12 | 17 | 29 | 32 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1998-99 | Philadelphia Phantoms | AHL | 74 | 9 | 27 | 36 | 38 | 16 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 1999-00 | Philadelphia Phantoms | AHL | 47 | 9 | 17 | 26 | 6 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2000-01 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 27 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2001-02 | Milwaukee Admirals | IHL | 34 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 27 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2001-02 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 58 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 24 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2002-03 | Milwaukee Admirals | IHL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2002-03 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 50 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 22 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2003-04 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 75 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 26 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| NHL Totals | 244 | 13 | 30 | 43 | 94 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||||
International Play
Eaton played for the United States at the 2001 World Championships and recorded one goal (the game-winner vs. Finland) and one assist in nine games. He also played for the United States at the 2002 World Championships in Sweden and registered a three assists in a 5-2 win vs. Italy.
International Statistics
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | United States | WC | 9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2002 | United States | WC | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 |