Borna Rendulić

Borna Rendulić (Croatian pronunciation: [bôːrna rěndulit͡ɕ], born 25 March 1992) is a Croatian professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing for SKA Saint Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Rendulić began playing hockey in Croatia and made his professional debut with KHL Medveščak in 2006, before moving to Finland in 2011 in order to further his career. He played for several teams in both the top-tier SM-liiga and second-tier Mestis, then moved to North America in 2014 when he signed a contract with the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL. Rendulić made his NHL debut that year, the first Croatian-trained player to do so, but spent most of the following two seasons with the Avalanche minor-league affiliates in the AHL. After two seasons spent primarily with the Avalanche's AHL affiliate, he signed with the Vancouver Canucks, spending a further season in the AHL with their affiliate before returning to Europe. Internationally, Rendulić has played for Croatia in several World Championships, both at the junior and senior level.

Borna Rendulić
Rendulić with the Adler Mannheim in 2021
Born (1992-03-25) 25 March 1992
Zagreb, Croatia
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 207 lb (94 kg; 14 st 11 lb)
Position Right Wing
Shoots Right
KHL team
Former teams		 SKA Saint Petersburg
Ässät
HPK
Colorado Avalanche
Vancouver Canucks
Lahti Pelicans
HC Vityaz
Adler Mannheim
Örebro HK
HC Sochi
National team  Croatia
NHL Draft Undrafted
Playing career 2007–present

Playing career

As 15-year-old, Rendulić made his professional debut with hometown club, KHL Medveščak in the Croatian Ice Hockey League during the 2006–07 season.

He signed for Ässät in 2008 and played for their U18 team and then their U20 team. On 25 January 2011, he was loaned for the remainder of the 2010–11 season to former club Medveščak, now of the Austrian Hockey League.[1] Rendulić featured in 12 games with Zagreb, collecting a goal and an assist.

Upon returning to Ässät, he finally made his debut for the men's team during the 2011–12 season, playing three games whilst also enduring another loan spell, with SaPKo in Mestis.

On 8 May 2012, out of contract with Ässät, Rendulić agreed to a try-out contract with fellow Liiga club, HPK.[2] With a developing, larged-framed body, Rendulić's initial trial with HPK was successful, earning him a one-year contract on 31 August 2012.[3] In the 2012–13 season, Rendulić predominantly played with HPK in a depth forward role to finish with eight goals in 37 games.

Rendulić was signed to a one-year extension and in the following 2013–14 season, he played his first full Liiga season with HPK, establishing a top-nine position to produce career highs of 11 goals and 32 points in 57 games.[4]

On 19 May 2014, Rendulić's successful season earned NHL recognition, and he was subsequently signed to a two-year entry level contract with the Colorado Avalanche.[5] In signing with the Avalanche, Rendulić became the first Croatian born and trained player to earn an NHL contract.[6] After his first training camp and pre-season in Colorado, Rendulic was assigned to begin the 2014–15 season with Colorado's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters. On 9 December 2014, he received his first NHL recall by the injury-hit Avalanche.[7] He became the first Croatian born and trained player to play in the NHL, playing on the Avalanche's fourth-line in a 3–0 defeat to the Nashville Predators.[8][9] Immediately after his second recall to the Avalanche, Rendulić scored his first NHL goal in his fourth game on 31 December 2014, against Steve Mason of the Philadelphia Flyers. However a broken shinbone limited Rendulić to 11 games in the NHL and 26 in the AHL.[10]

On June 27, 2016, having completed his entry-level deal Rendulić's NHL rights were not retained by the Avalanche.[11] Subsequently, on July 1, 2016, it was announced that Rendulic had signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Vancouver Canucks.[12] He made his debut for the Canucks on February 28 in a game against the Detroit Red Wings. He was a late addition to the lineup, replacing Jannik Hansen who was traded to the San Jose Sharks later that night.[13]

As a free agent from the Canucks, Rendulić opted to return to Europe in securing a one-year deal with Finnish Liiga club, Lahti Pelicans, on August 11, 2017.[14] In his return to the Liiga after three years, he scored 5 goals in the opening 14 games of the 2017–18 season. Rendulić then opted to leave the Liiga prematurely in order to sign with Russian outfit, HC Vityaz of the KHL, on October 18, 2017.[15]

Productive throughout his tenure with HC Vityaz, Rendulić left as a free agent following the 2018–19 season, posting 13 goals and 23 points in 59 games. On June 3, 2019, Rendulić continued his European career by agreeing to a one-year contract with German Champions, Adler Mannheim of the DEL.[16]

Following a year stint in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) with Örebro HK in the 2020–21 season, Rendulić returned to previous club, Adler Mannheim of the DEL, signing a two-year contract on June 2, 2021.[17]

At the completion of his contract with Adler Mannheim, Rendulić returned for a second stint in the KHL, joining Russian club HC Sochi as a free agent on a one-year contract on 31 May 2023.[18]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2006–07 KHL Medveščak CIHL 2 0 0 0 2 — — — — —
2007–08 KHL Medveščak SLO 2 1 0 1 0 — — — — —
2010–11 KHL Medveščak EBEL 12 1 1 2 2 5 1 1 2 6
2011–12 Ässät SM-l 3 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2011–12 SaPKo Mestis 7 2 3 5 14 — — — — —
2012–13 HPK SM-l 37 8 4 12 6 5 0 1 1 0
2012–13 Peliitat Mestis 5 2 2 4 0 — — — — —
2013–14 HPK Liiga 57 11 21 32 34 6 3 0 3 2
2014–15 Lake Erie Monsters AHL 26 4 4 8 12 — — — — —
2014–15 Colorado Avalanche NHL 11 1 1 2 6 — — — — —
2015–16 Colorado Avalanche NHL 3 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2015–16 San Antonio Rampage AHL 68 16 22 38 41 — — — — —
2016–17 Utica Comets AHL 69 12 11 23 30 — — — — —
2016–17 Vancouver Canucks NHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2017–18 Lahti Pelicans Liiga 14 5 3 8 12 — — — — —
2017–18 HC Vityaz KHL 32 8 11 19 16 — — — — —
2018–19 HC Vityaz KHL 59 13 10 23 75 4 1 0 1 2
2019–20 Adler Mannheim DEL 50 27 22 49 51 — — — — —
2020–21 Örebro HK SHL 49 17 21 38 70 9 3 2 5 0
2021–22 Adler Mannheim DEL 36 15 11 26 6 9 2 4 6 29
2022–23 Adler Mannheim DEL 56 17 24 41 18 12 1 6 7 2
Liiga totals 111 24 28 52 52 11 3 1 4 2
NHL totals 15 1 1 2 6 — — — — —
KHL totals 91 21 21 42 91 4 1 0 1 2

International
Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM
2008 Croatia WJC18-D2 5 7 5 12 2
2008 Croatia WJC-D2 5 7 3 10 4
2009 Croatia WJC18-D2 5 3 3 6 2
2009 Croatia WJC-D2 4 0 3 3 4
2009 Croatia WC-D1 5 1 2 3 2
2010 Croatia WJC-D1 5 4 3 7 0
2010 Croatia WC-D1 5 0 1 1 0
2011 Croatia WJC-D1 5 4 5 9 2
2011 Croatia WC-D2 5 8 9 17 6
2012 Croatia WJC-D1 5 3 4 7 0
2012 Croatia WC-D2 5 4 1 5 2
2013 Croatia OGQ 3 1 1 2 14
2013 Croatia WC-D2 5 4 4 8 2
2014 Croatia WC-D1 5 2 2 4 6
2016 Croatia WC-D1 4 2 5 7 0
2017 Croatia WC-D1 5 3 5 8 16
2018 Croatia WC-D1 5 3 0 3 0
2023 Croatia WC-D2A 5 4 7 11 4
Junior totals 34 28 26 54 14
Senior totals 52 32 37 69 52

References
  1. "Borna Rendulic joins Zagreb Bears tomorrow" (in Croatian). KHL Medveščak. 25 January 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  2. "HPK to give Borna Rendulic trial" (in Finnish). haeensanomat.fi. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  3. "Rendulic and Alen continue with EEV" (in Finnish). HPK. 31 August 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  4. "Four contracts for HPK" (in Finnish). HPK. 23 April 2013. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  5. "Colorado signs five players to entry-level deals". Colorado Avalanche. 29 May 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  6. "Croatian superstar Borna Rendulić signed for Avs". khl.hr. 19 May 2014. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  7. "Borna Rendulic recalled to Colorado". Colorado Avalanche. 9 December 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  8. "Who is Borna Rendulic? The NHL's first Croatian National?". Yahoo! Sports. 9 December 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  9. Goran Bezina played three games in 2003–04; though born in Croatia, Bezina was raised in Switzerland.
  10. Manninen, Henrik (22 April 2016). "Homecoming Hero". WMIB2016.IIHF.com. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  11. "Avalanche qualify Siemens, let 10 walk". bsndenver.com. 27 June 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  12. "Canucks sign Chaput, Rendulic and Billins". Vancouver Canucks. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  13. Graham, Will. "I Watched This Game: Canucks 2, Red Wings 3 (OT)". Vancouver Courier. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
  14. "Borna Rendulic completes the Pelicans attack" (in Finnish). Lahti Pelicans. 11 August 2017. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  15. "Vityaz secure replacement in Rendulic" (in Russian). HC Vityaz. 18 October 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  16. "Borna Rendulic becomes an Eagle" (in German). Adler Mannheim. 3 June 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  17. "Eagles bring Borna Rendulic back" (in German). Adler Mannheim. 2 June 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  18. "Third import signing to Sochi" (in Russian). HC Sochi. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
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