Mike Rosati

Michael Anthony Rosati (born January 7, 1968) is a Canadian-born Italian former professional ice hockey player. Rosati became the third Italian player to play in a game in the NHL after earning an Italian passport and playing for Italy, after Bob Manno and Roberto Romano.

Mike Rosati
Born (1968-01-07) January 7, 1968
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight 171 lb (78 kg; 12 st 3 lb)
Position Goaltender
Caught Left
Played for NHL
Washington Capitals
IHL
Manitoba Moose
AHL
Portland Pirates
ECHL
Erie Panthers
Serie A
HC Bolzano
DEL
Adler Mannheim
2. Bundesliga
Heilbronn Falcons
National team  Italy
NHL Draft 131st overall, 1988
New York Rangers
Playing career 1990–2004

Early years

As a youth, Rosati played in the 1981 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Wexford, Toronto.[1]

Rosati started his career by playing in the Ontario Hockey League and was soon drafted by the New York Rangers in 1988 NHL Entry Draft (#131 pick). Rosati was initially placed in the ECHL, but after a disappointing season, decided to play in Italy. Rosati would find much more success there, and played for the Hockey Club Bolzano. In the 1990s Rosati would lead Bolzano to two Italian Hockey Championships, and would earn himself the place of goaltender for the Italian national team that would go on to compete in the 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics.

The 1990s and the NHL experience

By the second half of the 1990s, the Italian hockey movement had gone through a difficult period, and Rosati moved to Germany. It was here that Rosati played for Adler Mannheim of the DEL. In 1998, after two seasons of consistent play with Adler Mannheim, Rosati signed with the Washington Capitals as the third goaltender of the team, behind Olaf Kölzig and Craig Billington. After the shift to the farm team Portland Pirates, it seemed that Rosati's chances to play in the NHL were fading away, and that he was destined to spend his career in the minor leagues, but an injury to Craig Billington put him directly on the bench. On November 7, 1998, the incumbent Capitals goalie, Olaf Kölzig, suffered an injury, and Rosati made his NHL debut against the Ottawa Senators in a match won by the Capitals 8–5. Rosati played 28 minutes and didn't allow a goal. His NHL saves total stands at 12. He finished the season with the Manitoba Moose of the IHL. Despite a less than stellar stint with the Moose, Rosati decided to come back to Mannheim where he played four more seasons.

Retirement and coaching

Rosati retired in 2004 while playing for a German second division team. In the 2004–05 season, Rosati was the Adler Mannheim assistant coach and worked with Stéphane Richer and Helmut de Raaf (who played with Rosati for multiple seasons).

Rosati is currently the goaltending coach of the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL.[2] He enjoys spending time with his 2 daughters, Jessica and Alyssa, who are his biggest supporters. In the offseason, Rosati lives in Niagara Falls.

Career statistics

Career statistics.

See also

References
  1. "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Retrieved 2019-01-17.
  2. "Vegas Golden Knights: Coaching Paths".
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