Dan Snyder
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- This article is about the National Hockey League player. For the Washington Redskins' owner, see Daniel Snyder.
| Position | Center |
| Shoots | Left |
| Height Weight |
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 196 lb (89 kg) |
| Nationality |  Canada |
| Born | 23 February 1978, Elmira, ON, Canada |
| Died | 5 October 2003, Atlanta, GA, USA |
| NHL Draft | undrafted |
| Pro Career | 1999 – 2003 |
Dan Snyder (February 23, 1978 - October 5, 2003) was a professional Canadian ice hockey player. He played as a center in the National Hockey League.
Contents |
[edit] Playing career
Undrafted, Dan Snyder was signed by the Atlanta Thrashers as a free agent in 1999. During his time in the minor leagues, he was a member of the International Hockey League champion Orlando Solar Bears in 2000-2001, and the American Hockey League champion Chicago Wolves in 2001-2002. Called up to the NHL, he scored 10 goals and four assists in 36 games with the Thrashers in the 2002-2003 season.
[edit] Death
On September 29, 2003, Snyder was critically injured after the Ferrari 360 Modena being driven by his teammate Dany Heatley struck a wall along Atlanta's Lenox Road. Both players were ejected from the car, which was split in half by the force of the impact. Snyder suffered a fractured skull and internal brain injuries due to the rapid acceleration/deceleration incident. He lapsed into a coma following emergency surgery, and died six days later on October 5 as a result of his injuries complicated by a subsequently-acquired infection.
Heatley was charged with vehicular homicide as a result of the crash. He pleaded guilty to second-degree vehicular homicide, driving too fast for conditions, failure to maintain a lane, and speeding. He was sentenced to three years probation for his crime.
After Snyder's death, the Ontario Hockey League renamed their Humanitarian of the Year trophy in his honor. It became the Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy.
During the 2006-07 NHL season Dan's parents, Graham and Lu Ann Snyder, traveled across North America in a RV attending NHL games and speaking at engagements to raise awareness for the Dan Snyder Memorial Foundation. During their stop in Boston, Bruins center Marc Savard donated $1000 to his charity after being named the #1 star of the week.
In 2003, Canadian band The Tragically Hip recorded a song called "Heaven Is A Better Place Today" in honor of Dan Snyder. The song appears on their In Between Evolution album.
[edit] Career statistics
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1995-96 | Owen Sound | OHL | 63 | 8 | 17 | 25 | 78 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 1996-97 | Owen Sound | OHL | 57 | 17 | 29 | 46 | 96 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | ||
| 1997-98 | Owen Sound | OHL | 46 | 23 | 33 | 56 | 74 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 16 | ||
| 1998-99 | Owen Sound | OHL | 64 | 27 | 67 | 94 | 110 | 16 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 30 | ||
| 1999-00 | Orlando | IHL | 71 | 12 | 13 | 25 | 123 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 2000-01 | Orlando | IHL | 78 | 13 | 30 | 43 | 127 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 20 | ||
| 2000-01 | Atlanta | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2001-02 | Chicago | AHL | 56 | 11 | 24 | 35 | 115 | 22 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 25 | ||
| 2001-02 | Atlanta | NHL | 11 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 30 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2002-03 | Atlanta | NHL | 36 | 10 | 4 | 14 | 34 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2002-03 | Chicago | AHL | 35 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 39 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| NHL Totals | 49 | 11 | 5 | 16 | 64 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||||
[edit] References
- Thrasher's legacy lives on Atlanta Journal Constitution, September 24, 2004.
- Dan Snyder Memorial Foundation
Categories: 1978 births | 2003 deaths | Atlanta Thrashers players | Orlando Solar Bears players | Chicago Wolves players | Road accident victims | Calder Cup champions | Canadian ice hockey players | National Hockey League players who died during their careers | Owen Sound Platers alumni | Ontario sportspeople
