Peter Bondra Biography

Peter Bondra, born on 7 February 1968, is a Slovak former professional ice hockey player who has played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League. Drafted at age 22 in 1990, Bondra joined the Washington Capitals directly from junior hockey without minor league time. On 5 February 1994, he scored five goals in a single NHL game. After the 2004 season, Bondra played for the Ottawa Senators and returned to the NHL in 2005–06 with the Atlanta Thrashers. On 22 December 2006, Bondra became the 37th player in NHL history to reach 500 career goals. He has scored 503 goals in 1,081 NHL games, making him one of four eligible 500-goal players not in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Bondra began his career at age 18 in 1986 with VSŽ Košice in the First Division of Czechoslovakia.