Jonathan Cheechoo

Jonathan Cheechoo
Cheechoo in 2009 with the San Jose Sharks
Born	(1980-07-15) July 15, 1980 (age 36) Moose Factory, ON, CAN
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb)
Position	Right Wing
Shoots	Right
KHL team Former teams	HC Slovan Bratislava San Jose Sharks HV71 Ottawa Senators Medveščak Zagreb
NHL Draft	29th overall, 1998 San Jose Sharks
Playing career	2002–present

Jonathan Cheechoo (/ˈtʃiːtʃuː/; Cree: ᔔᓇᕦᓐ ᒋᒍ; born July 15, 1980) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who is currently playing for HC Slovan Bratislava of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

During the 2005–06 National Hockey League season, he led the NHL with 56 goals and won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy. He was the first San Jose Sharks player to win the "Rocket" Richard Trophy, awarded to the NHL player with the most goals in a season. After the 2005–06 season, his production numbers began to fall, and since sustaining a concussion in the 2006–07 season he has struggled to earn spots on NHL teams.

Drafted by the Belleville Bulls of the OHL in the 1997 OHL priority selection, Cheechoo had a reasonably strong rookie year in 1997–1998 with 76 points (31 goals + 45 assists) in 64 games, good for third place on his team. In the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, San Jose sent the 2nd overall pick (David Legwand) to Nashville for the third overall pick (Brad Stuart) and the 29th overall pick, which they used to draft Cheechoo. Most had predicted that Cheechoo would be a later-round pick, and San Jose was criticized for picking a lackluster forward who "skated slower forwards than most players skated backwards" instead of the highly touted Legwand.