Igor Liba

Igor Liba
Born	(1960-11-04) November 4, 1960 Prešov, Czechoslovakia
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	192 lb (87 kg; 13 st 10 lb)
Position	Left Wing
Shot	Right
Played for	ZPA Prešov HC Košice HC Dukla Jihlava New York Rangers Los Angeles Kings EHC Biel HC Cavalese EV Zeltweg HK Spišská Nová Ves
National team	Czechoslovakia
NHL draft	91st overall, 1983 Calgary Flames
Playing career	1979–2003

Igor Liba (born November 4, 1960) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey player. He played 37 games in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings during the 1988–89 season. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1979 to 2003, was mainly spent in the Czechoslovak Extraliga and in other European leagues. Internationally Liba played for the Czechslovakian national team in several tournaments, including the 1984, 1988, and 1992 Winter Olympics, winning a bronze medal in the latter. In 2005 Liba was inducted into the Slovak Hockey Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the player category of the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2024.

Career

Igor Liba played for ZPA Prešov (1970–1978), HC Košice (1978–82, 1984–88, 1991–92, 1997–98 and 1998–99) and HC Dukla Jihlava (1982–84) in Czechoslovakia, after 1993 in Slovakia mostly for HK VTJ Spišská Nová Ves.

In 1983 he was drafted by the Calgary Flames. Played with the New York Rangers (10 games, 2 goals and 5 assists) and Los Angeles Kings (37 games, 7 goals and 18 assists) in the 1988–89.

He also played for EHC Biel - Switzerland, it:Hockey Club Fiemme - Italy, TuTo Turku - Finland, HK VTJ Spišská Nová Ves - Slovakia, HK VTJ Trebišov - Slovakia, HC Zeltweg - Austria and HK Dragon Prešov - Slovakia.

Internationally, he played for the Czechoslovakia men's national ice hockey team, and was inducted into the player category of the IIHF Hall of Fame during the medal ceremony of the 2024 IIHF World Championship.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1977–78	ZPA Prešov	CSSR-3		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1978–79	ZPA Prešov	CSSR-3		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1979–80	TJ VSŽ Košice	CSSR		42	16	10	26	16		—	—	—	—	—
1980–81	TJ VSŽ Košice	CSSR		43	17	24	41	20		—	—	—	—	—
1981–82	TJ VSŽ Košice	CSSR		44	35	18	53	34		—	—	—	—	—
1982–83	ASD Dukla Jihlava	CSSR		43	27	18	45	24		—	—	—	—	—
1983–84	ASD Dukla Jihlava	CSSR		41	14	18	32	16		—	—	—	—	—
1984–85	TJ VSŽ Košice	CSSR		44	28	26	54	22		—	—	—	—	—
1985–86	TJ VSŽ Košice	CSSR		34	25	29	54	32		—	—	—	—	—
1986–87	TJ VSŽ Košice	CSSR		31	13	16	29	38		—	—	—	—	—
1987–88	TJ VSŽ Košice	CSSR		42	21	37	58	86		—	—	—	—	—
1988–89	New York Rangers	NHL		10	2	5	7	15		—	—	—	—	—
1988–89	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		27	5	13	18	21		2	0	0	0	2
1989–90	TJ VSŽ Košice	CSSR		44	17	20	37	37		—	—	—	—	—
1990–91	HC VSZ Košice	CSSR		2	0	1	1	0		3	1	2	3	0
1990–91	EHC Biel	NDA		18	13	8	21	10		3	1	0	1	4
1991–92	HC VSZ Košice	CSSR		16	7	9	16	6		—	—	—	—	—
1991–92	HC Cavalese	ITA		18	11	34	45	2		4	2	7	9	4
1992–93	TUTO Hockey	FIN-2		44	22	34	56	111		—	—	—	—	—
1993–94	EV Zeltweg	AUT-2		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1994–95	EV Zeltweg	AUT		30	30	23	53	44		—	—	—	—	—
1995–96	EV Zeltweg	AUT		33	15	19	34	34		—	—	—	—	—
1996–97	HK VTJ Spišská Nová Ves	SVK		46	26	25	51	72		—	—	—	—	—
1997–98	HC Košice	SVK		32	10	24	34	36		—	—	—	—	—
1997–98	HK Trebisov	SVK-2		4	1	4	5	2		—	—	—	—	—
1998–99	HC VSZ Košice	SVK		52	15	25	40	24		—	—	—	—	—
1999–00	EV Zeltweg	AUT-2		30	24	36	60	18		—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	HK VTJ Farmakol Prešov	SVK-2		36	17	25	42	6		—	—	—	—	—
2002–03	HK Spisska Nova Ves	SVK		20	1	10	11	40		—	—	—	—	—
2002–03	HK VTJ Farmakol Prešov	SVK-2		20	8	11	19	40		—	—	—	—	—
CSSR totals				426	220	226	446	331		8	5	6	11	0
NHL totals				37	7	18	25	36		2	0	0	0	2

International

Medal record
Representing Czechoslovakia
Olympics
	1984 Sarajevo
	1992 Albertville
World Championships
	1985 Czechoslovakia
	1982 Finland
	1983 West Germany
	1987 Austria
	1992 Czechoslovakia
World Junior Championships
	1979 Sweden

Year	Team	Event		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1979	Czechoslovakia	WJC		5	0	0	0	2
1980	Czechoslovakia	WJC		5	4	1	5	4
1982	Czechoslovakia	WC		10	3	2	5	6
1983	Czechoslovakia	WC		10	2	8	10	0
1984	Czechoslovakia	OLY		7	4	3	7	6
1984	Czechoslovakia	CC		5	2	3	5	6
1985	Czechoslovakia	WC		10	2	5	7	16
1986	Czechoslovakia	WC		10	2	4	6	18
1987	Czechoslovakia	WC		10	2	3	5	12
1987	Czechoslovakia	CC		6	0	4	4	6
1988	Czechoslovakia	OLY		8	4	6	10	8
1992	Czechoslovakia	OLY		4	1	2	3	4
1992	Czechoslovakia	WC		8	2	1	3	10
Junior totals				10	4	1	5	6
Senior totals				88	24	41	65	92

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
• Igor Liba in the Slovak Hockey Hall of Fame