{{short description|American ice hockey player (born 1978)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2013}} {{Infobox ice hockey player | name = Tom Preissing | image = Tom Preissing (2109661324).jpg | image_size = 230px | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|12|03}} | birth_place = Arlington Heights, Illinois, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 0 | weight_lb = 197 | position = Defense | shoots = Right | played_for = San Jose Sharks<br>Krefeld Pinguine<br>Ottawa Senators<br>Los Angeles Kings<br>Colorado Avalanche<br>Barys Astana<br>EHC Biel<br>Rögle BK<br>TPS | draft = Undrafted | career_start = 2003 | career_end = 2013 }}
'''Thomas Joseph Preissing''' (born December 3, 1978) is an American former professional ice hockey player who played six seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Preissing played in 326 NHL games with the San Jose Sharks, Ottawa Senators, Los Angeles Kings and the Colorado Avalanche. Preissing was born in Arlington Heights, Illinois, but grew up in Rosemount, Minnesota.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mnselects.com/page/show/110218-tom-preissing|title=Tom Preissing | publisher =Minnesota Selects | year = 2004 | access-date = January 29, 2014}}</ref>
==Playing career==
===Amateur=== Preissing played four years as a forward on the varsity team at Rosemount High School before moving on to play two seasons with the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League (USHL). It was with the Gamblers that then-head coach Mark Osiecki converted Preissing to a defenseman, paving the way for his future hockey successes. Preissing played for Colorado College of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) and was a top-ten finalist for the Hobey Baker Award; he also captained the Tigers in his senior year.<ref name="Award">{{cite web|url=http://www.ivyleaguesports.com/article.asp?intID=2237 |title=Two Leaguers are Hobey Baker finalists |publisher=iveleaguesports.com |date=March 24, 2003 |access-date=July 6, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060223172533/http://www.ivyleaguesports.com/article.asp?intID=2237 |archive-date=February 23, 2006 }}</ref> He earned NCAA - West First All-American honors and holds the WCHA record for most goals by a defenseman in a season with 23 in 2002–03.
===Professional=== Preissing was signed as an undrafted free agent by the San Jose Sharks on April 4, 2003.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/5964/san_jose_sharks_sign_two_top_college_prospects/|title=San Jose Sharks sign two top college prospects | publisher =hockeysfuture.com | date = May 8, 2003 | access-date = July 6, 2009}}</ref> After a strong training camp with the Sharks, Preissing was a surprise inclusion on the opening night roster for the 2003–04 season. Tom played the full season with the Sharks where he had 2 goals and 17 assists in 69 games. He was praised for making the step directly from college to the NHL without stopping in the American Hockey League (AHL) and was named San Jose's rookie of the year in 2004.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/7083/sharks2004_rookie_review/|title=Sharks 2004 rookie review | publisher =hockeysfuture.com | date = July 7, 2004 | access-date = July 6, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wreg.com/marketplace/realestate/la-hmw-hotproppreissing27-2009may27,0,6266350.story|title=Hockey player Tom Preissing lists Manhattan beach home|publisher=wreg.com|date=May 27, 2009|access-date=July 6, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716081147/http://www.wreg.com/marketplace/realestate/la-hmw-hotproppreissing27-2009may27,0,6266350.story|archive-date=July 16, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In the 2005–06 season, Preissing broke out, scoring 43 points in 74 games to have the second-highest-scoring season by a defenseman in Sharks history, behind only Sandis Ozoliņš. He also carried a +17 plus-minus rating, which ranked first among Sharks defensemen.
On July 9, 2006, Preissing and Josh Hennessy were traded by the Sharks to the Chicago Blackhawks for Mark Bell. Chicago immediately traded the two, along with Michal Barinka and a second-round draft pick in the 2008 NHL entry draft, to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Martin Havlát and Bryan Smolinski.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=2514959|title=Blackhawks obtain Sens' Havlat in three team deal | publisher =ESPN | date = July 9, 2006 | access-date = February 26, 2009}}</ref> Preissing then spent the 2006–07 season with Ottawa, recording 38 points in 80 games and posting the third-best plus-minus rating (+40) of any NHL player. He helped the Senators reach the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals, in which they lost to the Anaheim Ducks in five games.
On July 2, 2007, Preissing signed a four-year, $11 million contract as an unrestricted free agent with the Los Angeles Kings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kings.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=327023&page=NewsPage&service=page|title=Kings sign free agent defenseman Tom Preissing|publisher=Los Angeles Kings|date=July 2, 2007|access-date=July 6, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721230151/http://kings.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=327023&page=NewsPage&service=page|archive-date=July 21, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In the 2007–08 season, his first with the Kings, Preissing suffered in production, scoring only 24 points in 77 games, and his plus-minus slipped to –6. Preissing was benched for four games into the early stages of the 2008–09 season.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/2008-11-07-151785563_x.htm|title=Kings snap skid with 3-2 win over Panthers | newspaper =USA Today | date = November 7, 2008 | access-date = July 6, 2009}}</ref> After stepping up his play Preissing was then hampered by illness and upon recovery was assigned to the Kings affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL on March 4, 2009, for the rest of the season.
On July 3, 2009, Preissing was traded by the Kings, along with Kyle Quincey and a fifth-round draft pick in the 2010 NHL entry draft, to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Ryan Smyth.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.denverpost.com/avalanche/ci_12752022|title=Avs shed Smyth's hefty contract in Kings trade | newspaper =Denver Post | date = July 3, 2009 | access-date = July 6, 2009 | first=Adrian | last=Dater}}</ref> Preissing missed training camp and the start of the 2009–10 season having a scope on his right knee.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/2009-11-14-581413906_x.htm|title=Avs' Tom Preissing back from right knee injury | newspaper =USA Today | date = November 14, 2009 | access-date = February 23, 2010}}</ref> After a conditioning stint with Colorado's AHL affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters, Preissing made his Avalanche debut in an 8–2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on November 14, 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/gamecenter/recap/NHL_20091114_VAN@COL|title=H Sedin collects his first hat-trick as Canucks melt Avalanche | work =CBS Sports | date = November 14, 2009 | access-date = February 23, 2010}}</ref> On November 29, 2009, after playing in four games with the Avs, Preissing was placed on waivers and reassigned back to the Monsters.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_13886923|title=Hejduk out with injury | newspaper =Denver Post | date = November 29, 2009 | access-date = February 23, 2010}}</ref> Despite leading the Monsters defense with 31 points in 49 games, his considerably large contract meant he was placed on waivers for the purpose of a buy out of his final year from the Avalanche on June 30, 2010.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=326149 | title = McKenzie: Looks like Ellis is going to Market | publisher = TSN | date = June 30, 2010 | access-date = July 4, 2010 }}</ref>
Without NHL interest, Preissing returned to Europe for the first time since 2005, signing a one-year contract with Kärpät of the Finnish SM-liiga on September 16, 2010. Under the agreement, he first joined Kazakh team Barys Astana of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), to start the 2010–11 season on a two-month loan through to November in order to attain game conditioning.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.oulunkarpat.fi/2009/uutiset.php?uutisid=1270&arkistosivu= | title = NHL defenseman Tom Preissing joins Kärpät | publisher = Oulun Kärpät | date = September 16, 2010 | access-date = September 16, 2010 | language = Finnish | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100920231529/http://www.oulunkarpat.fi/2009/uutiset.php?uutisid=1270&arkistosivu= | archive-date = September 20, 2010 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> On September 17, Preissing made a successful debut with Astana scoring a goal in a 6–5 overtime loss to Salavat Yulaev Ufa.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.hcbarys.kz/ru/news/view/baryis-salavat-yulaev-5-6-po-bullitam&prev=_t&r | title = Barys 5, UFA 6 | publisher = Barys Astana | date = September 23, 2010 | access-date = October 12, 2010 | language = Russian | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111009035932/http://www.hcbarys.kz/ru/news/view/baryis-salavat-yulaev-5-6-po-bullitam%26prev%3D_t%26r | archive-date = October 9, 2011 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> However, just two days later, in his second game in a 4–1 victory against Metallurg Novokuznetsk, Preissing's tenure in the KHL was cut short when he suffered a serious knee injury. Due to return to Kärpät in November, but with the prospects of being unable to play from the injury, Preissing came to a mutual agreement to terminate his contract on October 11, 2010.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.oulunkarpat.fi/2009/uutiset.php?uutisid=1278&arkistosivu= | title = Tom Preissing contract terminated | publisher = Kärpät | date = October 11, 2010 | access-date = October 12, 2010 | language = Finnish }}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}</ref>
On July 11, 2011, Preissing signed a one-year contract with Swiss team EHC Biel for the 2011–12 season.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://ehcb.ch/de/news/details.php?mel_id=722 | language = German | publisher = ehcb.ch | date = July 11, 2011 | access-date = July 13, 2011 | title = EHCB verpflichtet Tom Preissing | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120711193620/http://ehcb.ch/de/news/details.php?mel_id=722 | archive-date = July 11, 2012 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> In 29 games, Preissing contributed seven points before leaving at year's end to sign with Swedish club Rögle BK of the Elitserien on a one-year contract on July 15, 2012.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.roglebk.se/natmagasinet/visa/1873_ny_nhlmeriterad_back_forstarker_rogle | title = NHL defender reinforces Rögle BK | language = Swedish | publisher = Rögle BK | date = July 15, 2012 | access-date = July 15, 2012 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120729063025/http://www.roglebk.se/natmagasinet/visa/1873_ny_nhlmeriterad_back_forstarker_rogle | archive-date = July 29, 2012 | df = mdy-all }}</ref>
In the 2012–13 season, Priessing offensively produced early with Rögle BK, but with defensive performance below expectations, he was released by Rögle having scored 12 points in 29 games on December 5, 2012.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.roglebk.se/natmagasinet/visa/2067_rogle_bryter_med_backduo | title = Rogle breaks with defense duo | publisher = Rögle BK | date = December 5, 2012 | access-date = December 6, 2012 | language = Swedish | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121209053642/http://www.roglebk.se/natmagasinet/visa/2067_rogle_bryter_med_backduo | archive-date = December 9, 2012 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> On January 14, 2013, Preissing continued his well-traveled European tour, signing for the remainder of the Finnish season with TPS of the SM-liiga.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://hc.tps.fi/uutiset-ajankohtaista-tom_preissing_tpsn_takalinjoille | title = Tom Preissing to TPS Blueline | publisher = TPS | date = January 14, 2013 | access-date = January 14, 2013 | language = Finnish | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130117160441/http://hc.tps.fi/uutiset-ajankohtaista-tom_preissing_tpsn_takalinjoille | archive-date = January 17, 2013 | df = mdy-all }}</ref>
==Career statistics== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em" |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="5" | Regular season ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="5" | Playoffs |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |- | 1993–94 | Rosemount High School | HSMN | | 3 | 11 | 14 | 14 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1994–95 | Rosemount High School | HSMN | | | | | | | | | | |- | 1995–96 | Rosemount High School | HSMN |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1996–97 | Rosemount High School | HSMN | | | | | | | | | | |- | 1997–98 | Green Bay Gamblers | USHL | 56 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 30 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1998–99 | Green Bay Gamblers | USHL | 53 | 18 | 37 | 55 | 40 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 2 |- | 1999–2000 | Colorado College | WCHA | 36 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2000–01 | Colorado College | WCHA | 33 | 6 | 18 | 24 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2001–02 | Colorado College | WCHA | 43 | 6 | 26 | 32 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2002–03 | Colorado College | WCHA | 42 | 23 | 29 | 52 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2003–04 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 69 | 2 | 17 | 19 | 12 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2004–05 | Krefeld Pinguine | DEL | 33 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2005–06 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 74 | 11 | 32 | 43 | 26 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 4 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2006–07 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 80 | 7 | 31 | 38 | 18 | 20 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 10 |- | 2007–08 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 77 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2008–09 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 22 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2008–09 | Manchester Monarchs | AHL | 14 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2009–10 | Lake Erie Monsters | AHL | 49 | 9 | 22 | 31 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2009–10 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2010–11 | Barys Astana | KHL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2011–12 | EHC Biel | NLA | 29 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 2012–13 | Rögle BK | SEL | 29 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2012–13 | TPS | SM-l | 20 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | NHL totals ! 326 ! 31 ! 101 ! 132 ! 78 ! 42 ! 3 ! 12 ! 15 ! 14 |}
==Awards and honors== {| class="wikitable" ! Award ! Year ! |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" | colspan="3" | USHL |- | Defenseman of the Year | 1999 | |- | First All-Star Team | 1999 | |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" | colspan="3" | College |- | All-WCHA Third Team | 2001, 2002 | |- | All-WCHA First Team | 2003 | |- | WCHA Student-Athlete of the Year | 2003 | |- | AHCA West First-Team All-American | 2002–03 | <ref name = "Award"/> |- | WCHA All-Tournament Team | 2003 | <ref name= tournament>{{cite news|title=WCHA Tourney History|url=http://wcha.com/men/tourney/history.php|publisher=WCHA|access-date=2014-06-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702170427/http://www.wcha.com/men/tourney/history.php|archive-date=July 2, 2014|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> |- |}
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== *{{icehockeystats}}
{{s-start}} {{s-ach}} {{succession box|before=Mark Cullen |title=WCHA Student-Athlete of the Year |years=2002–03 |after=Connor James}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Preissing, Tom}} Category:1978 births Category:Living people Category:American men's ice hockey defensemen Category:Barys Astana players Category:Colorado Avalanche players Category:Colorado College Tigers men's ice hockey players Category:EHC Biel players Category:Green Bay Gamblers players Category:HC TPS players Category:Ice hockey players from Illinois Category:Ice hockey players from Minnesota Category:Krefeld Pinguine players Category:Lake Erie Monsters players Category:Los Angeles Kings players Category:Manchester Monarchs (AHL) players Category:Ottawa Senators players Category:Sportspeople from Arlington Heights, Illinois Category:Sportspeople from Eagan, Minnesota Category:Ice hockey people from Dakota County, Minnesota Category:People from Rosemount, Minnesota Category:Rögle BK players Category:San Jose Sharks players Category:Undrafted National Hockey League players Category:AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans Category:American expatriate ice hockey players in Finland