Introduction
David Schlemko (born May 7, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Playing career
Schlemko played junior hockey for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League from 2004 until 2007. He was a member of the Tigers' WHL championship team in 2007. Undrafted, Schlemko was signed as a free agent on July 19, 2007, by the Coyotes to a three-year entry level contract and was assigned to the Central Hockey League's Arizona Sundogs. In 2008, Schlemko was assigned to the San Antonio Rampage. He made his NHL debut with the Coyotes during the 2008–09 season, playing a total of 3 games scoring 1 assist. His first career NHL goal was scored on November 14, 2009, against Marty Turco of the Dallas Stars.
During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, he played 14 games on the Arizona Sundogs of the Central Hockey League (CHL).
In the 2014–15 season, on January 3, 2015, he was claimed off waivers by the Dallas Stars. Schlemko played in 5 scoreless games with the Stars as a reserve defenseman before he was again placed and claimed off waivers by the Calgary Flames on March 1, 2015.
As a free agent on September 10, 2015, Schlemko joined his fourth organization within a year in signing a one-year contract with the New Jersey Devils. As a late free-agent addition to the Devils, Schlemko surprised in the 2015–16 season, to solidify his role on the blueline and record a career-high 6 goals and 19 points in 67 games.
On July 1, 2016, Schlemko was rewarded from his tenure with the Devils in signing a four-year contract as a free agent with the San Jose Sharks.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2004–05 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 65 | 5 | 24 | 29 | 23 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | ||
| 2005–06 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 69 | 9 | 35 | 44 | 44 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 15 | ||
| 2006–07 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | 64 | 8 | 50 | 58 | 78 | 23 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 12 | ||
| 2007–08 | Arizona Sundogs | CHL | 58 | 10 | 29 | 39 | 24 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | ||
| 2007–08 | San Antonio Rampage | AHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | San Antonio Rampage | AHL | 68 | 7 | 22 | 29 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | San Antonio Rampage | AHL | 55 | 5 | 26 | 31 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 17 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 43 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2010–11 | San Antonio Rampage | AHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 46 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | Arizona Sundogs | CHL | 14 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 30 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 48 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 20 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Portland Pirates | AHL | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2015–16 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 67 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 298 | 15 | 54 | 69 | 100 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | ||||