Victor Oreskovich, 2000-2009, Alumni (Oakville Rangers Hockey Club)

PrintAlumni Details
Victor Oreskovich
Victor Oreskovich Photo
Participated: 1992-2001

Victor Oreskovich played minor hockey with the Oakville Rangers, winning two provincial rep championships with the club. Following minor, Oreskovich was drafted in the 6th round by the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), but he joined the Junior A ranks to maintain his eligibility for college hockey in the United States. He played the 2002/03 season with the Milton Icehawks of the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League (OPJHL), before joining the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) the following year. He recorded 37 points in 58 games and was named to the 2004 USHL All-Star Game. Following his season with the Gamblers, Oreskovich was selected in the second round, 55th overall, of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche.

Recruited to play college hockey with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association  (CCHA), Oreskovich joined the club following his draft on a $42,000 annual scholarship. He struggled in his freshman year, recording three points in 37 games. With aspirations to turn professional sooner, he left Notre Dame nine games into his sophomore year to join the OHL, where his major junior rights had been traded on November 24, 2005, from Windsor to the Kitchener Rangers. In December 2005, he debuted with the Rangers, scoring goals in his first three games He went on to record 16 points over 19 games for the remainder of the 2005/06 season.

Oreskovich attended the Avalanche's training camp for the 2006/07, where he was among the first cuts re-assigned back to junior. Returning to the Rangers for a second season, he finished second in team scoring with 28 goals and 60 points in 62 games. In July 2007, Oreskovich was sighed to a two-year entry level contract by the Colorado Avalanche. In the 2007/08 training camp, he was assigned to the Lake Erie Monsters, Colorado’s AHL affiliate. He did not report to the Monsters, citing burnout and lost drive, and announced his retirement. After two years, he earned a try-out with the Florida Panthers for the 2009/10 season. He signed a two-year contract with the Panthers, playing with their affiliate, the Rochester Americans. In less than a month, he was called up to the NHL. He scored his first NHL goal against the LA Kings. Oreskovich split his career between the Panthers (scoring six points in over 50 games) and the Americans (scoring 15 points over 34 games).

During the 2010 NHL draft, he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks. Following pre-season, he was assigned to their affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. He was recalled in February after being sidelined for 15 games with a shoulder injury. He spent the remainder of the season between the Canucks and the Moose, recording three assists in over 16 NHL games, and 12 points over 40 AHL games. The remainder of the 2011 playoffs was spent with the Canucks. Oreskovich became a restricted free agent on July 1, 2011. Without arbitration rights (due to his lack of experience in the league), negotiations with Vancouver continued through the summer; media speculated Oreskovich was demanding either a one-way or a multi-year deal. As training camp neared, Oreskovich agreed on a one-year, two-way contract worth $605,000 in the NHL and $105,000 in the minors. During the off-season, the Canucks chose not to re-sign bottom-six forwards Raffi Torres and Tanner Glass, seemingly increasing Oreskovich's chances to remain with the team. However, prior to the start of the season, he was waived by Vancouver after the team picked up fourth-line winger Dale Weise from the New York Rangers. After clearing waivers, he was assigned to the Canucks' new AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves on October 5, 2011. Returning to the AHL, he suffered a concussion that sidelined him for several games. Following his recovery, he was called up to the Canucks on December 5, 2011, to replace injured winger Christopher Higgins. He appeared in one game during the call-up before being sent back down. Oreskovich is currently retired from the game.

If you see anything incorrect or missing from this page, please click here to let us know.