Former Hershey Bear Marek Svatos Dead at 34

Former Bear Marek Svatos scores on Marc-Andre Fleury of Wilkes-Barre in 2005. (Photo via 7641 Sports)

Former Hershey Bears player Marek Svatos has died according to the IIHF. The Slovakia native was only 34 years old.

Svatos spent two seasons in Hershey, playing for Mike Foligno in 2002-03 and Paul Fixter in 2004-05. He started his professional career with the Bears in 2002, scoring 13 points in 30 games that season.

After spending the next season with Colorado, only playing four regular-season games and 11 postseason games for the Avs, Svatos returned to Chocolate Town during the NHL lockout. He played 72 games for Hershey that season, posting 18 goals and 46 points.

Svatos would spend another five seasons with Colorado, with his seventh and final season in the NHL coming with Ottawa and Nashville. In seven seasons in the NHL, Svatos would play 344 games with 100 goals and 172 points.

In 2006 he represented Slovakia at Olympics.

Svatos is survived by his wife and two children.