Mike Komisarek (born January 19, 1982 in West Islip,
New York) is a professional ice hockey player of
Polish descent hailing from Long Island. He
currently plays as a defenseman for the Montreal
Canadiens of the National Hockey League.
Mike Komisarek is of Polish descent. His father,
Roman, was 24 when he moved to the U.S., where he
eventually opened an auto-body repair shop on Long
Island. Roman left his wife Kathy behind in Poland
until he could earn enough to afford an apartment
and support her. Speaking of his parents' move to
the U.S., Komisarek stated that "At that time, my
parents knew they wanted to start a family and give
me and my sister a better opportunity. (My father)
moved to Brooklyn, found a job and didn't know the
language at all. He just had the clothes on his
back. Now, we have a nice home on Long Island, and
my parents provided everything we ever needed. I
always carried that with me. I always wanted to make
them proud." Mike Komisarek also has a sister named
Joanne, who is two years younger than he is. His
sister is a graduate of Boston College. He also
speaks Polish.
His mother, Kathy was diagnosed with pancreatic
cancer in January 2005 and she passed away in
November 2005. She was 51.
