Roman Turek
Encyclopedia
Roman Turek is a retired Czech
professional ice hockey
goaltender
who played for the Dallas Stars
, St. Louis Blues
, and Calgary Flames
in a 9-year National Hockey League
(NHL) career. He last played in the Czech Extraliga
for HC České Budějovice
.
Drafted 113th overall by the Minnesota North Stars
in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, he moved with them to Dallas where he played as the backup to Ed Belfour
. He won a Stanley Cup
in this role in 1999. Despite his backup role, he achieved international glory with the Czech Republic
team, backstopping them to a gold medal at the 1996 World Championships. In this year he played in Germany for the Nuremberg Ice Tigers.
He was traded to the St. Louis Blues
in the 1999 off-season, and finally got his chance to shine as he topped the league with seven shutouts and won the William M. Jennings Trophy
in his first season. He helped the Blues to the President's Trophy that year and the Blues entered the playoffs with high expectations but were ousted in seven games by the eighth-seeded San Jose Sharks
, some aggravated Blues fans pinning responsibility on Turek because of some soft goals he allowed, including one in Game Seven that was fired from center ice by Sharks captain Owen Nolan
. However, he played a second season with the Blues while being challenged for the #1 position by backup Brent Johnson
. He put up good numbers again, this time helping the Blues reach the playoffs as the #4 seed where they faced off again in the first round against the Sharks. This time Turek helped the Blues beat the Sharks in six games and then helped them sweep the Stars, his former team, in the second round. However, in the third round against the Colorado Avalanche
soft goals plagued him again (including one scored after an attempt to scoop the puck into his glove with his stick) and again in some fan circles bore the brunt of the blame for the Blues' third round 4-1 ouster. In the off season Turek was traded to the Calgary Flames
.
In the 2003–04 season, Roman's status as the Flames number 1 goaltender was altered drastically when Darryl Sutter
traded a conditional draft pick for Miikka Kiprusoff
, whose stellar performances relegated Turek to the bench. However, Turek was a dependable backup, as Kiprusoff led the Flames to the 2004 Stanley Cup
finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning
.
In 2004, Turek restructured his contract to substantially drop his salary from $5 million plus bonuses for the 2004–05 and 2005–06 seasons. The restructuring brought his salary to between $1 million and $2 million, with potential earnings relying heavily on performance bonuses. The restructuring saved the Calgary Flames organization between $3 million and $4 million in 2004.
Turek announced his retirement from the NHL on August 9, 2005.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
who played for the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
, St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
, and Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
in a 9-year National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) career. He last played in the Czech Extraliga
Czech Extraliga
The Czech Extraliga is the highest-level ice hockey league in the Czech Republic. As of 2009, it is ranked by the IIHF as the third strongest league in Europe....
for HC České Budějovice
HC Ceské Budejovice
HC Mountfield České Budějovice are a professional men's ice hockey club, based in České Budějovice in the Czech Republic. The club plays home games at Budvar Arena, and are members of the Czech Extraliga...
.
Playing career
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, he moved with them to Dallas where he played as the backup to Ed Belfour
Ed Belfour
Edward John Belfour is a former Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender.Belfour was born in Carman, Manitoba and grew up playing hockey. He played junior hockey for the Winkler Flyers before going to the University of North Dakota where he helped the school win the NCAA championship in the...
. He won a Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
in this role in 1999. Despite his backup role, he achieved international glory with the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
team, backstopping them to a gold medal at the 1996 World Championships. In this year he played in Germany for the Nuremberg Ice Tigers.
He was traded to the St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
in the 1999 off-season, and finally got his chance to shine as he topped the league with seven shutouts and won the William M. Jennings Trophy
William M. Jennings Trophy
The William M. Jennings Trophy is an annual National Hockey League award given to "the goalkeeper having played a minimum of 25 games for the team with the fewest goals scored against it. Winners are selected based on regular-season play." From 1946 until 1981, the Vezina Trophy had been awarded...
in his first season. He helped the Blues to the President's Trophy that year and the Blues entered the playoffs with high expectations but were ousted in seven games by the eighth-seeded San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, some aggravated Blues fans pinning responsibility on Turek because of some soft goals he allowed, including one in Game Seven that was fired from center ice by Sharks captain Owen Nolan
Owen Nolan
Owen Liam Nolan is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, who is currently a free agent. He has played in the National Hockey League for the Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Phoenix Coyotes, Calgary Flames and the Minnesota Wild before signing with...
. However, he played a second season with the Blues while being challenged for the #1 position by backup Brent Johnson
Brent Johnson
Brent Johnson is an American professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :...
. He put up good numbers again, this time helping the Blues reach the playoffs as the #4 seed where they faced off again in the first round against the Sharks. This time Turek helped the Blues beat the Sharks in six games and then helped them sweep the Stars, his former team, in the second round. However, in the third round against the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
soft goals plagued him again (including one scored after an attempt to scoop the puck into his glove with his stick) and again in some fan circles bore the brunt of the blame for the Blues' third round 4-1 ouster. In the off season Turek was traded to the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
.
In the 2003–04 season, Roman's status as the Flames number 1 goaltender was altered drastically when Darryl Sutter
Darryl Sutter
Darryl John Sutter is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward and coach, and former general manager of the Calgary Flames in the National Hockey League...
traded a conditional draft pick for Miikka Kiprusoff
Miikka Kiprusoff
Miikka Sakari Kiprusoff is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . He was selected in the fifth round, 116th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He has also played for TPS of the Finnish SM-liiga...
, whose stellar performances relegated Turek to the bench. However, Turek was a dependable backup, as Kiprusoff led the Flames to the 2004 Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
.
In 2004, Turek restructured his contract to substantially drop his salary from $5 million plus bonuses for the 2004–05 and 2005–06 seasons. The restructuring brought his salary to between $1 million and $2 million, with potential earnings relying heavily on performance bonuses. The restructuring saved the Calgary Flames organization between $3 million and $4 million in 2004.
Turek announced his retirement from the NHL on August 9, 2005.
Trivia
- Turek's masks all featured Iron MaidenIron MaidenIron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
mascot "Eddie the HeadEddie the HeadEddie, also known as Eddie The Head, is the mascot for the British heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. He is a perennial fixture of the group's artwork, appearing in all of their record covers and in their merchandise, which includes t-shirts, posters and action figures...
". The artwork was done by Ray Bishop of Bishop Custom Designs.
Regular season
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | Dallas Stars Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 263 | 9 | 0 | 2.05 |
| 1997–98 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 23 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 1323 | 49 | 1 | 2.22 |
| 1998–99 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 26 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 1381 | 48 | 1 | 2.08 |
| 1999–2000 | St. Louis Blues St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade... |
NHL | 67 | 42 | 15 | 9 | 3960 | 129 | 7 | 1.95 |
| 2000–01 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 54 | 24 | 18 | 10 | 3232 | 123 | 6 | 2.28 |
| 2001–02 | Calgary Flames Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the... |
NHL | 69 | 30 | 28 | 11 | 4081 | 172 | 5 | 2.53 |
| 2002–03 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 65 | 27 | 29 | 9 | 3821 | 164 | 4 | 2.57 |
| 2003–04 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 18 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 1301 | 40 | 3 | 2.33 |
| NHL totals | 328 | 159 | 115 | 43 | 19094 | 734 | 27 | 2.31 | ||
Post-season
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 414 | 19 | 0 | 2.75 |
| 2000–01 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 14 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 908 | 31 | 0 | 2.05 |
| 2003–04 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| NHL totals | 22 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 1342 | 50 | 0 | 2.23 | ||
Awards
- 1995 World Championships All-Star Team
- 1996 World Championships All-Star Team
- 1996 World Championships Best Goaltender
- 1999 William M. Jennings TrophyWilliam M. Jennings TrophyThe William M. Jennings Trophy is an annual National Hockey League award given to "the goalkeeper having played a minimum of 25 games for the team with the fewest goals scored against it. Winners are selected based on regular-season play." From 1946 until 1981, the Vezina Trophy had been awarded...
- 2000 William M. Jennings Trophy
International play
- 1994 Played for Czech Republic at 1994 Winter Olympics1994 Winter OlympicsThe 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
- 1994 Played for Czech Republic at World ChampionshipsIce Hockey World ChampionshipsThe Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...
- 1996 Won gold medal for Czech Republic at World Championships
- 1996 Played for Czech Republic at World Cup of HockeyWorld Cup of HockeyThe World Cup of Hockey is an international ice hockey tournament. Inaugurated in 1996, it is the successor to the previous Canada Cup, which ran from 1976 to 1991...