Tomas Plekanec
Encyclopedia
Tomas Plekanec is a Czech
professional ice hockey
centre
currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). After beginning his career for HC Kladno
of the Czech Extraliga
, he was selected 71st overall by the Canadiens in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft
. Moving to North America in 2002, he played three seasons for the Canadiens' American Hockey League
(AHL) affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs
, before joining the NHL club full-time for the 2005–06 campaign.
in his native Czech Republic with the HC Kladno
organization. He debuted with club's senior team in 1998–99, appearing in three Czech Extraliga
games. Two years later, he joined the senior team full-time, recording 42 points over 53 games. In the off-season, Plekanec was selected by the Montreal Canadiens
71st overall in the 3rd round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft
. Remaining in the Czech Extraliga for a second full season, he scored 30 points over 43 games in 2001–02.
Plekanec came to North America
to begin playing in the Canadiens' system in 2002–03
. Assigned to the club's minor league affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs
of the American Hockey League
(AHL), he recorded 46 points over 77 games. Improving to 66 points with Hamilton in 2003–04
, he also made his National Hockey League
(NHL) debut that season, playing in two games. Due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Plekanec automatically remained in Hamilton for a third AHL season and recorded 64 points over 80 games.
In 2005–06, Plekanec became a fixture in the Canadiens' lineup, scoring 29 points in his NHL rookie campaign. He improved to 47 points the next season in 2006–07 and notched his first 20-goal effort. On February 29, 2008, Plekanec recorded his first NHL hat trick
in a 6–2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres
. He completed the 2007–08 season with 29 goals and 69 points. Plekanec received a two-game suspension on February 12, 2009, for a slewfoot on Edmonton Oilers
defenceman Denis Grebeshkov
during a game the previous day. Grebeshkov suffered a high ankle sprain on the play. He finished with a decreased 39 points in 2008–09
, but still managed to notch 20 goals.
In the summer of 2009, he re-signed with the Canadiens to a one-year contract worth $2.75 million. That season, he recorded a career-high 45 assists and 70 points. Set to become a free agent, he re-signed once more with the Canadiens on June 22, 2010, agreeing to a six-year contract, worth $30 million. He scored 22 goals during the 2010-11 NHL season.
, where he contributed 2 points in 6 games. He then helped the Czechs to a gold medal at the 2001 World Junior Championships
with 2 points in 7 games. He made his second consecutive World Junior appearance in 2002
and improved to 7 points in 7 games.
After his first NHL season, Plekanec competed in the 2006 World Championships
, where the Czech Republic captured a silver medal in Latvia
. Plekanec scored the Czech's first goal in the semi-final, helping the team defeat Finland 3–1. He went on to make his second and third consecutive World Championships appearances in 2007
and 2008
. He was member of bronze medal Czech team on 2011 World Championships.
On December 31, 2009, Plekanec was named to the Czech team for the 2010 Winter Olympics
in Vancouver
. He recorded 3 points in 5 games as the Czech Republic were defeated in the quarter-final by Finland.
Plekanec has also competed for the Czech national inline hockey team.
Personal
Pleckanec's girlfriend is famous Czech singer/actress Lucie Vondrackova. He had a small Poodle growing up named Peggy.
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...
centre
Centre (ice hockey)
The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...
currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
of the 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). After beginning his career for HC Kladno
HC Kladno
Rytíři Kladno is a Czech professional ice hockey team based in the city of Kladno. They are currently a member of the Czech Extraliga, the top flight level of ice hockey in the Czech Republic....
of 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....
, he was selected 71st overall by the Canadiens in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft
2001 NHL Entry Draft
The 2001 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 23–24, 2001 at the National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, Florida.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:...
. Moving to North America in 2002, he played three seasons for the Canadiens' American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
(AHL) affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs
Hamilton Bulldogs
The Hamilton Bulldogs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, at Copps Coliseum, nicknamed 'The Dog Pound'. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens...
, before joining the NHL club full-time for the 2005–06 campaign.
Playing career
Plekanec played juniorJunior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
in his native Czech Republic with the HC Kladno
HC Kladno
Rytíři Kladno is a Czech professional ice hockey team based in the city of Kladno. They are currently a member of the Czech Extraliga, the top flight level of ice hockey in the Czech Republic....
organization. He debuted with club's senior team in 1998–99, appearing in three 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....
games. Two years later, he joined the senior team full-time, recording 42 points over 53 games. In the off-season, Plekanec was selected by the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
71st overall in the 3rd round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft
2001 NHL Entry Draft
The 2001 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 23–24, 2001 at the National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, Florida.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:...
. Remaining in the Czech Extraliga for a second full season, he scored 30 points over 43 games in 2001–02.
Plekanec came to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
to begin playing in the Canadiens' system in 2002–03
2002–03 AHL season
The 2002–03 AHL season was the 67th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs finished first overall in the regular season...
. Assigned to the club's minor league affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs
Hamilton Bulldogs
The Hamilton Bulldogs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, at Copps Coliseum, nicknamed 'The Dog Pound'. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens...
of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
(AHL), he recorded 46 points over 77 games. Improving to 66 points with Hamilton in 2003–04
2003–04 AHL season
The 2003–04 AHL season was the 68th season of the American Hockey League. The league introduces the Willie Marshall Award in honour the career points leader in the AHL, and awards it to the annual top goal scorer....
, he also made his 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) debut that season, playing in two games. Due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Plekanec automatically remained in Hamilton for a third AHL season and recorded 64 points over 80 games.
In 2005–06, Plekanec became a fixture in the Canadiens' lineup, scoring 29 points in his NHL rookie campaign. He improved to 47 points the next season in 2006–07 and notched his first 20-goal effort. On February 29, 2008, Plekanec recorded his first NHL hat trick
Hat Trick
Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...
in a 6–2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
. He completed the 2007–08 season with 29 goals and 69 points. Plekanec received a two-game suspension on February 12, 2009, for a slewfoot on Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
defenceman Denis Grebeshkov
Denis Grebeshkov
Denis Sergeyevich Grebeshkov is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing in the Kontinental Hockey League . He last played for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
during a game the previous day. Grebeshkov suffered a high ankle sprain on the play. He finished with a decreased 39 points in 2008–09
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
, but still managed to notch 20 goals.
In the summer of 2009, he re-signed with the Canadiens to a one-year contract worth $2.75 million. That season, he recorded a career-high 45 assists and 70 points. Set to become a free agent, he re-signed once more with the Canadiens on June 22, 2010, agreeing to a six-year contract, worth $30 million. He scored 22 goals during the 2010-11 NHL season.
International play
Plekanec played in three junior international tournaments with the Czech Republic. He was named to the under-18 team at the 2000 IIHF World U18 Championships2000 IIHF World U18 Championships
-Quarterfinals:-Semifinals:-Fifth place game:-Bronze medal game:-Gold medal game:-Final standings: is relegated to Division I for the 2001 IIHF World U18 Championships.-Scoring leaders:-Goaltending leaders:...
, where he contributed 2 points in 6 games. He then helped the Czechs to a gold medal at the 2001 World Junior Championships
2001 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
-Group B:All times local .-Relegation round: was relegated to Division I for the 2002 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.-Final round:† Overtime victory.-Quarterfinals:January 2-Consolation round:...
with 2 points in 7 games. He made his second consecutive World Junior appearance in 2002
2002 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2002 IIHF World U20 Championship, commonly referred as the 2002 World Junior Hockey Championships , was the 26th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships...
and improved to 7 points in 7 games.
After his first NHL season, Plekanec competed in the 2006 World Championships
2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
The 2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships was the 70th such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Teams representing 45 countries participated in four levels of competition. The competition also served as qualifications for the 2007 competition...
, where the Czech Republic captured a silver medal in Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
. Plekanec scored the Czech's first goal in the semi-final, helping the team defeat Finland 3–1. He went on to make his second and third consecutive World Championships appearances in 2007
2007 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
-Championship:Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2008# — relegated to Division I for 2008- Group A :Final standings# — promoted to Championship for 2008# # # #...
and 2008
2008 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
The 2008 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships was the 72nd such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Teams representing 48 countries will participate in four levels of competition. The competition will also serve as qualifications for the 2009 competition...
. He was member of bronze medal Czech team on 2011 World Championships.
On December 31, 2009, Plekanec was named to the Czech team for the 2010 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics was held at Canada Hockey Place, home of the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks, and at UBC Winter Sports Centre, home of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport's UBC Thunderbirds. Twelve teams competed in the men's event and eight teams competed in the...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. He recorded 3 points in 5 games as the Czech Republic were defeated in the quarter-final by Finland.
Plekanec has also competed for the Czech national inline hockey team.
Personal
Pleckanec's girlfriend is famous Czech singer/actress Lucie Vondrackova. He had a small Poodle growing up named Peggy.
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... | A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... | Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... | PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1998–99 | HC Kladno HC Kladno Rytíři Kladno is a Czech professional ice hockey team based in the city of Kladno. They are currently a member of the Czech Extraliga, the top flight level of ice hockey in the Czech Republic.... |
Czech 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.... |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | HC Kladno | Czech | 47 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | HC Kladno | Czech | 48 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 2002–03 AHL season The 2002–03 AHL season was the 67th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs finished first overall in the regular season... |
Hamilton Bulldogs Hamilton Bulldogs The Hamilton Bulldogs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, at Copps Coliseum, nicknamed 'The Dog Pound'. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
77 | 19 | 27 | 46 | 74 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | ||
| 2003–04 2003–04 AHL season The 2003–04 AHL season was the 68th season of the American Hockey League. The league introduces the Willie Marshall Award in honour the career points leader in the AHL, and awards it to the annual top goal scorer.... |
Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 74 | 23 | 43 | 66 | 90 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 6 | ||
| 2003–04 | Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
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... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 2004–05 AHL season The 2004–05 AHL season was the 69th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished first overall in the regular season... |
Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 80 | 29 | 35 | 64 | 68 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | ||
| 2005–06 2005–06 AHL season The 2005–06 AHL season was the 70th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup, defeating the Milwaukee Admirals in the finals.... |
Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 67 | 9 | 20 | 29 | 32 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 2006–07 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 81 | 20 | 27 | 47 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 81 | 29 | 40 | 69 | 38 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 2 | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 80 | 20 | 19 | 39 | 54 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 82 | 25 | 45 | 70 | 50 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 20 | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 77 | 22 | 35 | 57 | 60 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | ||
| NHL totals | 470 | 125 | 186 | 311 | 274 | 47 | 10 | 19 | 29 | 34 | ||||
International
| Year | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 2000 IIHF World U18 Championships -Quarterfinals:-Semifinals:-Fifth place game:-Bronze medal game:-Gold medal game:-Final standings: is relegated to Division I for the 2001 IIHF World U18 Championships.-Scoring leaders:-Goaltending leaders:... |
U18 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2001 2001 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships -Group B:All times local .-Relegation round: was relegated to Division I for the 2002 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.-Final round:† Overtime victory.-Quarterfinals:January 2-Consolation round:... |
WJC | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | |
| 2002 2002 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 2002 IIHF World U20 Championship, commonly referred as the 2002 World Junior Hockey Championships , was the 26th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships... |
WJC | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2006 2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships The 2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships was the 70th such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Teams representing 45 countries participated in four levels of competition. The competition also served as qualifications for the 2007 competition... |
WC Ice Hockey World Championships The 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... |
9 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 20 | |
| 2007 2007 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -Championship:Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2008# — relegated to Division I for 2008- Group A :Final standings# — promoted to Championship for 2008# # # #... |
WC | 7 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2008 2008 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships The 2008 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships was the 72nd such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Teams representing 48 countries will participate in four levels of competition. The competition will also serve as qualifications for the 2009 competition... |
WC | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2009 2009 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships The 2009 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships was the 73rd such event hosted by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Teams representing 46 countries participated in four levels of competition. The competition also served as qualifications for the 2010 competition... |
WC | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2010 Ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics was held at Canada Hockey Place, home of the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks, and at UBC Winter Sports Centre, home of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport's UBC Thunderbirds. Twelve teams competed in the men's event and eight teams competed in the... |
Oly Ice hockey at the Olympic Games Ice hockey tournaments have been staged at the Olympic Games since 1920. The men's tournament was introduced at the 1920 Summer Olympics and was transferred permanently to the Winter Olympic Games programme in 1924. The women's tournament was first held at the 1998 Winter Olympics... |
5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2011 2011 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships The 2011 IIHF World Championship was the 75th IIHF World Championship, an annual international ice hockey tournament. It took place between the 29 April and the 15 May 2011 in Slovakia. The games were played in the Orange Arena in Bratislava, and the Steel Aréna in Košice... |
WC | 8 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 6 | |
| Senior int'l totals | 40 | 15 | 13 | 28 | 36 | ||