Jiří Hudler

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Position	Center
Shoots	Left
Height Weight	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 178 lb (81 kg)
NHL Team	Detroit Red Wings
Nationality	Czech Republic
Born	January 4, 1984, Olomouc, CZE
NHL Draft	58th overall, 2002 Detroit Red Wings
Pro Career	2003 – present

Jiří Hudler (born January 4, 1984 in Olomouc, Czech Republic) is an ice hockey player and current member of the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings drafted him with their first pick (58th overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

Hudler spent his youth in the top Czech Extraliga league with Vsetin HC. His NHL debut came during the 2003-2004 season, splitting his time between Detroit and their top minor league affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League. Hudler gained more experience with the Griffins during the 2004-05 NHL lockout, while also playing a handful of games in his native Czech Republic. He returned to Grand Rapids for the 2005-2006 season, where in 76 games he had 36 goals and 60 assists, good for a team-leading 96 points. Hudler also had 6 goals and 16 assists (22 points) in 16 playoff games. Following his breakout year, Hudler earned a regular spot in the Wings lineup for the 2006-2007 season.

[edit] Trivia

Listed at 5'9" and 178 pounds, Hudler is both the shortest and lightest player on the Red Wings.
His 60 assists in 2005-2006 is a Grand Rapids Griffins team record.
Hudler was the Red Wings' first pick of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, as they did not have a 1st round pick. That pick had been traded, along with forward Vyacheslav Kozlov, to the Buffalo Sabres for goaltender Dominik Hašek in the summer of 2001. Hudler's draft slot originally belonged to the Carolina Hurricanes, but was acquired by the Wings in exchange for defenseman Aaron Ward prior to the 2001-2002 season.