Martin Straka

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Position	Forward
Shoots	Left
Nickname	Straks
Height Weight	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 180 lb (82 kg)
NHL Team F. Teams	New York Rangers Pittsburgh Penguins Ottawa Senators New York Islanders Florida Panthers Los Angeles Kings
Nationality	Czech Republic
Born	September 3, 1972, Plzen, CS
NHL Draft	19th overall, 1992 Pittsburgh Penguins
Pro Career	1989 – present

Martin Straka (born September 3, 1972 in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech ice hockey centre who currently plays for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League.

Straka was drafted 19th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, and has played for several teams throughout his 13 year NHL career. After falling out of favor with Pittsburgh management, he was traded to the Ottawa Senators on April 7th, 1995 for Norm McIver and Troy Murray. The following season, on January 23rd, 1996, less than a year after being traded to Ottawa, he was traded again. Straka, along with Don Beaupre and former #1 overall pick Bryan Berard was traded to the New York Islanders for Damian Rhodes and Wade Redden. He would be placed on waivers and claimed by the Florida Panthers on March 15th, 1996. Florida would not re-sign Straka after the 1995-96 season, which made him an unrestricted free agent. He would later return to the Pittsburgh Penguins on August 6th, 1997. On November 30th, 2003, in a cost-cutting move, the Penguins would deal Straka to the Los Angeles Kings for Russian prospect Sergei Anshakov and defenseman Martin Skrbak. Straka would later sign as a free agent by the Rangers on August 2, 2005. On January 17, 2007, despite reports that he was considering retirement, Straka signed a contract extension through the 2007-08 season.

He was a part of the gold winning olympic team at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. He also won gold in the 2005 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships in Vienna.

[edit] Career Statistics

			Regular Season					Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1990-91	Plzen Skoda	Czech	47	7	24	31	6
1992-93	Cleveland Lumberjacks	IHL	4	4	3	7	0
1992-93	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL	42	3	13	16	29	11	2	1	3	2
1993-94	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL	84	30	34	64	24	6	1	0	1	2
1994-95	Plzen HC	Czech	19	10	11	21	0
1994-95	Ottawa Senators	NHL	6	1	1	2	0	--	--	--	--	--
1995-96	Ottawa Senators	NHL	43	9	16	25	29	--	--	--	--	--
1995-96	New York Islanders	NHL	22	2	10	12	6	--	--	--	--	--
1995-96	Florida Panthers	NHL	12	2	4	6	6	13	2	2	4	2
1996-97	Florida Panthers	NHL	55	7	22	29	12	4	0	0	0	0
1997-98	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL	75	19	23	42	28	6	2	0	2	2
1998-99	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL	80	35	48	83	26	13	6	9	15	6
1999-00	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL	71	20	39	59	26	11	3	9	12	10
2000-01	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL	82	27	68	95	38	18	5	8	13	8
2001-02	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL	13	5	4	9	0	--	--	--	--	--
2002-03	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL	60	18	28	46	12	--	--	--	--	--
2003-04	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL	22	4	8	12	16	--	--	--	--	--
2003-04	Los Angeles Kings	NHL	32	6	8	14	4	--	--	--	--	--
2004-05	Plzen HC	Czech	45	16	18	34	76	--	--	--	--	--
2005-06	New York Rangers	NHL	82	22	54	76	42	4	0	0	0	2
2006-07	New York Rangers	NHL	52	24	33	57	22
NHL Totals			864	238	425	663	336	86	21	29	50	34