| Zbyněk Michálek | |
|---|---|
| Born | 23 December 1982 Jindřichův Hradec, Czechoslovakia |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 209 lb (95 kg; 14 st 13 lb) |
| Position | Defence |
| Shoots | Right |
| NHL team Former teams |
Pittsburgh Penguins Phoenix Coyotes Minnesota Wild |
| National team | Czech Republic |
| NHL Draft | undrafted |
| Playing career | 2002–present |
Zbyněk Michálek (born 23 December 1982) is a Czech professional ice hockey player for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Contents |
Michálek played on the 2010 Czech Republic Olympic Hockey Team along with his brother Milan. He was also selected to represent the Czech Republic at the 2011 IIHF World Championship where he won bronze alongside his brother.
Michálek played two seasons of junior ice hockey for Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL. He was not drafted in the NHL Entry Draft, but began playing professional hockey in 2002 with the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League. He made his NHL debut during the 2003–04 season with the Minnesota Wild, the Aeros NHL affiliate. In 2005, Michálek was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes for Erik Westrum and Dustin Wood. He played five seasons for Phoenix, leading the league in blocked shots during the 2008–09 season. His excellent play continued into 2010 as he helped the Coyotes earn a playoff berth for the first time since 2002.[1]
However, he was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2010. In anticipation, he was described as "The Defenseman Every Team Wants" by AOL Fanhouse, due to his strong defensive skills, durability and shot-blocking.[2] On July 1, 2010, Michálek signed a 5 year, $20 million contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins.[3]
Michalek scored his first goal for the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on March 8th 2011. [4]
Michálek is married to Helena and has one son, Andreas,[5] who was born June 23, 2009.[6] His younger brother Milan plays for the Ottawa Senators.
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2000–01 | Shawinigan Cataractes | QMJHL | 69 | 10 | 29 | 39 | 52 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2001–02 | Shawinigan Cataractes | QMJHL | 68 | 16 | 35 | 51 | 54 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 10 | ||
| 2002–03 | Houston Aeros | AHL | 62 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 26 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 2003–04 | Houston Aeros | AHL | 55 | 5 | 16 | 21 | 32 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2003–04 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 22 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | Houston Aeros | AHL | 76 | 7 | 17 | 24 | 48 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 2005–06 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 82 | 9 | 15 | 24 | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 82 | 4 | 24 | 28 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 75 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 82 | 6 | 21 | 27 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 72 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 30 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2010–11 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 73 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 30 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| NHL totals | 488 | 32 | 102 | 134 | 222 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ||||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Competitor for Czech Republic | ||
| World Championships | ||
| Silver | 2006 Riga | Ice hockey |
| Bronze | 2011 Bratislava | Ice hockey |
Played for the Czech Republic in:
| Year | Team | Comp | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Czech Republic | WC | 9 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| 2007 | Czech Republic | WC | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2008 | Czech Republic | WC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2010 | Czech Republic | Oly | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |