Alexander Salák facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alexander Salák |
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| Born | January 5, 1987 Strakonice, Czechoslovakia |
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| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
| Weight | 196 lb (89 kg; 14 st 0 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Catches | Left | ||
| team Former teams |
Free Agent TPS Turku Florida Panthers Färjestad BK SKA Saint Petersburg Sibir Novosibirsk Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Dinamo Riga HC Sparta Praha Djurgårdens IF |
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| National team |  Czech Republic |
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| NHL Draft | Undrafted | ||
| Playing career | 2004–present | ||
Alexander Salák (born January 5, 1987) is a professional ice hockey player from the Czech Republic. He is a goaltender, which means he protects the net. Currently, he is a free agent, looking for a new team. He last played for Djurgårdens IF in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).
Salák also played two games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Florida Panthers in 2009. He has represented his home country, the Czech national team, in three World Championships. He also played for Czechia at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Contents
Playing Career: Alexander Salák's Journey in Hockey
Alexander Salák began his hockey journey in the Czech Republic. He started with IHC Pisek. Later, he joined the HC České Budějovice organization in the 2001-2002 season.
Early Years in Czechia
From 2002 to 2006, Salák played for Budějovice. He competed in their U18 and U20 Championship leagues. During the 2005-2006 season, he played two games for HC Strakonice. This team was in the Czech Second National League. The next season, Salák played the whole year for HC Tábor at the same level.
Playing in Finland
In 2006, Alexander Salák moved to Finland. He joined Jokipojat, a team in the Mestis league. This was the second-highest level of ice hockey in Finland. For the next season, he signed with SM-liiga team TPS. At TPS, Salák was coached by Urpo Ylönen. Ylönen is a famous coach who has trained many top Finnish goalies. Some of these goalies include Miikka Kiprusoff and Antero Niittymäki.
Time in the National Hockey League (NHL)
On May 29, 2009, Alexander Salák signed with the Florida Panthers of the NHL. After training camp, he was sent to their minor league team, the Rochester Americans. He was called up by the Panthers and played his first NHL game on October 9, 2009. This game was against the Carolina Hurricanes.
On August 13, 2010, Salák was loaned to Färjestad BK in Sweden for the 2010-2011 season. Later, on February 9, 2011, the Panthers traded Salák to the Chicago Blackhawks. He was traded along with Michael Frolík for three other players. On May 31, 2011, the Blackhawks signed Salák to a two-year contract. However, on June 18, 2012, the Blackhawks released him from his contract.
Playing in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL)
After his time in the NHL, Alexander Salák moved to the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He made his KHL debut playing for SKA Saint Petersburg during the 2013-2014 KHL season. He continued to play for various teams in the KHL for several years.
See also
In Spanish: Alexander Salák para niños
