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 is a professional ice hockey goalie from the Czech Republic. He was born on January 5, 1987. He recently 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 proudly represented his country, the Czech Republic, in three World Championships and at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
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Alexander Salák's Hockey Journey
Alexander Salák started his hockey career in the Czech Republic. He played for youth teams like IHC Pisek and HC České Budějovice.
Early Career in the Czech Republic
From 2002 to 2006, Salák played for Budějovice's under-18 and under-20 teams. He also played a few games for HC Strakonice and HC Tábor. These teams were in the Czech Second National League.
Playing in Finland
In 2006, Alexander Salák moved to Finland to play hockey. He joined Jokipojat, a team in the Mestis league. This was the second-highest level of hockey in Finland. The next season, he moved up to the top league, SM-liiga, with TPS. At TPS, he was coached by Urpo Ylönen. Ylönen is a famous goalie coach who has trained many top Finnish goalies.
Time in the NHL
On May 29, 2009, Alexander Salák signed with the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). The NHL is the biggest hockey league in North America. After training camp, he was sent to their farm team, the Rochester Americans, in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Salák 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 2010-11 season.
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 KHL
After his time in North America, Alexander Salák moved to Russia. He made his debut in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) during the 2013–14 season. The KHL is a major professional ice hockey league in Eurasia. He played for SKA Saint Petersburg.
He continued to play in the KHL for several years. He played for Sibir Novosibirsk, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, and Dinamo Riga.
Return to Europe
After his time in the KHL, Salák returned to play in Europe. He played for HC Sparta Praha in the Czech Extraliga. He then joined Djurgårdens IF in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).
Images for kids
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Alexander Salák
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Salák playing for the Rochester Americans in 2010.
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Salák playing for Sibir Novosibirsk.
See also
In Spanish: Alexander Salák para niños
