Andrej Šustr facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Andrej Šustr
Šustr with Kölner Haie in November 2023
Born	(1990-11-29) 29 November 1990 (age 34) Plzeň, Czechoslovakia
Height	6 ft 8 in (203 cm)
Weight	220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb)
Position	Defence
Shoots	Right
Liiga team Former teams	Tappara Tampa Bay Lightning Anaheim Ducks Kunlun Red Star Kölner Haie HC Dynamo Pardubice
National team	Czech Republic
NHL Draft	Undrafted
Playing career	2013–present

Andrej Šustr (born November 29, 1990) is a professional ice hockey player from the Czech Republic. He plays as a defenceman for Tappara in the Finnish Liiga. Before playing in Finland, he was part of the NHL with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Anaheim Ducks. Andrej was not chosen in the NHL draft, but he still made it to the NHL in 2013 after playing college hockey for three seasons.

Andrej Šustr's Hockey Journey

Starting in Junior and College Hockey

Šustr playing college hockey for the Omaha Mavericks in 2010

Andrej Šustr grew up in Plzeň, a city in the Czech Republic. When he was 17, he moved to the United States to play junior hockey because there were more chances for him there. He played for the Kenai River Brown Bears in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) for one year. After that, he moved to the Youngstown Phantoms in the United States Hockey League (USHL).

In 2010, Andrej was recruited to play college hockey for the University of Nebraska Omaha. He played three seasons with the Mavericks. During his time there, he played in 111 games and scored 15 goals, helping his team with a total of 51 points.

Playing Professional Hockey

Even though Andrej was not picked in the NHL draft, he got to try out with several NHL teams. These included the Tampa Bay Lightning, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New York Rangers. After finishing his third year of college, he signed a professional contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 21, 2013.

He played his first NHL game on March 29, 2013, against the New Jersey Devils. After playing two games with the Lightning, he joined their minor league team, the Syracuse Crunch, in the American Hockey League (AHL). He played eight games with the Crunch, scoring two goals. The Crunch even made it to the championship game, called the Calder Cup Final, that year.

Šustr playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2013

Andrej scored his first NHL goal on April 5, 2014, against the Dallas Stars. The Lightning re-signed him for another year. He also played in his first Stanley Cup playoffs games against the Montreal Canadiens.

On February 16, 2015, Andrej played in his 100th NHL game. Later that season, on April 18, he scored his first goal in the Stanley Cup playoffs. This happened in a game where the Lightning beat the Detroit Red Wings 5-1.

The Lightning signed Andrej for two more years on June 30, 2015. He played in 72 games during the 2014-15 NHL season, getting 13 assists. He also played in 26 playoff games that year. Andrej was known for blocking many shots, and he set a team record for having the best plus/minus rating in a playoff series against the Detroit Red Wings.

On October 25, 2016, Andrej played in his 200th NHL game. The Lightning extended his contract for another year in June 2017.

After six seasons with the Lightning, Andrej became a free agent. On July 5, 2018, he signed a one-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks. He played only 5 games with the Ducks that season. Most of his time was spent with their AHL team, the San Diego Gulls, where he helped as an experienced player.

In June 2019, Andrej decided to play in a different league. He signed a one-year contract with Kunlun Red Star, a team from China that plays in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

Andrej returned to the Lightning team on July 28, 2021. He played his first NHL game in three years on October 14, 2021. He scored 1 goal in 8 games with the Lightning before going back to the Syracuse Crunch. In March 2022, he was claimed by his former team, the Anaheim Ducks.

On July 13, 2022, Andrej joined the Minnesota Wild. He played 39 games with their AHL team, the Iowa Wild. In March 2023, he was traded back to the Anaheim Ducks for the third time.

After the season ended, Andrej was traded to the San Jose Sharks in June 2023. However, he did not sign a contract with them. He then left North America and signed a one-year deal with Kölner Haie in Germany in July 2023.

On July 28, 2024, Andrej signed with HC Dynamo Pardubice in the Czech Extraliga. After playing 12 games, he and the team decided to part ways. Just four days later, Andrej joined the Finnish team Tappara for the rest of the season.

Andrej Šustr's International Play

Andrej Šustr has also played for his home country, the Czech Republic, in international hockey tournaments. On March 2, 2016, he was chosen to be on the Czech team for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He played alongside his Lightning teammate Ondřej Palát in this tournament. He also represented the Czech Republic in the 2021 IIHF World Championship.

Awards and Honors