Martin Havlát facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Martin Havlát |
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Havlát with the New Jersey Devils in 2015
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| Born | April 19, 1981 Mladá Boleslav, Czechoslovakia |
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| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||
| Weight | 217 lb (98 kg; 15 st 7 lb) | ||
| Position | Right wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Oceláři Třinec Ottawa Senators Chicago Blackhawks Minnesota Wild San Jose Sharks New Jersey Devils St. Louis Blues |
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| National team |  Czech Republic |
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| NHL Draft | 26th overall, 1999 Ottawa Senators |
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| Playing career | 1998–2015 | ||
Martin Havlát was born on April 19, 1981. He is a former professional ice hockey player from the Czech Republic. He played for 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Havlát was known for his incredible speed and skill on the ice.
Contents
Martin Havlát's Hockey Journey
Starting with the Ottawa Senators
Martin Havlát was chosen by the Ottawa Senators in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 26th player picked overall. Before joining the NHL, he played one more season in the Czech Republic.
Havlát started his NHL career with the Senators in the 2000–01 season. In his first year, he scored 19 goals and had 42 points. He was even a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy. This award goes to the best rookie player in the league. Fans nicknamed him "Mach 9" because of his speed and jersey number.
In his third year, Havlát scored 24 goals and 59 points. He helped the Senators reach the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2003 playoffs. They beat the Philadelphia Flyers but lost to the New Jersey Devils. The Devils went on to win the Stanley Cup. Havlát finished those playoffs with 11 points in 18 games.
During the 2003–04 NHL season, Havlát faced some suspensions. He was suspended twice for a total of four games. One suspension was for kicking and another for high-sticking. Even with these missed games, he had his best season with the Senators. He scored 31 goals and earned 68 points in 68 games.
The 2004–05 NHL lockout meant no NHL games. Havlát played in the Czech Republic and Russia during this time. When the NHL returned in 2005–06, he faced another suspension. This one was for five games after a kicking incident. Later that season, he had a shoulder injury that needed surgery. This kept him off the ice for 59 games. He returned in April 2006. Havlát had a great playoff run that year. He scored 13 points in ten games. However, the Senators were eliminated by the Buffalo Sabres.
Time with the Chicago Blackhawks
In 2006, Havlát was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks. He signed a three-year contract with them. His usual number 9 was retired by the Blackhawks. So, he chose to wear number 24 instead.
Havlát had an amazing debut with the Blackhawks on October 5, 2006. He scored two goals and two assists in an 8–6 win. He started the season as one of the top scorers in the league. However, he sprained his ankle in late October. He returned to play in December 2006. Havlát was also chosen for the 2007 NHL All-Star Game. He suffered another shoulder injury in April 2007, needing surgery. Despite injuries, he scored 57 points in 56 games that season.
In the 2007–08 NHL season, injuries limited Havlát to just 35 games. He scored ten goals and 17 assists. This season was important for the Blackhawks. Young stars like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews began to shine. The next season, 2008–09, Havlát led the Blackhawks in scoring. He had a career-high 77 points in 81 games. Chicago made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2002.
In the playoffs, Havlát scored two goals in the first game against the Calgary Flames. One was a game-tying goal, and the other was the game-winner in overtime. The Blackhawks beat the Flames and then the Vancouver Canucks. They faced the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Finals. Havlát was injured in Game 3 from a hit by Niklas Kronwall.
Even though he was named the team's MVP for the 2008–09 season, Havlát did not re-sign with the Blackhawks. He later said that he felt the team had "left him."
Playing for Other Teams
On July 1, 2009, Havlát signed a six-year contract with the Minnesota Wild. He wore number 14 in his first season. He later changed to number 24 for the 2010–11 season.
On July 3, 2011, Havlát was traded to the San Jose Sharks. He was traded for Dany Heatley. In the 2011–12 season, Havlát tore his hamstring after falling on the ice. He returned to play in March 2012. The very next day, he scored the game-winning goal in overtime against the Detroit Red Wings.
Havlát continued to struggle with injuries during his time with the Sharks. In May 2013, he suffered an injury that kept him out of playoff games. He returned later but was injured again. In June 2013, he had surgery. He played his first game of the next season in October 2013. In December, he was placed on injured reserve again. Because of his injuries and lower scoring, the Sharks bought out his contract in 2014. This meant he was free to sign with another team.
Three days later, Havlát signed a one-year contract with the New Jersey Devils. He hoped to prove himself again.
After his time with the Devils, Havlát tried to get another NHL contract. He signed a try-out agreement with the Florida Panthers. When that didn't work out, he signed another try-out with the St. Louis Blues in October 2015. He earned a one-year contract with the Blues. Havlát scored the game-winning goal in his first game with the Blues. However, after only two games, he asked the Blues to end his contract for personal reasons.
In August 2016, Havlát said he asked to leave the Blues because of a groin injury. He hoped to return to the NHL but re-injured his groin. Martin Havlát officially announced his retirement from hockey on February 8, 2017.
International Hockey
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Czech Republic |
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| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 2000 Saint Petersburg | |
| Bronze | 2011 Bratislava | |
| World Junior Hockey Championship | ||
| Gold | 2000 Umeå/Skellefteå | |
Martin Havlát also played for the Czech Republic on the international stage. As a junior player, he helped his team win a gold at the 2000 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He also won a gold medal with the senior Czech team at the 2000 IIHF World Championship.
Havlát represented the Czech Republic at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He scored three goals in that tournament. He missed the 2006 Winter Olympics due to a shoulder injury. In the 2011 World Championships, he helped the Czech team win a bronze medal.
Personal Life
Martin Havlát has two siblings, a sister named Lenka and a brother named Slava. He can speak both English and Czech. During the off-season, he lives in Brno, Czech Republic. His nephew, Borek Sedlák, is a Czech ski jumper.
Career Statistics
Regular Season and Playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1997–98 | HC Ytong Brno | CZE U18 | 27 | 29 | 26 | 55 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | HC Ytong Brno | CZE U20 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | HC Železárny Třinec | CZE U20 | 31 | 28 | 23 | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | HC Železárny Třinec | ELH | 24 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1999–00 | HC Oceláři Třinec | CZE U20 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | HC Oceláři Třinec | ELH | 46 | 13 | 29 | 42 | 48 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | ||
| 2000–01 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 73 | 19 | 23 | 42 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2001–02 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 72 | 22 | 28 | 50 | 66 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 14 | ||
| 2002–03 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 67 | 24 | 35 | 59 | 30 | 18 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 14 | ||
| 2003–04 | HC Sparta Praha | ELH | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 68 | 31 | 37 | 68 | 46 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2004–05 | HC Znojemští Orli | ELH | 12 | 10 | 4 | 14 | 16 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 4 | ||
| 2004–05 | Dynamo Moscow | RSL | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | HC Sparta Praha | ELH | 9 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 37 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | ||
| 2005–06 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 18 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 4 | ||
| 2006–07 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 56 | 25 | 32 | 57 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 35 | 10 | 17 | 27 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 81 | 29 | 48 | 77 | 30 | 16 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 8 | ||
| 2009–10 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 73 | 18 | 36 | 54 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 78 | 22 | 40 | 62 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 39 | 7 | 20 | 27 | 22 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | ||
| 2012–13 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 40 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 30 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 48 | 12 | 10 | 22 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 40 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| ELH totals | 96 | 31 | 43 | 74 | 111 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 38 | ||||
| NHL totals | 790 | 242 | 352 | 594 | 404 | 75 | 21 | 31 | 52 | 52 | ||||
International Play
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Czech Republic | WJC18 | 5th | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | |
| 2000 | Czech Republic | WJC |  |
7 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | |
| 2000 | Czech Republic | WC | |
9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2002 | Czech Republic | OG | 7th | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 27 | |
| 2004 | Czech Republic | WCH |  |
5 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2004 | Czech Republic | WC | 5th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2010 | Czech Republic | OG | 7th | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2011 | Czech Republic | WC | |
6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | |
| Junior totals | 13 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 12 | ||||
| Senior totals | 32 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 39 | ||||
