Petr Nedvěd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Petr Nedvěd |
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Nedvěd in 2021
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| Born | December 9, 1971 Liberec, Czechoslovakia |
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| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
| Weight | 196 lb (89 kg; 14 st 0 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Vancouver Canucks St. Louis Blues New York Rangers Pittsburgh Penguins HC Sparta Praha Edmonton Oilers Phoenix Coyotes Philadelphia Flyers HC Bílí Tygři Liberec |
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| National team | .svg){kind=small} Canada and Czech Republic |
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| NHL Draft | 2nd overall, 1990 Vancouver Canucks |
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| Playing career | 1990–2014, 2017–2018 | ||
Petr Nedvěd (born December 9, 1971) is a Czech-Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played for 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1990 to 2007. Nedvěd was known for his long career and skill on the ice.
Contents
Petr Nedvěd's Early Life and Journey
Petr Nedvěd was born in Liberec, which was then part of Czechoslovakia. His parents were Jaroslav and Soňa Nedvěd.
A Big Decision to Play Hockey
When he was 17, Petr made a very brave choice. He left Czechoslovakia on January 2, 1989. He was playing in a hockey tournament in Calgary, Canada.
At that time, Czechoslovakia had a strict government. It was hard for athletes to leave and play professionally in other countries. Petr wanted to pursue his dream of playing professional hockey.
He didn't tell his parents about his plan. With only $20, he asked for help at a Calgary police station. He decided to stay in Canada. For many months, his parents tried to get him to come home. But Petr was determined to follow his hockey path.
Petr Nedvěd's Hockey Career
After moving to Canada, Nedvěd played one season for the Seattle Thunderbirds. This team is part of the Western Hockey League. He scored an amazing 145 points in 71 games!
Joining the NHL
Because of his great performance, the Vancouver Canucks picked him second overall in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. He was expected to be a big star right away.
In his first two seasons, he found it a bit tough. But in the 1992–93 season, he scored 38 goals and 71 points. He even had a team record with points in 15 straight games.
Playing for Canada
Before the 1993–94 season, Nedvěd had a disagreement about his contract with the Canucks. During this time, he became a Canadian citizen. He then played for Canada in the 1994 Winter Olympics. His team won a silver medal!
Later that season, he joined the St. Louis Blues. He scored 20 points in 19 games for them.
Moving to New York and Pittsburgh
Nedvěd's time in St. Louis was short. He was traded to the New York Rangers for the 1994–95 season. He played 46 games and got 23 points.
For the 1995–96 season, he moved again. This time, he joined the Pittsburgh Penguins. This was a great move for him. He played on a strong team with superstars like Mario Lemieux and Jaromír Jágr.
In his first year with Pittsburgh, he had his best season ever. He scored 45 goals and 99 points! He also played well in the playoffs. He scored a huge goal in a game that went into four overtimes. It was one of the longest NHL games in 60 years!
Return to New York and Other Teams
After another contract issue, Nedvěd missed a whole season. He played for some teams in the Czech Republic. In 1998–99, he returned to the New York Rangers.
His second time with the Rangers was more stable. He played there for six seasons. Even though the team didn't make the playoffs, Nedvěd was a strong scorer. In 2000–01, he had his second-best season with 32 goals and 78 points. He played with two other Czech players, and they were called the 'Czech Mates'.
In 2003–04, Nedvěd was traded to the Edmonton Oilers. He played well there, scoring 15 points in 16 games.
He later played for the Phoenix Coyotes and the Philadelphia Flyers. In 2005–06, he returned to the NHL playoffs for the first time since 1997.
Later Career and Retirement
In 2006–07, Nedvěd played some games in the American Hockey League (AHL). This was a minor league for the first time in his career. He later returned to play for HC Sparta Praha in the Czech Republic.
In 2012, at 40 years old, Nedvěd played for the Czech Republic men's national ice hockey team. He played in the 2012 IIHF World Championship. He became the oldest Czech player to score a goal in that tournament.
In 2014, he was part of the Czech team for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. He played five games there.
On March 13, 2014, Petr Nedvěd played his very last game with Bílí Tygři Liberec. He officially announced his retirement from hockey after that game.
Awards and Achievements
- 1989–90 – Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy Rookie of the Year (WHL)
- 1989–90 – Rookie of the Year (CHL)
- 1993–94 – Silver medal (1994 Winter Olympics)
- 2011–12 – Bronze medal (2012 IIHF World Championship)
Personal Life
Petr Nedvěd married supermodel Veronika Vařeková in 2004. They later separated in 2006. He has since moved back to the Czech Republic. His brother, Jaroslav Nedvěd, also played ice hockey as a defenceman.
Career Statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1986–87 | TJ CHZ Litvínov | CSSR U16 | 34 | 46 | 20 | 66 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | TJ CHZ Litvínov | CSSR U16 | 35 | 67 | 27 | 94 | 64 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988–89 | TJ CHZ Litvínov | CSSR U18 | 20 | 32 | 19 | 51 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL | 71 | 65 | 80 | 145 | 80 | 11 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 2 | ||
| 1990–91 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 61 | 10 | 6 | 16 | 20 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1991–92 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 77 | 15 | 22 | 37 | 36 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 16 | ||
| 1992–93 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 84 | 38 | 33 | 71 | 96 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 1993–94 | Canada | Intl | 25 | 24 | 13 | 37 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 19 | 6 | 14 | 20 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 1994–95 | New York Rangers | NHL | 46 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 26 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | ||
| 1995–96 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 80 | 45 | 54 | 99 | 68 | 18 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 16 | ||
| 1996–97 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 74 | 33 | 38 | 71 | 66 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 12 | ||
| 1997–98 | HC Sparta Prague | ELH | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 52 | ||
| 1997–98 | HC Bílí Tygři Liberec | CZE II | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | TJ Nový Jičín | CZE III | 7 | 9 | 16 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Las Vegas Thunder | IHL | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | New York Rangers | NHL | 56 | 20 | 27 | 47 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Las Vegas Thunder | IHL | 13 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–2000 | New York Rangers | NHL | 76 | 24 | 44 | 68 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | New York Rangers | NHL | 79 | 32 | 46 | 78 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | New York Rangers | NHL | 78 | 21 | 25 | 46 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | New York Rangers | NHL | 78 | 27 | 31 | 58 | 64 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | New York Rangers | NHL | 65 | 14 | 17 | 31 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 16 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | HC Sparta Prague | ELH | 46 | 22 | 13 | 35 | 44 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 | ||
| 2005–06 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 25 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 28 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 36 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | ||
| 2006–07 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 21 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Philadelphia Phantoms | AHL | 14 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 19 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | HC Sparta Prague | ELH | 45 | 20 | 5 | 25 | 98 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 20 | ||
| 2008–09 | Bílí Tygři Liberec | ELH | 33 | 14 | 14 | 28 | 72 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 2009–10 | Bílí Tygři Liberec | ELH | 35 | 15 | 20 | 35 | 94 | 15 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 16 | ||
| 2010–11 | Bílí Tygři Liberec | ELH | 45 | 14 | 41 | 55 | 74 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 12 | ||
| 2011–12 | Bílí Tygři Liberec | ELH | 49 | 24 | 37 | 61 | 64 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 34 | ||
| 2012–13 | Bílí Tygři Liberec | ELH | 48 | 20 | 33 | 53 | 151 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Bílí Tygři Liberec | ELH | 49 | 19 | 31 | 50 | 103 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 982 | 310 | 407 | 717 | 708 | 71 | 19 | 23 | 42 | 64 | ||||
| ELH totals | 355 | 150 | 197 | 347 | 708 | 54 | 23 | 26 | 49 | 160 | ||||
International
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Canada |
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| Olympic Games | ||
| Silver | 1994 Lillehammer | Ice hockey |
| Representing Czech Republic |
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| World Championships | ||
| Bronze | 2012 Helsinki | Ice hockey |
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Canada | OG | 8 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 6 | |
| 1996 | Czech Republic | WCH | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | |
| 2012 | Czech Republic | WC | 9 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2014 | Czech Republic | OG | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| Senior totals | 25 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 20 | |||
