Petr Sýkora facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Petr Sýkora |
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Sýkora with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009
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| Born | November 19, 1976 Plzeň, Czechoslovakia |
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| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Right wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | New Jersey Devils Mighty Ducks of Anaheim New York Rangers Edmonton Oilers Pittsburgh Penguins Minnesota Wild SC Bern |
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| National team |  Czech Republic |
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| NHL Draft | 18th overall, 1995 New Jersey Devils |
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| Playing career | 1992–2013 | ||
Petr Sýkora (born November 19, 1976) is a former professional ice hockey player from the Czech Republic. He played as a right winger in the National Hockey League (NHL) for many teams, including the New Jersey Devils and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Petr Sýkora played in six Stanley Cup Finals, which are the championship games of the NHL. He won the Stanley Cup twice! His first win was in 2000 with the Devils, and his second was in 2009 with the Penguins.
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Petr Sýkora's Hockey Journey
Before joining the NHL, Petr Sýkora played in other hockey leagues. He played in the Czechoslovak Extraliga and the International Hockey League (IHL). When he played for the Cleveland Lumberjacks, he was the youngest player ever in the IHL at just 17 years old! He also played for the Detroit Vipers.
Starting in the NHL
In 1995, the New Jersey Devils picked Petr Sýkora in the first round of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He started his NHL career in the 1995–96 season. In his first year, he scored 42 points and was even named the NHL Rookie of the Month in December.
His career really took off in his fourth season. He scored 72 points, which was one of his best seasons ever. He was part of a strong line for the Devils, known as the "A-line," with Patrik Eliáš and Jason Arnott.
Winning the Stanley Cup in 2000
Petr Sýkora helped the Devils win the Stanley Cup in 2000 against the Dallas Stars. However, in the final game, he got injured and had to go to the hospital. When the Devils won, their coach and teammates showed their support. Coach Larry Robinson and Patrik Eliáš wore Sýkora's jersey. The team even brought the Stanley Cup to him at the hospital!
The next season, Sýkora and the Devils almost won the Stanley Cup again, but they lost in the final game to the Colorado Avalanche. That year, Sýkora had his best season, scoring 35 goals, 46 assists, and 81 points.
Moving to Other Teams
After that great season, Sýkora's points dropped. Before the 2002–03 season, he was traded to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. In his first year with Anaheim, he played in his third Stanley Cup Finals, but his team lost to his old team, the Devils.
On the way to the finals, he scored a huge game-winning goal in a very long playoff game. It was the fourth-longest playoff game in NHL history!
During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, when NHL games were paused, Sýkora played in Russia for Metallurg Magnitogorsk. When the NHL started again, he asked to be traded from Anaheim. In 2006, he joined the New York Rangers. After playing for the Rangers, he signed a one-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers in 2006.
Time with the Pittsburgh Penguins
In 2007, Sýkora signed a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He played with amazing players like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. This helped him have one of his best seasons since 2001, scoring 63 points.
In the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals, the Penguins played against the Detroit Red Wings. Sýkora scored a goal in triple-overtime in Game 5, helping his team stay in the series. He had even told a reporter he would score the winning goal! However, the Penguins eventually lost the series. This was Sýkora's fourth time playing in the Stanley Cup Finals.
The next season, on December 11, 2008, Sýkora scored three goals in one game, which is called a hat-trick! This was his first hat-trick in the NHL, even though he had scored two goals in a game 38 times before. Later that season, he scored his 300th career NHL goal.
During the 2009 playoffs, Sýkora struggled with a shoulder injury. The Penguins added new players, so Sýkora didn't play as much. He was sometimes left out of games. However, the team made it to the Stanley Cup Finals again, playing the Red Wings for the second year in a row.
Sýkora played in Game 6 of the finals but injured his foot blocking a shot. He couldn't play in the final Game 7. But when the Penguins won the Stanley Cup, he forced his swollen foot into a skate to join the team on the ice for their celebration! This was his second Stanley Cup win, and this time he got to lift the trophy.
Later Career
After his time with the Penguins, Sýkora didn't have an NHL contract. He accepted a tryout with the Minnesota Wild and signed a one-year deal with them. However, he got a concussion early in the 2009–10 season and was out for two months.
Without an NHL contract, Sýkora went back to Europe. He played for HC Plzeň in the Czech Republic and then for Dinamo Minsk in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
In 2011, Sýkora returned to the New Jersey Devils, the team that first drafted him. He signed a one-year contract. On March 2, 2012, Petr Sýkora played in his 1,000th career NHL game, which is a huge achievement for a hockey player!
International Hockey for the Czech Republic
| Medal record | ||
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| Representing Czech Republic |
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| Ice hockey | ||
| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 1999 Lillehammer | |
| Gold | 2005 Vienna | |
| Bronze | 1998 Zurich | |
| European Junior Championships | ||
| Bronze | 1993 Poland | |
| Bronze | 1994 Finland | |
Petr Sýkora also played for the Czech Republic in many international tournaments. In 2002, he played in the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He also represented his country in the 2004 World Cup.
He won three medals at the Men's World Ice Hockey Championships: one bronze medal in 1998 and two gold medals in 1999 and 2005.
See also
- List of NHL players with 1000 games played
