Roman Turek facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Roman Turek |
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Turek with HC Mountfield in 2007
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| Born | May 21, 1970 Strakonice, Czechoslovakia |
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| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Goaltender | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Caught | Right | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Played for | HC České Budějovice Nürnberg Ice Tigers Dallas Stars St. Louis Blues Calgary Flames |
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| National team |  Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic |
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| NHL Draft | 113th overall, 1990 Minnesota North Stars |
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| Playing career | 1988–2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Roman Turek (born May 21, 1970) is a former professional ice hockey goaltender from the Czech Republic. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for nine years. Turek was a goalie for the Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, and Calgary Flames. He finished his career playing in his home country.
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Turek's Hockey Journey
Starting in the NHL with the Dallas Stars
In 1990, the Minnesota North Stars chose Roman Turek in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. The team later moved and became the Dallas Stars. At first, Turek was the third goalie for the team. He was a backup for star goalies like Ed Belfour.
Even as a backup in the NHL, Turek was a star for his country. In 1996, he helped the Czech Republic national team win a gold medal at the World Championships. That same year, he also played in Germany for the Nürnberg Ice Tigers.
In 1999, Turek and the Dallas Stars won the Stanley Cup, the biggest prize in hockey.
Becoming a Star with the St. Louis Blues
The Dallas Stars worried they might lose Turek to a new team in an expansion draft. So, in 1999, they traded him to the St. Louis Blues. This was Turek's big chance to be a starting goalie.
In his first season with the Blues, he was amazing. He led the league with seven shutouts (games where he allowed zero goals). He also won the William M. Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals in the league. The Blues were the best team in the regular season.
However, the team lost in the first round of the playoffs to the San Jose Sharks. The next year, Turek played well again. He helped the Blues get past the Sharks and his old team, the Dallas Stars, in the playoffs. But they lost in the third round to the Colorado Avalanche.
Playing for the Calgary Flames
In 2001, Turek was traded to the Calgary Flames. He was the starting goalie for the team.
During the 2003–04 season, Turek got injured. The Flames brought in a new goalie, Miikka Kiprusoff, who played so well that he became the new starter. Turek became the backup goalie.
Even as a backup, Turek was an important part of the team. He supported Kiprusoff as the Flames made it all the way to the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals. They played a close series but lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
After that season, Turek agreed to a new contract to help the Flames save money. He announced his retirement from the NHL on August 9, 2005. He then returned to the Czech Republic to finish his hockey career.
Cool Goalie Mask
Turek was known for the cool artwork on his goalie masks. All of his masks featured "Eddie", the famous mascot from the rock band Iron Maiden. The designs were painted by artist Ray Bishop.
Playing for His Country
Turek was proud to play for his home country in international tournaments.
- 1994: Played for the Czech Republic in the 1994 Winter Olympics.
- 1994: Played for the Czech Republic at the World Championships.
- 1996: Won a gold medal with the Czech Republic at the World Championships.
- 1996: Played for the Czech Republic in the World Cup of Hockey.
Awards and Achievements
Throughout his career, Roman Turek won several major awards.
- William M. Jennings Trophy: 1999 (shared with Ed Belfour) and 2000
- Stanley Cup Champion: 1999
- NHL All-Star Game: 2000
- NHL Second All-Star Team: 2000
- Best Goaltender (World Championships): 1996
- World Championships All-Star Team: 1995, 1996
See also
In Spanish: Roman Turek para niños
