Tomáš Plekanec facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tomáš Plekanec |
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Plekanec with the Montreal Canadiens in 2015
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| Born | 31 October 1982 Kladno, Czechoslovakia |
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| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Rytíři Kladno Montreal Canadiens Toronto Maple Leafs HC Kometa Brno |
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| National team |  Czech Republic |
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| NHL Draft | 71st overall, 2001 Montreal Canadiens |
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| Playing career | 1998–2023 | ||
Tomáš Plekanec (born 31 October 1982) is a former professional ice hockey player from the Czech Republic. He mostly played as a centre for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League (NHL). He also had a short time playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Tomáš started his career with a team called Rytíři Kladno in his home country. The Montreal Canadiens picked him in the 2001 NHL Draft. He moved to North America in 2002 and spent three seasons playing for the Hamilton Bulldogs, which was the Canadiens' minor league team. He joined the Canadiens full-time for the 2005–06 season. By the time he retired from the NHL, he had played over 1,000 NHL games. This is a huge achievement, and he is seventh all-time in games played for the Canadiens!
During his time in the NHL, Tomáš was known for wearing a special turtleneck undershirt under his jersey.
Contents
Playing Career: From Juniors to the NHL
Starting in Junior Hockey
Tomáš Plekanec began playing junior ice hockey in the Czech Republic with the HC Kladno team. He first played for the main senior team in 1998–99, appearing in three games in the Czech Extraliga, which is the top league in the Czech Republic.
Becoming a Professional Player
Two years later, he became a full-time player for the senior team. He scored 42 points in 53 games that season. After this, the Montreal Canadiens chose him in the third round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 71st player picked overall. He stayed in the Czech Extraliga for another season, scoring 30 points in 43 games in 2001–02.
Tomáš moved to North America in 2002–03 to play in the Canadiens' system. He was sent to their minor league team, the Hamilton Bulldogs, in the American Hockey League (AHL). He had 46 points in 77 games. He got even better in 2003–04, scoring 66 points with the Bulldogs. That same season, he played his first two NHL games with the Canadiens!
Because of a lockout in the NHL in 2004–05, Tomáš stayed with the Hamilton Bulldogs for a third AHL season. He scored 64 points in 80 games.
In 2005–06, Tomáš became a regular player for the Montreal Canadiens. In his first full NHL season, he scored 29 points. He improved to 47 points the next season in 2006–07 and scored his first 20 goals in a season. On 29 February 2008, Tomáš scored his first NHL hat-trick (three goals in one game) in a 6–2 win against the Buffalo Sabres. He finished the 2007–08 season with 29 goals and 69 points.
In 2009, he signed a new one-year contract with the Canadiens. That season, he had his best year yet, with 45 assists and 70 points. In June 2010, he signed a big six-year contract to stay with the Canadiens. He scored 22 goals during the 2010–11 season.
During another NHL lockout in 2012–13, Tomáš played for his old team, Kladno, in the Czech Republic.
On 15 September 2014, Tomáš was named an alternate captain for the Canadiens. This means he was one of the leaders on the team. In 2015, he signed another two-year contract extension with the Canadiens.
The Canadiens had a tough season in 2017–18. As the trade deadline got closer, there were talks that Tomáš might be traded. He was indeed traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in February 2018. He played for the Maple Leafs in the playoffs, scoring two goals and four points in seven games.
On 1 July 2018, Tomáš returned to the Canadiens, signing a one-year contract. On 15 October 2018, he played his 1,000th regular season NHL game, which is a very rare milestone for a hockey player! He also scored his first goal of the season in that game.
On 9 November 2018, Tomáš announced his retirement from the NHL. He then signed with HC Kometa Brno in the Czech Extraliga and also played for Rytíři Kladno. He officially retired from playing hockey for good on 28 October 2023, due to health reasons.
International Hockey: Playing for His Country
| Medal record | ||
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| Representing Czech Republic |
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| Ice hockey | ||
| World Championships | ||
| Silver | 2006 Latvia | |
| Bronze | 2011 Slovakia | |
| Bronze | 2012 Finland | |
| World Junior Championships | ||
| Gold | 2001 Russia | |
Tomáš Plekanec played in many international tournaments for the Czech Republic. As a junior player, he helped the Czech team win a gold medal at the 2001 World Junior Championships.
After his first NHL season, he played in the 2006 World Championships, where the Czech Republic won a silver medal. He also helped his team win bronze medals at the 2011 and 2012 World Championships.
He represented the Czech Republic at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and was even named captain of the team for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Personal Life
Tomáš Plekanec has two sons, Matyáš and Adam, from his previous marriage. He is now married to professional tennis player Lucie Šafářová. They have a daughter named Lea, who was born in December 2019. They got married in September 2021.
See also
- List of NHL players with 1,000 games played
