Tomáš Vokoun facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tomáš Vokoun |
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Vokoun with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2013
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| Born | 2 July 1976 Karlovy Vary, Czechoslovakia |
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| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Caught | Right | ||
| Played for | HC Kladno Montreal Canadiens Nashville Predators HC Znojemsti Orli Znojmo HIFK Florida Panthers Washington Capitals Pittsburgh Penguins |
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| National team |  Czech Republic |
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| NHL Draft | 226th overall, 1994 Montreal Canadiens |
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| Playing career | 1995–2014 | ||
Tomáš Vokoun (born July 2, 1976) is a former professional ice hockey goaltender from the Czech Republic. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1997 to 2013. Most of his career was spent with the Nashville Predators.
Tomáš was picked by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. He also played for the Florida Panthers, Washington Capitals, and Pittsburgh Penguins. He played for the Czech national team in many big tournaments. He won a bronze medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics. He also won gold medals at the 2005 and 2010 World Championships.
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Playing Career
Starting Out (1994–1998)
Tomáš Vokoun was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in 1994. He was the 226th player chosen overall. For a year, he stayed in the Czech Republic and played for Poldi Kladno.
In 1995, Vokoun moved to North America. He played for the Wheeling Thunderbirds in the ECHL league. He also played one playoff game for the Fredericton Canadiens in the AHL. After showing his skills in the ECHL, Vokoun spent the 1996–97 season with Fredericton. He played his only game for Montreal during this time. It was a tough start, as he let in four goals in just 20 minutes against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Time with the Nashville Predators (1998–2007)
After playing another season with the Fredericton Canadiens, Vokoun was chosen by the Nashville Predators. This happened in the 1998 NHL Expansion Draft on June 26, 1998.
Vokoun played 37 games for Nashville in their first season. He also played nine games for the Milwaukee Admirals in the IHL. The next season, he split his time between the two teams. By 2000, Vokoun became a regular player in the NHL. He started as a backup to the main goalie, Mike Dunham. In 2002, Dunham was traded, and Vokoun became the starting goalie for the Predators.
Vokoun played very well in the 2003–04 season. His great play earned him a spot in the All-Star Game for the first time. His goaltending was a big reason the Predators made the playoffs for the first time ever that season. The team lost in six games to the Detroit Red Wings in the first round. In Game 4 of that series, Vokoun made history. He got the first-ever playoff shutout for the Predators, stopping 41 shots from the Red Wings.
During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Vokoun played 19 games for HIFK in Finland. He had a very good save percentage of .940.
In April 2006, the Predators announced that Vokoun had a medical condition involving blood clots. He missed the rest of the season and the playoffs while he recovered. Back-up goalie Chris Mason took his place. Vokoun was cleared to play again in July 2006. However, at the start of the 2006–07 NHL season, he hurt his thumb and needed surgery. He played with pins and a brace on his thumb.
Florida Panthers (2007–2011)
On the day of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Vokoun was traded to the Florida Panthers. In return, the Predators received draft picks. Vokoun had played nine years in Nashville. He set many team records for goalies, but these were later broken by Pekka Rinne.
Vokoun was chosen to play for the Eastern Conference team in the 2008 NHL All-Star Game.
During the 2008–09 NHL season, Vokoun won 26 games for the Panthers. The team was trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 2000. They did not make it, but their strong play was thanks to Vokoun and fellow goalie Craig Anderson.
On November 30, 2009, Vokoun was accidentally injured by his teammate Keith Ballard. Ballard hit Vokoun in the head with his stick. Vokoun had to be carried off the ice and treated at a hospital for a cut on his ear. Ballard was frustrated after the other team scored and tried to break his stick on the goal post, but he hit Vokoun instead.
Washington and Pittsburgh (2011–2014)
Vokoun signed a one-year contract with the Washington Capitals on July 2, 2011. His 2011–12 NHL season with the Capitals was difficult. He dealt with injuries and his play was not always consistent.
The Capitals decided to use a younger goalie, Braden Holtby, as their starter. So, Vokoun was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins on June 4, 2012. The next day, Vokoun signed a two-year contract with the Penguins. His usual jersey number, 29, was already taken by Marc-André Fleury. Vokoun chose to wear number 92 instead. He was one of the few goalies to wear a number between 90 and 98.
On March 30, 2013, Vokoun set a personal best and a Penguins team record. He had a shutout streak of 187 minutes and 30 seconds. This included two full shutouts and part of another game where he helped complete a shutout after Fleury was injured. On May 9, 2013, Vokoun started his first playoff game in six seasons. He had a 31-save shutout against the New York Islanders in the playoffs.
Vokoun had to stop playing for a while after surgery to remove another blood clot in his pelvis. This happened during the 2013 pre-season. In January 2014, it was reported that Vokoun would start practicing again. However, he announced his retirement from hockey on December 15, 2014.
International Play
 Vokoun during the 2010 Olympics |
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| Medal record | ||
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| Representing Czech Republic |
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| Men's ice hockey | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Bronze | 2006 Turin | |
| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 2005 Vienna | |
| Gold | 2010 Cologne | |
| World Cup | ||
| Bronze | 2004 Toronto | |
| European Junior Championships | ||
| Bronze | 1994 Jyväskylä | |
Tomáš Vokoun played for the Czech Republic many times. His first international game was with the under-20 team in 1996. The Czech team finished fourth. His first time playing for the senior team was at the 2003 IIHF World Championship, where they also finished fourth.
Overall, he played for the Czech team in four IIHF World Championships, two Winter Olympic Games, and the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. He helped the Czechs win a bronze medal at the World Cup. He also won gold medals at the 2005 and 2010 World Championships. He earned a bronze medal with the team at the 2006 Olympics in Turin.
Personal Life
Tomáš Vokoun lives with his wife, Dagmar, and their two daughters, Adelle and Natalie. They live in Parkland, Florida.
Awards and Records
- He was a runner-up for the NHL Rookie of the Month award in December 1998.
- He was named NHL Player of the Week for the week ending January 2, 2000. He was the first player from the Predators to win this award.
- He was named NHL Defensive Player of the Week for the week ending November 30, 2003.
- He was chosen to play for the Western Conference in the 2004 NHL All-Star Game.
- He was chosen to play for the Eastern Conference in the 2008 NHL All-Star Game.
- He was named NHL Defensive Player of the Month for January 2010 (NHL's Third Star of the Month).
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