Tomáš Kopecký facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tomáš Kopecký |
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Kopecký pictured in June 2008 during the Detroit Red Wings championship celebration
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| Born | 5 February 1982 Ilava, Czechoslovakia |
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| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
| Weight | 209 lb (95 kg; 14 st 13 lb) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | HK Dukla Trenčín Detroit Red Wings Chicago Blackhawks Florida Panthers HC Oceláři Třinec HC Slovan Bratislava |
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| National team |  Slovakia |
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| NHL Draft | 38th overall, 2000 Detroit Red Wings |
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| Playing career | 2001–2017 | ||
Tomáš Kopecký (born February 5, 1982) is a former professional ice hockey player from Slovakia. He was a forward who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for famous teams like the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, and Florida Panthers. Tomáš is a two-time Stanley Cup champion! He won the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2008 and again with the Blackhawks in 2010.
Contents
Tomáš Kopecký's Hockey Journey
Starting with the Detroit Red Wings (2005–2009)
The Detroit Red Wings picked Tomáš Kopecký in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. Before joining the NHL, he played two seasons of junior hockey. He played for the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the Western Hockey League (WHL).
Tomáš then became a professional player in the American Hockey League (AHL). He played for the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks and later the Grand Rapids Griffins. He spent four seasons with the Griffins.
Kopecký made his NHL debut with the Red Wings on February 28, 2006. This was during the 2005–06 season. He played against the San Jose Sharks. That was his only game for the Red Wings that season.
On December 14, 2006, Tomáš got hurt in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks. He hit the boards and broke his clavicle (collarbone). This injury meant he could only play 26 games in the 2006–07 season.
Later, on April 3, 2008, Kopecký tore his ACL during a game. This injury made him miss the end of the 2007–08 season and all the playoffs. Even though he was injured, he won the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings on June 4, 2008. They beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.
In the 2008–09 season, Kopecký scored six goals and had 13 assists. The Red Wings made it to the Stanley Cup Finals again. They played the Pittsburgh Penguins but lost in seven games.
Playing for the Chicago Blackhawks (2009–2011)
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On July 1, 2009, Kopecký signed a two-year deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. He played 74 games in the 2009–10 season. He scored 10 goals and had 11 assists, totaling 21 points.
In the 2010 playoffs, Kopecký was a regular player. He scored an important goal in the Western Semifinals. His most crucial goal came in Game 1 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals. He scored the winning goal against the Philadelphia Flyers. This was Kopecký's third straight Stanley Cup Finals appearance. On June 9, 2010, he won his second Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks.
The 2010–11 season was a great one for Kopecký. He started the season playing on the first line with Jonathan Toews and Marián Hossa. On November 30, he had his first career four-point game. He scored a goal and had three assists in a 7–5 win.
Kopecký finished the season with career-high numbers. He played 81 games, scored 15 goals, and had 27 assists, for a total of 42 points. The Blackhawks barely made the playoffs that year. In the 2011 playoffs, Kopecký got a concussion in Game 1. He was hit by a player from the Vancouver Canucks. He missed the rest of the series, and the Blackhawks lost.
Time with the Florida Panthers (2011–2015)
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On June 27, 2011, the Blackhawks traded Kopecký to the Florida Panthers. Two days later, the Panthers signed him to a four-year deal. In the 2011–12 season, Kopecký scored 10 goals and had 22 assists. The Panthers made the playoffs for the first time since 2000. They lost in the first round to the New Jersey Devils.
The 2012–13 season was shorter due to a lockout. The Panthers did not make the playoffs and finished last in the NHL. This was the first time in Kopecký's career that his team missed the playoffs. Despite this, he still played well, scoring 15 goals and 12 assists in 47 games.
On December 29, 2013, Kopecký played his 500th NHL game. On February 15, 2014, he got another concussion during the 2014 Winter Olympics. This injury made him miss the rest of the Olympic tournament and the 2013–14 season for the Panthers.
In the 2014–15 season, Kopecký played 64 games. He scored two goals and had six assists. Even though his scoring was lower, he was nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. This award is for players who show great perseverance and dedication to hockey.
After the NHL
After his contract with the Panthers ended, Kopecký did not sign with another NHL team. On October 22, 2015, he went back to Europe. He signed with HC Oceláři Třinec in the Czech Republic. He played there for the rest of that season.
Tomáš Kopecký's Family Life
Tomáš Kopecký is married to Maria. They have two sons. Their first son, Jakub, was born on February 8, 2004. Their second son, Tobias, was born on February 20, 2009.
Playing for Slovakia (International Games)
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Slovakia |
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| Ice hockey | ||
| World Championships | ||
| Silver | 2012 Helsinki | |
Kopecký played for the Slovakia national team in many international tournaments. He represented his country eight times:
- 2000 World U18 Championships
- 2000 World Junior Championships
- 2001 World Junior Championships
- 2002 World Junior Championships
- 2010 Winter Olympics
- 2012 World Championship
- 2013 World Championship
- 2014 Winter Olympics
- 2015 World Championship
Awards and Achievements
- 2008 Stanley Cup Champion with the Detroit Red Wings
- 2010 Member of the Slovakia Winter Olympic Team
- 2010 Stanley Cup Champion with the Chicago Blackhawks
- 2012 World Championship Silver Medalist
- 2014 Member of the Slovakia Winter Olympic Team
Career Statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1997–98 | Dukla Trenčín | SVK U20 | 41 | 19 | 22 | 41 | 76 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Dukla Trenčín | SVK U20 | 51 | 22 | 18 | 40 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–2000 | Dukla Trenčín | SVK U20 | 14 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–2000 | Dukla Trenčín | SVK | 52 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2000–01 | Lethbridge Hurricanes | WHL | 49 | 22 | 28 | 50 | 52 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 2000–01 | Cincinnati Mighty Ducks | AHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Lethbridge Hurricanes | WHL | 60 | 34 | 42 | 76 | 94 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 15 | ||
| 2001–02 | Cincinnati Mighty Ducks | AHL | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2002–03 | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL | 70 | 17 | 21 | 38 | 32 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 2003–04 | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL | 48 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2004–05 | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL | 48 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL | 77 | 32 | 40 | 72 | 123 | 16 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 25 | ||
| 2006–07 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 26 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 2007–08 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 77 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 79 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 46 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | ||
| 2009–10 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 74 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 28 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 8 | ||
| 2010–11 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 81 | 15 | 27 | 42 | 60 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2011–12 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 80 | 10 | 22 | 32 | 32 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2012–13 | Dukla Trenčín | SVK | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 47 | 15 | 12 | 27 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 49 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 64 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | HC Oceláři Třinec | ELH | 38 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 34 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 2016–17 | HK Dukla Trenčín | SVK | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | HC Slovan Bratislava | KHL | 15 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| AHL totals | 246 | 64 | 76 | 140 | 224 | 33 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 33 | ||||
| NHL totals | 578 | 68 | 106 | 174 | 307 | 37 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 25 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Slovakia | WJC18 | 5th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2000 | Slovakia | WJC | 9th | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| 2001 | Slovakia | WJC | 8th | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 16 | |
| 2002 | Slovakia | WJC | 8th | 7 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 22 | |
| 2010 | Slovakia | OG | 4th | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2012 | Slovakia | WC |  |
10 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 4 | |
| 2013 | Slovakia | WC | 8th | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | |
| 2014 | Slovakia | OG | 11th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2015 | Slovakia | WC | 9th | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 22 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 42 | ||||
| Senior totals | 33 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 12 | ||||
