Tomáš Tatar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tomáš Tatar |
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Tatar with the Seattle Kraken in 2023
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| Born | 1 December 1990 Ilava, Czechoslovakia |
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| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||
| Weight | 173 lb (78 kg; 12 st 5 lb) | ||
| Position | Left wing | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NL team Former teams |
EV Zug HKM Zvolen Detroit Red Wings ŠHK 37 Piešťany Vegas Golden Knights Montreal Canadiens Colorado Avalanche Seattle Kraken New Jersey Devils |
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| National team |  Slovakia |
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| NHL Draft | 60th overall, 2009 Detroit Red Wings |
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| Playing career | 2009–present | ||
Tomáš Tatar (born on December 1, 1990) is a professional ice hockey player from Slovakia. He plays as a forward for EV Zug in Switzerland's top league, the National League. Tomáš was chosen by the Detroit Red Wings as the 60th player overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
Playing Career Highlights
Early Years in Slovakia
Tomáš Tatar started his hockey journey in Slovakia. During the 2007–08 season, he played for HK Dukla Trenčín's younger teams. He scored an amazing 50 goals and made 39 assists in just 46 games.
In the 2008–09 season, Tomáš played his first year in the top Slovak hockey league, called the Slovak Extraliga. He played for HKM Zvolen and scored seven goals and eight assists in 48 games.
Joining the NHL
Detroit Red Wings Era
The Detroit Red Wings picked Tomáš Tatar in the 2009 NHL Draft. The NHL (National Hockey League) is the top professional hockey league in North America. He also signed a contract with the Red Wings. After signing, he joined their minor league team, the Grand Rapids Griffins, in the American Hockey League (AHL).
In his first season in North America (2009–10), Tomáš scored 16 goals and 16 assists for the Griffins. The next season (2010–11), he improved, getting 24 goals and 33 assists.
Tomáš made his first appearance in an NHL game on December 31, 2010. In that game, he scored his very first NHL goal against the New York Islanders.
During the 2011–12 season, Tomáš was the top scorer for the Griffins. He played in all 76 games, scoring 24 goals and 34 assists.
The 2012–13 season was a busy one for Tomáš. Because of a lockout in the NHL, he first played in Slovakia. Then, he played 18 games for the Red Wings. He finished the season back with the Grand Rapids Griffins. With the Griffins, he helped them win the Calder Cup, which is the championship trophy for the AHL. Tomáš was the top scorer for the Griffins in the playoffs, with 16 goals and five assists. He was even named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2013 playoffs.
In the 2013–14 season, Tomáš played his first full season in the NHL. He finished with 39 points, including 19 goals, which was the second-highest on his team. The Red Wings signed him to a new contract in 2014 and again in 2017.
Vegas Golden Knights Experience
In February 2018, Tomáš was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. He played in eight playoff games for them, scoring one goal and one assist.
Time with the Montreal Canadiens
Before the 2018–19 season, Tomáš was traded again, this time to the Montreal Canadiens. He joined the team along with another player, Nick Suzuki.
In the 2019–20 season, Tomáš had his best year for points, getting 61 points in 68 games. He often played on the Canadiens' top line with Brendan Gallagher and Phillip Danault.
During the Canadiens' journey to the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals, Tomáš played in only five games.
New Jersey Devils and Other Teams
In August 2021, Tomáš signed a two-year contract with the New Jersey Devils. He played 158 regular season games for them, scoring 78 points. He was part of the team that won their first playoff series since 2012 in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.
In September 2023, Tomáš signed a one-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche. He later shared that he had hoped for a longer contract. He played 27 games for the Avalanche, scoring one goal and eight assists.
In December 2023, Tomáš was traded to the Seattle Kraken. He played 43 games for the Kraken, scoring eight goals and seven assists.
In July 2024, Tomáš decided to return to the New Jersey Devils, signing another one-year contract with them. He played 74 games for the Devils in the 2024-25 season, scoring 7 goals and 10 assists.
Playing in Switzerland
After playing 14 seasons in the NHL, Tomáš Tatar signed a two-year contract in 2025 with EV Zug in Switzerland. This team plays in the National League, which is Switzerland's top hockey league. While Tomáš usually played as a left wing, EV Zug announced they would use him as a center.
International Play
Tomáš Tatar has proudly represented his home country, Slovakia, in many international hockey tournaments.
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's ice hockey | ||
| Representing Slovakia |
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| World Championships | ||
| Silver | 2012 Finland | |
| Representing Team Europe | ||
| Canada Cup / World Cup | ||
| Silver | 2016 Toronto | |
He played for Slovakia's junior team in the 2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. In 2009, he was the team's top scorer.
Tomáš also played for the senior Slovak team in the 2010 IIHF World Championship. In 2012, he was the youngest player on the Slovak team that won a silver medal at the 2012 IIHF World Championship. Slovakia finished second after a tough game against Russia.
He also represented Slovakia at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. He was the team's second-highest scorer there. He also played in the 2014 IIHF World Championship and the 2015 IIHF World Championship.
In 2016, Tomáš played for Team Europe at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He was the team's top goal scorer and helped them win a silver medal. He continued to represent Slovakia in the 2019 IIHF World Championship, 2022 IIHF World Championship, and 2024 IIHF World Championship.
Personal Life
Tomáš Tatar is a big fan of the German soccer team, FC Bayern Munich.
Career Statistics
Regular Season and Playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2005–06 | Spartak Dubnica nad Váhom | SVK U18 | 35 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Spartak Dubnica nad Váhom | SVK.2 U18 | 48 | 33 | 44 | 77 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Spartak Dubnica nad Váhom | SVK U20 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Dukla Trenčín | SVK U18 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 13 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Dukla Trenčín | SVK U20 | 42 | 31 | 45 | 76 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | HKM Zvolen | SVK | 48 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 20 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 4 | ||
| 2008–09 | HC 07 Detva | SVK.2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL | 58 | 16 | 16 | 32 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL | 70 | 24 | 33 | 57 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL | 76 | 24 | 34 | 58 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | ŠHK 37 Piešťany | SVK | 8 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL | 61 | 23 | 26 | 49 | 50 | 24 | 16 | 5 | 21 | 23 | ||
| 2012–13 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 18 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 73 | 19 | 20 | 39 | 30 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | ||
| 2014–15 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 82 | 29 | 27 | 56 | 28 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2015–16 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 81 | 21 | 24 | 45 | 24 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2016–17 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 82 | 25 | 21 | 46 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 62 | 16 | 12 | 28 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Vegas Golden Knights | NHL | 20 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2018–19 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 80 | 25 | 33 | 58 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 68 | 22 | 39 | 61 | 36 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 2020–21 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 50 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2021–22 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 76 | 15 | 15 | 30 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 82 | 20 | 28 | 48 | 30 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2023–24 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 27 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Seattle Kraken | NHL | 43 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 74 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| NHL totals | 927 | 227 | 269 | 496 | 316 | 56 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 26 | ||||
International Play Statistics
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Slovakia | WJC | 4th | 7 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 4 | |
| 2010 | Slovakia | WJC | 8th | 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | |
| 2010 | Slovakia | WC | 12th | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | |
| 2012 | Slovakia | WC |  |
10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2014 | Slovakia | OG | 11th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2014 | Slovakia | WC | 9th | 7 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 6 | |
| 2015 | Slovakia | WC | 9th | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | |
| 2016 | Team Europe | WCH | |
6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2019 | Slovakia | WC | 9th | 7 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | |
| 2022 | Slovakia | WC | 8th | 8 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2024 | Slovakia | WC | 7th | 8 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 | |
| 2024 | Slovakia | OGQ | Q | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 13 | 10 | 6 | 16 | 10 | ||||
| Senior totals | 65 | 19 | 22 | 41 | 34 | ||||
