Karel Rachůnek
Karel Rachunek ( born August 27, 1979 in Gottwaldov, Czechoslovakia; † 7 September 2011 in Tunoschna near Yaroslavl, Russia) was a Czech ice hockey player who during his active career, among other things for the Ottawa Senators, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils the National Hockey League as well as the HK Lokomotiv Yaroslavl and Moscow Dynamo played in the Continental Hockey League.
Career
Karel Rachunek began his career with HC Zlín, where he went through all the youth teams and for whom he played between 1995 and 1997 in the Junior Extraliga. During the NHL Entry Draft in 1997, he was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the ninth round at 229th place, but remained until 1999 at his home club. For this he made his debut during the 1997/ 98 in the Czech Extraliga, but also came to first league appearances for HC Prostějov.
In 1999 he went to North America and played from then on for the Grand Rapids Griffins in the International Hockey League. During the season 1999/2000 he also completed his first six games in the National Hockey League for the Senators. Between 2000 and 2004 he belonged to the tribe squad of NHL clubs in the Canadian capital, before he was released along with Alexandre Giroux to the New York Rangers, who sent in return, Greg de Vries to the senator.
During the lockout the NHL season 2004/ 05 Rachunek played for HC Orli Znojemští and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. In the summer of 2005 he decided to become a stay in Yaroslavl.
In the season 2005/ 06 he completed 66 main rounds and six playoff games for the New York Rangers in the NHL before he signed a contract with the New Jersey Devils in July 2007. After a year with the Devils in 2008, he moved back to Russia, where he played in the Kontinental Hockey League for the HK Dynamo Moscow until 2010.
After the dissolution of Dynamo Rachunek moved within the KHL Lokomotiv Yaroslavl back to. 7 September 2011 Rachunek died in a plane crash near Yaroslavl. The team was on its way to an away game in Minsk. The plane crashed a half mile after starting. Of the 45 occupants survived, no player.
Internationally
Karel Rachunek took part in the U18 European Championship in 1997 and the U20 World Cup in 1999 as a junior player. It was not until 2009 he was nominated for the first time for the men's national team and graduated seven games in the World Cup 2009.
Karel Rachunek 2008 for the Czech Republic took part in the Inline Hockey World Championship IIHF, where the national team came in sixth.
After his death in September 2011 his jersey number # 4 was blocked by the Czech Ice Hockey Association for all national teams.
Awards and achievements
- 2001 NHL Rookie of the Month January
- 2002 NHL Young Stars Game
- 2005 Super League All- Star team
- 2008 Spengler Cup win with the HK Dynamo Moscow
- 2008 KHL Defender of the Month December
- 2009 KHL All-Star Game
- 2010 KHL All-Star Game
- 2010 Gold medal at the World Championships
- 2011 KHL All-Star Game
- 2011 KHL Defender of February
- 2011 bronze medal at the World Championships