Pavel Trnka
Pavel Trnka ( born July 27, 1976 in Plzeň, Czechoslovakia ) is a former Czech professional ice hockey player who last played for HC Vitkovice Steel in the Czech Extraliga. Between 1997 and 2004 he was active for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League.
Career
Pavel Trnka began his career in his native Czechoslovakia for HC Plzeň. In the NHL Entry Draft in 1994 was selected in the fifth round at 106th position of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
From 1995 to 1997 he collected in the farm team of the Ducks, the Baltimore Bandits, the first experience in the North American Hockey Sports. He was appointed in 1997 to the team the Mighty Ducks and immediately earned a starting berth in the Südkaliforniern as a solid defender. He played until 2004 when the Ducks before he was transferred for Sandis Ozoliòš and Lance Ward to the Florida Panthers. The Panthers he completed in nearly two years 89 games in the NHL, posting 19 points.
He left the NHL after the 2003/ 04 season and returned to the Czech Republic. There he signed for HC Plzeň, which he had heard from 1993 to 1995. In 2007, he joined HC Vitkovice Steel. In between, he made two short side trip to Sweden Leksand IF and Malmö Redhawks. In March 2012, the Czech declared his playing career ended.
Internationally
For his home country Trnka was at the U18 European Junior Championship 1994 World Junior Championship in 1995 and the 2003 World Cup on the ice. In the U -20 World Cup 2014 Trnka was an assistant coach of the Czech youth team that finished sixth.