AleÅ¡ KotalÃk
Aleš Kotalík ( born December 23, 1978 in Jindřichův Hradec, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech ice hockey player who is under contract with HC České Budějovice in the Czech Extraliga since October 2011.
Career
Aleš Kotalík comes from the offspring of HC České Budějovice and played for many years for this club, first in the U18 Extraliga, then in the U20 Extraliga and later with the professionals in the Extraliga. This club loyalty was interrupted by a season at HC Hamé Zlín and five games for the HC Vajgar Jindřichův Hradec. The trained right wingers and right-handed shooter was selected at the NHL Entry Draft in 1998 by the Sabres in round six to 164 place.
For the season 2001 /02 he was then taken by the Sabres to North America to play for their farm team, the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League. On 12 November 2001 he entered the first time the ice in the NHL and was able to contribute an assist for a 5-3 victory over the Florida Panthers. In the same season, he completed a total of 13 games in the NHL and reached four points scorer. On 19 March 2002, he was able to score his first NHL goal against the Ottawa Senators.
The following season he was able to establish the team of Sabres and completed 68 games for the Sabres. He finished the season with the second highest goal tally of the Sabres and was the fourth-best rookie of all NHL scorers with 35 points. Besides, he was awarded in January 2003 as the NHL Rookie of the Month. In his third NHL year he came up with 62 games in which he scored 15 goals and 21 more prepared.
During the lockout in the 2004/ 05 NHL season Aleš Kotalík played for the Czech Club White Tigers Liberec in the Extraliga.
In February 2006, he was part of the Czech national team that won the bronze medal at the Winter Olympics in Turin. The 2005/06 season was his most productive NHL season in which scored 25 goals and 37 assists.
On 25 June 2011, the Flames Robyn Regehr and together with a second-round vote in the NHL Entry Draft in 2012 in exchange for Chris Butler and Paul Byron to the Buffalo Sabres gave him off. After training camp, he could earn no place for the NHL squad of Sabres, he joined the 2011/12 season for his hometown club HC České Budějovice in the Czech Extraliga.
Awards and achievements
- 2003 NHL Rookie of the Month January
- 2006 bronze medal at the Winter Olympics
Career Stats
( Key to Career statistics: Sp or GP = Games Played, T or G = goals scored, V or A = achieved assists; Pts or Pts = scored points scorer, SM or PIM = received penalty minutes, / - = Plus / Minus balance sheet; PP = scored majority gates; SH = scored shorthanded goals, GW = achieved victory gates; Play-downs/Relegation 1 )