Filip Kuba
Filip Kuba ( born December 29, 1976 in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech ice hockey player standing since July 2012 with the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League contract.
Career
Cuba played during his junior time for HC Vitkovice, where he also began his professional career. NHL Entry Draft 1995, he was selected by the Florida Panthers in the eighth round at 192 position.
In 1996 he went to North America and played initially in the American Hockey League. His first year at the Carolina Monarchs he used to get used to the North American style of play. In the following season for Beast of New Haven, he drew attention to himself, so that he came in the 1998/99 season to his first five appearances in the NHL with the Panthers. Mostly he played this season for the Kentucky Thoroughblades in the AHL. He spent the following season for the most part with the Houston Aeros of the International Hockey League and was isolated in the NHL used. A change to the Calgary Flames had no effect on his career, as he was shortly afterwards in the NHL Expansion Draft committed in 2000 by the Minnesota Wild. In Minnesota, he made the step to starting players. Internationally, this period was successful for him. He participated for his native country at the 2001 World Championships and 2002. In the NHL its good performance was rewarded by participating in the NHL All-Star Game in 2004.
At the Olympic Winter Games in Turin in 2006, he won the bronze medal with the Czech national team. After his contract expired in the summer of 2006, he signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. With 15 goals, 22 templates and 37 points he reached his previous best values in the 2006/07 season. In the summer of 2008 he was transferred after two years in Tampa together with Alexandre Picard for Andrej Meszaros to the Ottawa Senators.
On 1 July 2012, he signed as a free agent a two-year contract worth eight million dollars at the Florida Panthers.
Awards and achievements
- 2001 Gold Medal at the World Championships
- 2004 NHL All-Star Game
NHL stats
(End of season 2012/ 13)