Jakub Štěpánek
Jakub Stepanek ( born June 20, 1986 in Vsetín, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech professional ice hockey goaltender, who plays since May 2013 in Severstal Cherepovets in the Continental Hockey League.
- 2.1 International
Career
Jakub Stepanek began his career as a hockey player in the youth of the HC Vsetín, for which he was active in the U18 Extraliga until 2001. He then moved to HC Sareza Ostrava and played until 2005 for its junior teams. At the end of the season 2004 /05 he made his debut for the men's team of the same club in the first league. Two years later he was the first time in the squad of the partner clubs, the HC Vitkovice Steel, called and came to a total of five appearances in the top Czech league, the Extraliga. In the following season he played mostly at Sareza, but was used more than 230 minutes of play in the Extraliga.
From the 2008/ 09 season he became a permanent squad of HC Vitkovice Steel and could replace as the season progresses Marek Pinc as a goalkeeper. Especially in the playoffs, he convinced a good catch rate of 94.35 % and a Gegentorschnitt of 1.85. These achievements earned in the award of a rookie of the year and the appointment of the national team.
In summer 2010, Stepanek was taken from the SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League under contract and spent the next two seasons goalkeeper of the Army Sports Club. In October 2012, the SKA committed with Sergei Bobrowski an NHL goaltender, so Stepanek no longer was used. Therefore, he moved the end of October in the KHL for HC Lev Prague. But to Stepanek could not prevail even when HC Lev, so he signed a contract with Severstal Cherepovets in May 2013.
Internationally
As of 2003, Stepanek was a member of the extended circle of Czech youth team, but came in any major international tournament for the application. As recently as 2009 he was nominated for his first World Championship for Men and denied the opening game against Denmark, where he reached a shutout.
In the 2010 World Cup he won with the national team the gold medal, in 2011 and 2012 the bronze medal.
Awards and achievements
- 2009 Rookie of the Year the Extraliga
- 2010 Spengler Cup win with the SKA St. Petersburg
- 2011 KHL goalie of the month September
Internationally
- 2010 Gold medal at the World Championships
- 2011 bronze medal at the World Championships
- 2012 bronze medal at the World Championships