Josef Beránek
Josef Beranek (born 25 October 1969 in Litvinov, Czechoslovakia ) is a former Czech ice hockey player who played for many years at HC Slavia Prague in the Czech Extraliga on the position of the center. During his time in America he completed a total of 588 games in the National Hockey League, where he was able to achieve 123 goals and 152 assists. Since 2010 he works as an assistant coach at HC Slavia Prague.
- 3.1 International
Career
Josef Beranek began his career in his hometown at the HC Chemopetrol Litvinov, for whom he debuted in the Czechoslovak Extraliga during the 1987/88 season and in his first season could contribute seven goals and four assists. In the summer of 1989, he was selected in the NHL Entry Draft in the fourth round to 78th place by the Edmonton Oilers, but played until the end of the season 1990/91 for the HC Dukla Trencin and HC Chemopetrol and increased his points total from year to year.
His first stop in North America were the Edmonton Oilers, for he 1991/92 netted twelve goals and 16 assists in his rookie season. Beginning of the following season, he was deported from the Oilers to their farm team, the Cape Breton Oilers of the AHL before he was released in early 1993, together with Greg Hawgood to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Brian Benning. For the Flyers, he was able to continue its good performance. During the lockout in 1994/95 he played 16 games for the HC Dadák Vsetín, before he returned to Philadelphia. However, the mid- season Beranek moved to the Vancouver Canucks, with whom he reached the second round of the playoffs. In March 1997 he moved to the Pittsburgh Penguins, for which he only played 13 games and spent the rest of the season 1996/97 when HC Petra Vsetín in the Czech Republic. At the end of the season he reached with the team from Vsetín winning the Czech Championship. Also during the following season remained in Vsetín Beranek and again won the Czech championship. He also participated with the team at the European Hockey League in 1997/98, where it finished in third place and Beranek was appointed to the All-Star TEam.
In June 1998, the Penguins transferred the NHL rights to Beranek to the Edmonton Oilers, the charges for Tony Hrkac and Bobby Dollas to the Penguins. In his old team, he then played his best season in the NHL, as he scored 19 goals and 30 assists in 66 games. In March 2000 he was sent in exchange for German Titov returned to Pittsburgh and still played until the end of 2001 for the Penguins, with whom he reached the conference finals of the playoffs. Before the start of season 2001 /02 he was bound by the HC Slavia Prague and played for this club very successfully in the Czech Extraliga. In his second season, 2002/ 03, he won the Czech league titles with Slavia. Two years later, in the 2003/04 season, he was both top scorer, as well as the best assist provider of the Czech league and repeated this performance in the playoffs. However, the HC Slavia failed in the play-off final on HC Hamé Zlín.
In 2008 he was with Slavia Prague Czech Master again, after he had previously become best assist provider of the main round in the two seasons. In April 2010, he declared his playing career ended for and was admitted to the coaching staff of the club.
Internationally
Josef Beranek has participated in all major international championships during his career. With the Czech national team, he won two bronze medals at the World Championships. The greatest success of his career was winning the gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano.
Awards and achievements
Career Stats
Internationally
- World Youth Championship 1989
- World Cup 1991
- Canada Cup 1991
- World Cup 1993
- World Cup 1994
- World Cup of Hockey 1996
- 1998 Winter Olympics
- World Cup 1998
- World Cup 2004
In total he completed in his career 118 international matches, where reach 26 goals him.
( 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 )