Marek Mazanec

Marek Mazanec ( born July 18, 1991, Pisek, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech professional ice hockey goaltender who stands since May 2013 in the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League under contract and in parallel for their farm team, the Milwaukee Admirals, playing in the American Hockey League.

Career

Mazanec began his career as a hockey player in his hometown at the IHC Pisek, where he already ran aground as a 14 -year-old for the U18 team. He then moved to the youth department of the HC Plzeň. In the 2007 /08 season he won as a goalkeeper with the U18 team, the Czech Championship in this age group. Subsequently, he was assigned in the following year in the U20 team of HC Plzeň, which he led to the best record in the regular season of 2010.

Marek Mazanec made ​​his debut for the HC Plzeň in the Extraliga during the 2009/10 season, when he stood for third on the ice. In the following season he came to regular operations in the Extraliga and could in 15 games to reach a quota of 91.1 %. In parallel, he continued to play for the U20 team, also Mazanec was loaned for nine games at his former club IHC Pisek in the second division. In the season 2011/12 he graduated as a second goalkeeper behind Adam Svoboda 19 missions in the Extraliga and played in parallel for the third-class HC Klatovy. With both teams he reached the play-offs for the first time.

After Mazanec 2011 was already available in the NHL Entry Draft, he was selected in the NHL Entry Draft in 2012 in the sixth round of a total of 179 position of the Nashville Predators. He remained, however, in the Czech Republic and came back with the first IHC Pisek used after the HC Plzeň had committed the Finnish goalkeeper Tuukka Rask for the duration of the NHL lockout. He then returned to the Extra Liga and has shared its operating time in the regular season again with Svoboda. In the play-offs he could eventually prevail as a goalkeeper and played for HC Plzeň all 20 games. By a 4-3 victory in the final series, he won the Czech league title with the team.

In May 2013 Marek Mazanec signed a contract started over two years with the Nashville Predators. He then moved to North America and came first for their farm team, the Milwaukee Admirals in the American Hockey League action. After an injury of goalkeeper Pekka gutter Mazanec was appointed for the first time in the NHL squad of Predators on November 5, 2013. There he made ​​his debut three days later, when he replaced the game against the Winnipeg Jets on eight minutes Carter Hutton. In the course of the month, Mazanec came out as the first-choice goalkeeper and won with a catch rate of 93.2 % and two shutouts the award as NHL rookie of the month.

Internationally

Mazanec played for several ages of the Czech junior national team. In the 2007 /08 season he first came for the Under-17 team to use. Then he stood in the squad of the Czech Republic at the U18 World Youth Championship in 2009 and two years later at the U20 World Youth Championship 2011.

Awards and achievements

• 2013 Czech champion with the HC Škoda Plzeň
• 2013 NHL Rookie of the Month for November