Michal Sivek
Michal Sivek ( born January 21, 1981 in Náchod, Czechoslovakia ) is a former Czech ice hockey player. From 1997 to 2008 he played for HC Sparta Prague in the Czech Extraliga and the Pittsburgh Penguins in the National Hockey League.
- 3.1 International
Career
Michal Sivek began his career in the youth of the HC Sparta Prague, for whom he made his debut as a 15- year-old in the U18 Extraliga. He played up to the Saisobn 1997/98 exclusively for the junior Sparta before he made his debut for Sparta pro team both in the Extraliga, as well as in the European Hockey League. Until the beginning of the 1998/99 season he was part of the squad of its common association before he moved to the HC Kladno Velvana. During the NHL Entry Draft in 1999, he was selected by the Washington Capitals in the second round than a total of 29 players. Therefore, he decided a change to North America and was taken from the Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League contract. Despite good performances, he returned a year later returned to Sparta.
In July 2001 Sivek was submitted along with Kris Beech and Ross Lupaschuk to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who sent to Washington in return Jaromir Jagr and Frantisek Kucera. In the following season, he went first to the farm team of the Penguins, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League, on the ice before he returned after 25 AHL games to Sparta. After his return, he won his first Czech Championship title in the playoffs in 2002 with Sparta.
In the season 2002/ 03 he made his debut for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League and played a total of 38 NHL games before he was sent back to Wilkes- Barre. In the following season he was able to complete only 22 games for Wilkes -Barre because of a finger injury. In the summer of 2004 he decided to re- return to Sparta Prague, where he graduated in the next four years, over 220 games in the Extraliga and reached two more championships.
After the season 2007 /08 he ended his career due to many injuries and has since worked as a scout for Sparta.
Internationally
At the international level Sivek was very successful as a junior player, as he graduated as senior players just five appearances for the Czech national team. Sivek took part in three U20 World Junior Championships and two U18 Junior Championships. He won the 2000 and 2001 gold medal.
Awards and achievements
- 2000 Gold medal at the U20 World Junior Championships
- 2001 Gold medal at the U20 World Junior Championships
- 2002 Czech champion with the HC Sparta Prague
- 2006 Czech champion with the HC Sparta Prague
- 2007 Czech champion with the HC Sparta Prague
Career Stats
Internationally
( 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 )