Patrik Å tefan
Patrik Štefan (born 16 September 1980 in Pribram, Czechoslovakia ) is a former Czech professional ice hockey player who was active in the National Hockey League for the Atlanta Thrashers and Dallas Stars.
Career
Štefan began his professional career with the HC Sparta Prague. In 1996 and 1997 he took part in the Junior World Championships, where he attracted international attention. Already in his second season in Prague, he was taken by the Long Beach Ice Dogs in the International Hockey League ( IHL ). He received in 1998 a sample contract for 25 sample games, this really should only bridge the time the Olympic break at his home club in Prague and Štefan give the opportunity to present themselves in North America. Ten assists and five goals, he was able to post up. He was counted at this time to the most likely first five NHL draft picks in the following entry draft. Because of his birthday he missed the minimum age for the draft by one day, so Štefan only in 1999 should stand for election. Meanwhile, Štefan had received a lot of ice age and also inserts on special teams at the Ice Dogs. Štefan was rebuilt by the Ice Dogs as play -making center.
A return to Europe came for Štefan no longer in question, and he signed up for another season at the Long Beach Ice Dogs. His contract stipulated that Štefan should be granted leave to participate in the World Youth Championship from the Ice Dogs, due to a neck injury in November 1998 fell Štefan but for a long time and could not take a place on the Czech national team. This season, he was able to complete only 33 games, but was convinced by a total of 35 points. NHL Entry Draft 1999, he was selected as the first overall by the Atlanta Thrashers.
The Thrashers placed Štefan in the season 1999/2000 immediately. In his first season in the NHL could Štefan the high expectations that put the public, the club officials and his teammates in him should not meet. He finished the season off with just five goals and 20 assists. The following season was for a short time in the AHL and demoted Štefan ran on for five games for the Chicago Wolves, the farm team of the Atlanta Thrashers. Štefan could return to the Thrashers and was rebuilt with increasing ice ages. In the following seasons Štefan often formed a series with Ilya Kovalchuk and Dany Heatley, who were younger than Štefan three or one year. The three were therefore often called the "Kid Line".
After five seasons with the Thrashers came Štefan for a change: The NHL teams completed their players during the lockout in 2004/05 from. Štefan sought then a new employer in Europe and played for Ilves Tampere in the Finnish SM- liiga. In 37 games in the regular season Štefan could reach 13 goals and 28 assists. In the seven play-off games to the resignation of Tampere he could add another goal and seven assists. After the season in Finland Štefan returned to the NHL and ran 2005/ 06 again for the Thrashers. With 24 points, he played only on the 252 rank in comparison with the other NHL forwards.
In the summer of 2006, the Thrashers Štefan exchanged together with the defender Jaroslav Modrý against Niko Kapanen and a drawing right in the draft with the Dallas Stars. In Dallas plagued him in the season 2006/ 07 a number of injuries, so he could deny only 41 games and scored only eleven points.
His contract in Dallas was not renewed in the summer of 2007, and because he had committed no other NHL team until September, he signed with SC Bern of the National League A. After only three games and a goal for the SC Bern had to Stefan his career on terminate due to a chronic injury.
Career Stats
( 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 )