Václav Prospal
Vaclav " Vinny " Prospal ( born February 17, 1975 in České Budějovice, Czechoslovakia ) is a former Czech ice hockey player who played last July at the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League for the position of left winger.
- 2.1 International
- 3.1 International
Career
Václav Prospal began his career in his hometown at the engine České Budějovice, where he went through the youth ranks and played from 1991 in the Junior Extraliga. NHL Entry Draft 1993, he was selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the third round at 71st position and moved in the same summer to North America and was during his debut season, primarily at the Hershey Bears, the former farm team the Flyers in the American Hockey League used. His first try in the NHL he had in the season 1996 / 97th During the playoffs in the same season, he broke his arm during a training session, but was still elected to the First All -Star team in the AHL.
A few months later Prospal received the vocation for the 1998 Winter Olympics, where he was to represent his home country. However, the Czech was unable to play because he had broken in an NHL game against the Ottawa Senators in a challenge with Lance Pitlick a leg. In January 1998, the Flyers gave him together with Pat Falloon and a second-round vote in the NHL Entry Draft in 1998 in exchange for Alexandre Daigle to the Senator from, where he played until mid-season 2000/ 01.
About the Florida Panthers, he came to the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he played nearly five seasons ( with two breaks ). In the 2003 / 04 season, Prospal went for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on the ice during the lockout in the season 2004 /05 he returned to the Czech Republic. There, the striker played for his hometown club in the first second-rate league and was top scorer, top scorer and assist provider of the league and managed with the HC České Budějovice promotion to the Extraliga. In the first season after the lockout Prospal reached personal bests with 25 goals and 55 assists in the jersey of the Bolts.
Shortly before the end of the Trade Deadline in the 2007/ 08 season, Prospal was released to the Philadelphia Flyers, who sent in return Alexandre Picard and a second-round vote in the NHL Entry Draft in 2009 to the Tampa Bay Lightning. In June 2008, Prospal returned again to Florida. In the 2008 /09 season he was in 82 games for the Lightning in action, scored 19 goals and collected 45 points. On 17 August 2009 he signed as a free agent contract with the New York Rangers, where he immediately earned itself a regular place and in the 2009/10 season in 75 games reached 58 points. After completion of the 2010 /11 Blue Shirts did not renew the expiring contract of the Czech striker, so he was available as a free agent again. On July 22, 2011, he was finally obliged by the Columbus Blue Jackets and equipped with a contract for one season. After he played until the end of the season in Columbus, he was on January 24, 2014 end of his career known.
Internationally
Václav Prospal has participated in all major international championships during his career. He had at the U18 European Junior Championships in 1993. During the following two years he took part in the Junior World Championships its first outing.
With the Czech national team, he won two gold medals at the World Championships. 2000 and 2005 Another highlight of his career was winning the bronze medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.
Awards and achievements
Internationally
Career Stats
Internationally
Represented the Czech Republic at:
- U18 European Junior Championships 1993
- U20 Junior World Cup 1994
- U20 Junior World Cup in 1995
- World Cup 2000
- World Cup 2004
- World Cup of Hockey 2004
- World Championship 2005
- 2006 Winter Olympics
( 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 )