Tomáš Slovák (born April 5, 1983) is a Slovak professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently a free agent.

Tomáš Slovák
Born (1983-04-05) April 5, 1983 (age 41)
Košice, Czechoslovakia
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 209 lb (95 kg; 14 st 13 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Right
team
Former teams
Free agent
HC Košice
Kelowna Rockets
Hershey Bears
Reading Royals
Lowell Lock Monsters
Mora IK
SaiPa
MsHK Žilina
Ilves
Augsburger Panther
Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg
Piráti Chomutov
HC Dynamo Minsk
HK Gomel
HC Plzeň
HK Hradec Kralove
Brynäs IF
HC Oceláři Třinec
DVTK Jegesmedvék
NHL draft 42nd overall, 2001
Nashville Predators
Playing career 2000–present

He was originally drafted 42nd overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career

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Slovak played as a youth in the developmental program of hometown club, HC Košice, from 1997 to 2001. He made his Slovak Extraliga debut with Košice in the 1999–00 season, appearing in a pair of games. After impressing on the international junior stage for the Slovak junior team, Slovak was selected by the Nashville Predators in the second round, 42nd overall, in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

With intention to pursue an NHL career, Slovak opted to play major junior hockey in North America after he was drafted 4th overall in the 2001 CHL Import Draft by the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Slovak enjoyed a standout second season with the Rockets in 2002–03, contributing with 71 points in 65 games to lead the league amongst defensemen. Having concluded his junior career, Slovak's was expected to compete for a roster position on the Predators defense corps. However, with the Predators going heavy in 2003 NHL Entry Draft on blue chip defenseman Ryan Suter and Shea Weber, his rights were traded by the Nashville Predators to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Sergei Soin on June 21, 2003.[1]

On July 15, 2003, Slovak agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Avalanche. After attending the Avalanche's training camp, Slovak was assigned to begin his rookie season with affiliate, Hershey Bears, of the American Hockey League. In the 2003–04 season, Slovak split time between the Bears and the Reading Royals of the ECHL. He contributed with 11 points in 43 AHL games. In the following 2004–05 season, with his role affected with the Bears by the 2004–05 NHL Lockout, Slovak returned to Slovakia after just one game with the Bears and played out the season with HC Košice.

Slovak returned to North America for the final year of his entry-level contract with the Avalanche in the 2005–06 season. He was familiarly assigned by Colorado to the AHL, playing with new partner the Lowell Lock Monsters. In 59 games, Slovak produced just 8 assists from the blueline, signalling the end of his tenure within the Avalanche organization.

On the opening day of free agency, Slovak was unable to gain NHL interest and opted to sign a contract with Swedish club, Mora IK of the then Elitserien on July 1, 2006. He played just 6 games with Mora in the 2006–07 season, before embarking on a tumultuous year by playing in four separate European teams in three different leagues.

From his return to European hockey, Slovak adapted to his journeyman status and has played in 6 countries and 14 clubs.[2]

Playing predominately in the Czech Extraliga over the last 7 years, Slovak agreed to extend his playing career by signing a one-year contract with Piráti Chomutov on May 1, 2017. His signing marked a return to Chomutov after 6 years from his first stint in the Czech 1st Division.[3]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1997–98 HC Košice SVK U20 47 1 6 7 24
1998–99 HC VSŽ Košice SVK U20 45 6 14 20 65
1999–2000 HC VSŽ Košice SVK U20 55 16 28 44 119
1999–2000 HC VSŽ Košice SVK 2 0 0 0 0
2000–01 HC Košice SVK U20 3 1 1 2 6
2000–01 HC Košice SVK 43 5 5 10 28 3 1 0 1 2
2001–02 Kelowna Rockets WHL 53 2 24 26 41 15 0 0 0 8
2002–03 Kelowna Rockets WHL 65 18 53 71 86 19 2 20 22 26
2003–04 Hershey Bears AHL 43 3 8 11 16
2003–04 Reading Royals ECHL 20 3 7 10 32
2004–05 Hershey Bears AHL 1 0 0 0 2
2004–05 HC Košice SVK 33 3 11 14 42 10 1 2 3 24
2005–06 Lowell Lock Monsters AHL 59 0 8 8 61
2006–07 Mora IK SEL 6 0 0 0 51
2006–07 SaiPa SM-liiga 6 0 1 1 4
2006–07 MsHK Žilina SVK 16 1 1 2 30
2006–07 Ilves SM-liiga 13 1 5 6 12 7 0 1 1 18
2007–08 Augsburger Panther DEL 56 4 9 13 82
2008–09 Augsburger Panther DEL 34 1 7 8 28
2008–09 HC Košice SVK 16 1 3 4 12 18 1 4 5 42
2009–10 Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg KHL 51 2 4 6 66 4 0 1 1 2
2010–11 Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg KHL 20 0 3 3 44
2010–11 KLH Chomutov CZE.2 10 3 6 9 22 13 1 6 7 14
2011–12 Dinamo Minsk KHL 31 1 1 2 25 1 0 0 0 2
2011–12 HK Gomel BLR 1 0 0 0 0
2012–13 HC Škoda Plzeň ELH 27 4 7 11 8 19 1 4 5 10
2013–14 HC Škoda Plzeň ELH 47 4 9 13 34 6 1 0 1 2
2014–15 Mountfield HK ELH 30 2 15 17 28
2014–15 Brynäs IF SHL 21 1 2 3 6 7 1 1 2 0
2015–16 HC Košice SVK 5 0 0 0 0
2015–16 HC Oceláři Třinec ELH 25 0 2 2 12 4 0 0 0 0
2016–17 HC Škoda Plzeň ELH 16 0 2 2 28
2016–17 MsHK DOXXbet Žilina SVK 3 0 0 0 2
2017–18 Piráti Chomutov ELH 48 3 8 11 16
2018–19 DVTK Jegesmedvék SVK 39 1 3 4 20
2018–19 HC Košice SVK 8 0 4 4 8 6 0 4 4 2
2019–20 HC Košice SVK 46 0 6 6 18
2020–21 HC Košice SVK 46 0 4 4 66 4 1 0 1 2
2021–22 HK Trebišov SVK.3 3 0 4 4 2 9 3 4 7 25
SVK totals 257 11 37 48 226 41 4 10 14 72
KHL totals 102 3 8 11 135 5 0 1 1 4
ELH totals 193 13 43 56 126 29 2 4 6 12

International

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Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2001 Slovakia WJC 8th 7 1 1 2 8
2001 Slovakia WJC18 8th 6 0 1 1 16
2003 Slovakia WJC 5th 6 0 0 0 36
Junior totals 19 1 2 3 60

Awards and honors

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Award Year
WHL
West First All-Star Team 2003
Slovak
Champion 2009
Czech
Champion 2013

References

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  1. ^ "Predators go heavy on defense; Trade Slovak". Nashville City Paper. 2003-06-21. Retrieved 2017-05-14.
  2. ^ "Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg's 2010-11 Roster". hockeydb.com. 2011-02-03. Retrieved 2011-02-03.
  3. ^ "Tomas Slovak after six years dons the jersey again" (in Czech). Piráti Chomutov. 2017-05-01. Retrieved 2017-05-01.
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