- Martin Straka
-
Martin Straka 
Born September 3, 1972
Plzeň, TCHHeight 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Weight 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb) Position Forward Shoots Left CzEx team
Former teamsHC Plzeň 1929
New York Rangers (NHL)
Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)
Ottawa Senators (NHL)
New York Islanders (NHL)
Florida Panthers (NHL)
Los Angeles Kings (NHL)National team 
Czech RepublicNHL Draft 19th overall, 1992
Pittsburgh PenguinsPlaying career 1989–present Martin Straka (born September 3, 1972) is a Czech ice hockey centre who plays for HC Plzeň 1929 of the Czech Extraliga. He is also the club's general manager and co-owner.
Contents
Playing career
Straka was drafted 19th overall by the Penguins in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, and has played for several teams throughout his 18 year NHL career. After producing only 4 goals and 16 points in 31 games, Straka was traded to the Ottawa Senators on April 7, 1995 for Norm MacIver and Troy Murray. The following season, on January 23, 1996, less than a year after being traded to Ottawa, he was traded again. Straka, along with Don Beaupre and former #1 overall pick Bryan Berard was traded to the New York Islanders for Damian Rhodes and Wade Redden. He would be placed on waivers and claimed by the Florida Panthers on March 15, 1996. Florida would not re-sign Straka after the 1996–97 season, which made him an unrestricted free agent. He then returned to Pittsburgh beginning in 1997-98.
He would go on to have a career year during the 2000–2001 season for Pittsburgh as he amassed 27 goals and 95 points and establish himself as one of the leagues premiere two-way players due to his explosive speed and on-ice vision. However, the following season his speedy reputation would be called into jeopardy as Straka would suffer a season-ending injury in the form of a broken leg, an injury which would take him years to recover from. On November 30, 2003, in a cost-cutting move, the Penguins would deal Straka to the Los Angeles Kings for Russian prospect Sergei Anshakov and defenceman Martin Strbak. Straka would later sign as a free agent by the Rangers on August 2, 2005. On January 17, 2007, despite reports that he was considering retirement, Straka signed a one-year contract extension for the 2007–08 season.
On February 16, 2008 in a game against the Buffalo Sabres, Straka assisted on a goal to record his 700th NHL point.
He was a part of the gold medal-winning Olympic team at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. He also won gold in the 2005 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships in Vienna.
In July 2008, Straka returned home to the Czech Extraliga, signing a one-year deal with HC Lasselsberger Plzeň (now HC Plzeň 1929).[1]
Career statistics
Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1989–90 Plzeň Czechoslovak 1 0 3 3 0 — — — — — 1990–91 Plzeň Czechoslovak 47 7 24 31 6 — — — — — 1991–92 Plzeň Czechoslovak 36 26 14 40 20 14 4 4 8 — 1992–93 Cleveland Lumberjacks IHL 4 4 3 7 0 — — — — — 1992–93 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 42 3 13 16 29 11 2 1 3 2 1993–94 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 84 30 34 64 24 6 1 0 1 2 1994–95 Plzeň Czech 19 10 11 21 0 — — — — — 1994–95 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 31 4 12 16 16 — — — — — 1994–95 Ottawa Senators NHL 6 1 1 2 0 — — — — — 1995–96 Ottawa Senators NHL 43 9 16 25 29 — — — — — 1995–96 New York Islanders NHL 22 2 10 12 6 — — — — — 1995–96 Florida Panthers NHL 12 2 4 6 6 13 2 2 4 2 1996–97 Florida Panthers NHL 55 7 22 29 12 4 0 0 0 0 1997–98 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 75 19 23 42 28 6 2 0 2 2 1998–99 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 80 35 48 83 26 13 6 9 15 6 1999–00 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 71 20 39 59 26 11 3 9 12 10 2000–01 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 82 27 68 95 38 18 5 8 13 8 2001–02 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 13 5 4 9 0 — — — — — 2002–03 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 60 18 28 46 12 — — — — — 2003–04 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 22 4 8 12 16 — — — — — 2003–04 Los Angeles Kings NHL 32 6 8 14 4 — — — — — 2004–05 Plzeň Czech 45 16 18 34 76 — — — — — 2005–06 New York Rangers NHL 82 22 54 76 42 4 0 0 0 2 2006–07 New York Rangers NHL 76 29 41 70 24 10 2 8 10 2 2007–08 New York Rangers NHL 65 14 27 41 22 10 3 7 10 16 2008–09 Plzeň Czech 51 22 30 52 20 17 8 13 21 2 2009–10 Plzeň Czech 35 17 26 43 32 6 2 2 4 4 2010–11 Plzeň Czech 51 17 44 61 12 -- -- -- -- -- NHL totals 954 257 460 717 360 106 26 44 70 52 Czechoslovak/Czech Extraliga totals 285 115 170 285 166 37 14 19 33 6 International play
Olympic medal record Men's ice hockey Gold 1998 Nagano Team Bronze 2006 Turin Team World Championships Gold 2005 Vienna Ice hockey Season Team Event GP G A P PIM 1998 CzechRep Oly 6 1 2 3 0 2005 CzechRep WC 9 3 1 4 8 2006 CzechRep Oly 8 2 6 8 6 References
External links
Preceded by
Markus NäslundPittsburgh Penguins first round draft pick
1992Succeeded by
Stefan BergkvistCategories:- 1972 births
- Living people
- Cleveland Lumberjacks players
- Czech ice hockey players
- Florida Panthers players
- HC Plzeň players
- Ice hockey players at the 1998 Winter Olympics
- Ice hockey players at the 2006 Winter Olympics
- Los Angeles Kings players
- National Hockey League All-Stars
- National Hockey League first round draft picks
- New York Islanders players
- New York Rangers players
- Olympic bronze medalists for the Czech Republic
- Olympic gold medalists for the Czech Republic
- Olympic ice hockey players of the Czech Republic
- Ottawa Senators players
- People from Plzeň
- Pittsburgh Penguins draft picks
- Pittsburgh Penguins players
- Olympic medalists in ice hockey
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