Michal Pivoňka

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Czech RepublicCzech Republic  Michal Pivoňka Ice hockey player
Date of birth January 28, 1966
place of birth Kladno , Czechoslovakia
size 187 cm
Weight 88 kg
position center
Shot hand Left
Draft
NHL Entry Draft 1984 , 3rd round, 59th position
Washington Capitals
Career stations
until 1986 ASD Dukla Jihlava
1986-1999 Washington Capitals
1999-2000 Kansas City Blades

Michal Pivoňka (born January 28, 1966 in Kladno , Czechoslovakia ) is a former Czech ice hockey player who played 920 games for the Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League between 1983 and 2000 . Especially at international level, Pivoňka celebrated numerous medal wins with the Czechoslovak national team , including winning the gold medal at the 1985 World Cup .

Career

Pivoňka played in the youth of the army club ASD Dukla Jihlava , where he performed his military service until 1986 and had won the Czechoslovak championship with the team in 1985 . In the 1984 NHL Entry Draft , the striker was selected in the third round in 59th position by the Washington Capitals .

Although it was difficult for players from the Eastern Bloc countries to realize a career in the National Hockey League at the time of the Iron Curtain , Pivoňka settled in the United States in the summer of 1986 and joined the Washington Capitals. Over the years, the attacker quickly filled the gap left by the Swede Bengt-Åke Gustafsson after his retirement in the summer of 1989. With the move from Peter Bondra to the Capitals in the summer of 1990, Pivoňka rose again and set a personal record in the 1991/92 season with 80 points scorer . As a result, the Czech's point yields decreased, but he remained loyal to the capitals with the exception of seven games for the EC KAC in the 1994/95 season, which began later because of the lockout . With 81 points he improved his scoring record in the 1995/96 season again. Due to injuries, Pivoňka only made a few appearances in the following three years and so the Capitals did not renew the contract after 13 years in the summer of 1999. The center played his last professional season in the 1999/2000 season with the Kansas City Blades in the International Hockey League .

International

Pivoňka represented Czechoslovakia at the Junior European Championships in 1983 and 1984 , the Junior World Championships in 1984 , 1985 and 1986 , the World Championships in 1985 and 1986 and the Canada Cup in 1991 .

In the junior division, he won the silver medal at the 1984 European Junior Championship and the bronze medal at the 1983 European Junior Championship. At the Junior World Championship in 1984, the Czechoslovaks won the silver medal and bronze in the following year. After Pivoňka had already stood in the All-Star Team at the European Junior Championship in 1983, he was named the best striker at the 1985 World Junior Championship and was elected to the All-Star team. He was re-elected to the All-Star Team in 1986. With the men's selection, he achieved the greatest success of his career in 1985, when he won the world title.

Achievements and Awards

International

  • 1985 Best striker in the Junior World Championship
  • 1985 All-Star Team of the Junior World Championship
  • 1985 gold medal at the world championship
    • Silver medal at the European Championship
  • 1986 All-Star Team of the Junior World Championship

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
season team league Sp T V Pt SM Sp T V Pt SM
1983/84 Poldi SONP Kladno 1. ČNHL 34 15th 13 28 19th - - - - -
1984/85 ASD Dukla Jihlava 1st League 33 8th 11 19th 18th - - - - -
1985/86 ASD Dukla Jihlava 1st League 42 5 13 18th 18th - - - - -
1986/87 Washington Capitals NHL 73 18th 25th 43 41 7th 1 1 2 2
1987/88 Washington Capitals NHL 71 11 23 34 28 14th 4th 9 13 4th
1988/89 Baltimore Skipjacks AHL 31 12 24 36 19th - - - - -
1988/89 Washington Capitals NHL 52 8th 19th 27 30th 6th 3 1 4th 10
1989/90 Washington Capitals NHL 77 25th 39 64 54 11 0 2 2 6th
1990/91 Washington Capitals NHL 79 20th 50 70 34 11 2 3 5 8th
1991/92 Washington Capitals NHL 80 23 57 80 47 7th 1 5 6th 13
1992/93 Washington Capitals NHL 69 23 51 74 66 6th 0 2 2 0
1993/94 Washington Capitals NHL 82 14th 36 50 38 7th 4th 4th 8th 4th
1994/95 EC KAC OIL 7th 2 4th 6th 4th - - - - -
1994/95 Washington Capitals NHL 46 10 23 33 50 7th 1 4th 5 21st
1995/96 Detroit Vipers IHL 7th 1 9 10 19th - - - - -
1995/96 Washington Capitals NHL 73 16 65 81 36 6th 3 2 5 18th
1996/97 Washington Capitals NHL 54 7th 16 23 22nd - - - - -
1997/98 Washington Capitals NHL 33 3 6th 9 20th 13 0 3 3 0
1998/99 Washington Capitals NHL 36 5 6th 11 12 - - - - -
1999/00 Kansas City Blades IHL 52 16 34 50 38 - - - - -
1st league overall 75 13 24 37 36 - - - - -
IHL total 59 17th 43 60 57 - - - - -
NHL overall 825 181 418 599 478 95 19th 36 55 86

International

Represented Czechoslovakia in:

year team event result Sp T V Pt SM
1983 Czechoslovakia U18 European Championship 3rd place, bronze 5 4th 5 9 14th
1984 Czechoslovakia U20 World Cup 3rd place, bronze 7th 1 2 3 0
1984 Czechoslovakia U18 European Championship 2nd place, silver 5 3 4th 7th 2
1985 Czechoslovakia U20 World Cup 2nd place, silver 7th 9 4th 13 14th
1985 Czechoslovakia WM 1st place, gold 10 0 1 1 0
1986 Czechoslovakia U20 World Cup 5th place 7th 5 5 10 10
1986 Czechoslovakia WM 5th place 10 2 1 3 6th
1991 Czechoslovakia Canada Cup 6th place 5 0 3 3 2
Juniors overall 31 22nd 20th 42 40
Men overall 25th 2 5 7th 8th

( Legend for player statistics: Sp or GP = games played; T or G = goals scored; V or A = assists scored ; Pkt or Pts = scorer points scored ; SM or PIM = penalty minutes received ; +/− = plus / minus balance; PP = overpaid goals scored ; SH = underpaid goals scored ; GW = winning goals scored; 1  play-downs / relegation )

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Pivoňka, Michal
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Pivonka, Michal
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Czech ice hockey player
DATE OF BIRTH January 28, 1966
PLACE OF BIRTH Kladno , Czechoslovakia