Michal Sýkora

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Czech RepublicCzech Republic  Michal Sýkora Ice hockey player
Date of birth 4th July 1973
place of birth Pardubice , Czechoslovakia
size 196 cm
Weight 106 kg
position defender
Shot hand Left
Draft
NHL Entry Draft 1992 , 6th lap, 123rd position
San Jose Sharks
Career stations
until 1991 HC Pardubice
1991-1993 Tacoma Rockets
1993-1997 San Jose Sharks
1997-1998 Chicago Blackhawks
1998 Tampa Bay Lightning
1998-2000 HC Sparta Prague
2000-2001 Philadelphia Flyers
2001-2005 HC Pardubice

Michal Sýkora (born July 4, 1973 in Pardubice , Czechoslovakia ) is a former Czech ice hockey player . During his career he played for the San Jose Sharks , Chicago Blackhawks , Tampa Bay Lightning and Philadelphia Flyers in the National Hockey League , as well as HC Pardubice and HC Sparta Prague in the Czech Extra League . His younger brother Petr is also a professional ice hockey player.

Career

Sýkora began his career in his hometown, where he went through the youth department of HC Pardubice , before he came in the 1990/91 season at the age of 17 to his first appearances in the first division , the highest Czechoslovak division. For the following season he ventured to North America to play in the Western Hockey League for the Tacoma Rockets . After a successful rookie season he was finally selected in the NHL Entry Draft 1992 in the sixth round in 123rd place by the San Jose Sharks . The Czech stayed with the Tacoma Rockets for another year and doubled his previous year's result with 73 points.

For the 1993/94 season , the Sharks submitted his first professional contract to the defender and initially used him with the Kansas City Blades , their farm team from the International Hockey League . In the course of the season Sýkora also came to his first 22 appearances in the National Hockey League . After he had also partially spent the 1994/95 season , which was shortened by the lockout , in the IHL, he made the jump into the regular team of the Sharks at the beginning of the 1995/96 season and played in 79 of the total of 82 games. He also started the 1996/97 season with the team from San Jose, but was then given up in January 1997 with Chris Terreri and Ulf Dahlén to the Chicago Blackhawks , who in return sent goalkeeper Ed Belfour to the US west coast. Sýkora ended the season with the Blackhawks, but did not extend his expired contract. He first returned to Europe and played a game for his home club in Pardubice, before he could come to an agreement with the management of the Blackhawks. At the end of the year, however, he had to switch to the Tampa Bay Lightning . After only ten games for Tampa, he left the club and returned to his homeland in the Czech Republic, where he spent two seasons with HC Sparta Prague and was able to celebrate the championship title in 2000 .

For the 2000/01 season Sýkora began his second North American engagement, as the Philadelphia Flyers had signed the free agent for a year. After returning for a year, he ended his North American career again and moved back to the Czech extra league , this time to HC Pardubice, where he played until the 2004/05 season before ending his active career.

International

Sýkora won two world titles with the Czech national team in 1996 and 2000 during his career . In both years he was also elected to the tournament's All-Star Team . He also took part in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey , the 2002 Winter Olympics and the 2002 World Cup.

Achievements and Awards

NHL statistics

Seasons Games Gates Assists Points Penalty minutes
Regular season 7th 267 15th 54 69 185
Playoffs 2 7th 0 1 1 0

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Sýkora, Michal
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Sykora, Michal
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Czech ice hockey player
DATE OF BIRTH 4th July 1973
PLACE OF BIRTH Pardubice , Czechoslovakia