Bobby Holík

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| name = Bobby Holík

| image = Bobby Holik.jpg

| image_size = 230px

| caption = Holík with the Atlanta Thrashers in 2005

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|1|1}}

| birth_place = Jihlava, Czechoslovakia

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 4

| weight_lb = 240

| position = Center

| shoots = Right

| played_for = Dukla Jihlava
Hartford Whalers
New Jersey Devils
New York Rangers
Atlanta Thrashers

| ntl_team = Czechoslovakia

| ntl_team_2 = Czech Republic

| draft = 10th overall

| draft_year = 1989

| draft_team = Hartford Whalers

| career_start = 1987

| career_end = 2009

| medaltemplates =

{{Medal|Country|{{CSK}}}}

}}

Robert Holík (born January 1, 1971) is a Czech-American former professional ice hockey center who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Holík is the son of Jaroslav Holík, a Czechoslovak ice hockey world champion in 1972 and Czech national team head coach who led the under-20 team to world titles in 2000 and 2001. Holík is the current head coach of the Israel men's national ice hockey team.

Playing career

Holík began his NHL career playing for the Hartford Whalers in 1990 after being selected tenth overall by them in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. After two seasons with the Whalers, he was traded to the New Jersey Devils where he played for ten seasons, featuring as a member of the "Crash Line" alongside Mike Peluso and Randy McKay, and winning two Stanley Cup championships, in 1995 and 2000.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/04/29/sports/hockey-the-devils-crash-line-is-back-in-business-with-a-bit-of-help-from-brylin.html|title=HOCKEY; the Devils' Crash Line is Back in Business with a Bit of Help from Brylin|newspaper=The New York Times|date=29 April 1999|last1=Yannis|first1=Alex}} Prior to the 2002–03 season, as a free agent, Holík signed a five-year, $45 million contract with the New York Rangers.{{cite web |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nyr/2002-07-01-holik.htm |title = USATODAY.com - Rangers sign Bobby Holik from rival Devils}}

In 2005, following the 2004–05 NHL lockout, the Rangers bought out the remainder of Holík's contract, after which he signed with the Atlanta Thrashers.{{Cite web|url=http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=141714|title=Next step? Thrashers sign Bobby Holik to $12.75 million deal}} On October 2, 2007, he was named captain of the Thrashers for the 2007–08 season.

On July 1, 2008, as a free agent, Holík signed a one-year contract with the New Jersey Devils for the 2008–09 season, returning to the team he played ten seasons with.{{cite news |url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/07022008/sports/devils/devils_ink_holik__rolston_118100.htm|title=Devils ink Holík, Rolston | publisher =nypost.com | date = 2008-07-01 | access-date = 2009-05-23 | first=Mark | last=Everson}}

On May 23, 2009, following the conclusion of the 2008–09 season, Holík announced his retirement from the NHL. He was 38 when he retired and cited a focus to be with his family.{{cite news |url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/05232009/sports/devils/holik_set_to_retire__focus_on_family_170625.htm|title=Holík set to retire, focus on family | publisher =nypost.com | date = 2009-05-23 | access-date = 2009-05-23 | first=Mark | last=Everson}}{{cite web|url=http://www.sportingnews.com/nhl/story/2009-05-23/bobby-holik-leaves-nhl-his-own-terms|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120911101523/http://www.sportingnews.com/nhl/story/2009-05-23/bobby-holik-leaves-nhl-his-own-terms|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-09-11|title=Bobby Holik leaves NHL on his own terms|publisher=sportingnews.com|date=2009-05-23|access-date=2009-05-23}} Since 2017, Holík has run a hockey school in Israel and coached their U-18 and U-20 programs.{{cite news |last1=Brooks |first1=Larry |title=NHL should not stay silent on IIHF decision to ban Israel over safety concerns |url=https://nypost.com/2024/01/13/sports/nhl-should-not-stay-silent-on-iihfs-ban-on-israel/ |access-date=January 13, 2024 |publisher=New York Post |date=January 13, 2024}}

Personal life

Holík became an American citizen in a ceremony in Newark, New Jersey, on November 4, 1996. He is married with a daughter, Hannah Marie Holík, born in 1997, and splits his time between Wyoming and Florida.{{cite news |title=New Jersey Devils center Bobby Holik decides to retire after 18 seasons |newspaper=The Star-Ledger |date=May 23, 2009 |first=Rich |last=Chere |url=http://www.nj.com/devils/index.ssf/2009/05/new_jersey_devils_center_bobby.html }}

Holík's nephew, David Musil, was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers.

Holík is an avid rifle, pistol and shotgun enthusiast. After being introduced to firearms manufacturer CZ-USA's president Alice Poluchová{{cite web |url=http://czusapresidentalice.blogspot.com/ |title = CZ-USA president Alice Poluchova}} by shooting instructor Shepard Humphries,{{Cite web|url=http://www.usacarry.com/author/shepard-humphries/|title = Shepard Humphries}} Holík became CZ-USA's celebrity representative.{{Cite web|url=http://holikonshooting.com/gun-ranges-in-the-great-state-of-wyoming/|title = Gun ranges in the great state of Wyoming|date = 11 August 2012}}[https://archive.today/20130127140718/http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=7893]

{{cite web |url=http://www.cz-usa.com/holik/ |title=CZ-USA -> Bobby Holik |access-date=2012-03-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314124917/http://www.cz-usa.com/holik/ |archive-date=2012-03-14 }}

Awards and achievements

Stanley Cup champion – 1994–95, 1999–2000
NHL All-Star – 1998, 1999

Career statistics

=Regular season and playoffs=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em"
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"\| ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"\| ! colspan="5"\|Regular season ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"\| ! colspan="5"\|Playoffs
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM
1987–88 \| ASD Dukla Jihlava \| CSSR \| 31	7	11	18	16 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1988–89 \| ASD Dukla Jihlava \| CSSR \| 24	7	10	17	32 \| 12	3	5	8	—
1989–90 \| ASD Dukla Jihlava \| CSSR \| 42	15	26	41	— \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1990–91 \| Hartford Whalers \| NHL \| 78	21	22	43	113 \| 6	0	0	0	7
1991–92 \| Hartford Whalers \| NHL \| 76	21	24	45	44 \| 7	0	1	1	6
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1992–93 \| New Jersey Devils \| NHL \| 61	20	19	39	76 \| 5	1	1	2	6
1992–93 \| Utica Devils \| AHL \| 1	0	0	0	2 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1993–94 \| New Jersey Devils \| NHL \| 70	13	20	33	72 \| 20	0	3	3	6
1994–95 \| New Jersey Devils \| NHL \| 48	10	10	20	18 \| 20	4	4	8	22
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1995–96 \| New Jersey Devils \| NHL \| 63	13	17	30	58 \| —	—	—	—	—
1996–97 \| New Jersey Devils \| NHL \| 82	23	39	62	54 \| 10	2	3	5	4
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1997–98 \| New Jersey Devils \| NHL \| 82	29	36	65	100 \| 5	0	0	0	8
1998–99 \| New Jersey Devils \| NHL \| 78	27	37	64	119 \| 7	0	7	7	6
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1999–2000 \| New Jersey Devils \| NHL \| 79	23	23	46	106 \| 23	3	7	10	14
2000–01 \| New Jersey Devils \| NHL \| 80	15	35	50	97 \| 25	6	10	16	37
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2001–02 \| New Jersey Devils \| NHL \| 81	25	29	54	97 \| 6	4	1	5	2
2002–03 \| New York Rangers \| NHL \| 64	16	19	35	52 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2003–04 \| New York Rangers \| NHL \| 82	25	31	56	96 \| —	—	—	—	—
2005–06 \| Atlanta Thrashers \| NHL \| 64	15	18	33	79 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2006–07 \| Atlanta Thrashers \| NHL \| 82	11	18	29	86 \| 4	0	1	1	0
2007–08 \| Atlanta Thrashers \| NHL \| 82	15	19	34	90 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2008–09 \| New Jersey Devils \| NHL \| 62	4	5	9	66 \| 3	0	1	1	2
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" \| CSSR totals ! 97 !! 29 !! 47 !! 76 !! 48 ! 12 !! 3 !! 5 !! 8 !! —
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" \| NHL totals ! 1,314 !! 326 !! 421 !! 747 !! 1,421 ! 141 !! 20 !! 39 !! 59 !! 120