Jiří Sekáč

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| name = Jiří Sekáč

| image = Jiri Sekac - Montreal Canadiens.jpg

| image_size = 230px

| caption = Sekáč with the Montreal Canadiens in January 2015

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|06|10|df=y}}

| birth_place = Kladno, Czechoslovakia

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 1

| weight_lb = 185

| position = Left wing

| shoots = Left

| league = NL

| team = HC Lugano

| prospect_team =

| prospect_league =

| former_teams = HC Lev Poprad
HC Sparta Praha
HC Lev Praha
Montreal Canadiens
Anaheim Ducks
Chicago Blackhawks
Arizona Coyotes
Ak Bars Kazan
HC CSKA Moscow
Avangard Omsk
Lausanne HC

| ntl_team = CZE

| draft = Undrafted

| career_start = 2011

| career_end =

}}

Jiří Sekáč (born 10 June 1992) is a Czech professional ice hockey player for HC Lugano of the National League (NL). Originally undrafted by teams in the National Hockey League (NHL), Sekáč has previously played for the Montreal Canadiens, Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks, and Arizona Coyotes.

Playing career

As a youth, Sekáč played in the 2005 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a team from Chomutov.{{cite web|url=https://www.publicationsports.com/ressources/files/439/Joueurs_Pro.pdf|title=Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA|year=2018|website=Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament|access-date=2019-02-16|archive-date=2019-03-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306085544/https://www.publicationsports.com/ressources/files/439/Joueurs_Pro.pdf|url-status=dead}}

Sekáč later played with HC Lev Praha in the Kontinental Hockey League and HC Sparta Praha in the Czech Extraliga. On 1 July 2014 Sekáč signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Canadiens worth $1,850,000.{{cite web| url = https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/530729 | title = Canadiens sign Czech forward Jiri Sekac| publisher = TheScore Inc. | date = 2014-07-01 | accessdate = 2014-07-01}} In his first North American season in 2014–15 he scored his first NHL goal on 16 October 2014 against Tuukka Rask of the Boston Bruins.{{cite web| url = http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/jiri-sekac-scores-1st-nhl-goal-dad-goes-nuts-1.2802218 | title = Jiri Sekac scores 1st NHL goal, dad goes nuts | publisher = CBC Sports | accessdate = 2015-01-17}}

On 13 January 2015 Sekáč was invited to the 2015 Honda NHL All-Star Skills Competition as a replacement for Los Angeles Kings' forward Tanner Pearson.{{cite web| url = http://www.nhl.com/ice/blogpost.htm?id=35877 | title = Canadiens' Sekac to join rookies at All-Star Weekend | publisher = NHL.com | date = 2015-01-13 | accessdate = 2015-01-13}} Known for his skating speed, he was drafted by Team Foligno, along with Canadiens' teammate Carey Price, and participated in the Bridgestone NHL Fastest Skater race, beating Aaron Ekblad with a time of 13.683s, making him the 6th fastest of the event.{{cite web| url = http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=748870 | title = 2015 Honda NHL All-Star Skills Competition results | publisher = NHL.com | date = 2015-01-24 | accessdate = 2015-01-25}}

After 50 games with the Canadiens on 24 February 2015 he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Devante Smith-Pelly.{{cite web| url = https://www.tsn.ca/habs-acquire-smith-pelly-from-ducks-1.214832 | title = Habs acquire Smith-Pelly from Ducks | publisher = The Sports Network | date = 2015-02-24 | accessdate = 2015-02-24}}

In the following 2015–16 season, Sekáč was unable to secure a regular forward role and appeared in 22 games for 3 points with the Ducks before he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Ryan Garbutt on 21 January 2016.{{cite web| url = http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=798837 | title = Jiri Sekac traded to the Chicago Blackhawks | publisher = National Hockey League | date = 2016-01-21 | accessdate = 2016-01-21}} Sekáč was used sparingly in 6 games with the Blackhawks registering one assist before being placed on waivers and claimed by the Arizona Coyotes on 27 February 2016.{{cite web| url = http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/arizona-coyotes-claim-forward-jiri-sekac-off-waivers/ | title = Arizona Coyotes claim Jiri Sekac of waivers from Blackhawks | publisher = Sportsnet.ca | date = 2016-02-27 | accessdate = 2016-02-27}} Sekac closed out the season with the Coyotes, appearing 11 games for two assists.{{citation needed|date=February 2019}}

On 6 June 2016 Sekáč headed back to Europe and signed a one-year deal with Ak Bars Kazan in a return to the Kontinental Hockey League.{{Cite web|url=http://thehockeywriters.com/jiri-sekac-returns-khl-ak-bars-kazan/|title=Jiri Sekac Signs Deal With Ak Bars Kazan in KHL|date=2016-06-06|website=The Hockey Writers|language=en-US|access-date=2016-06-07}}

On 1 May 2019, after three productive seasons with Ak Bars, Sekáč was traded to reigning champions HC CSKA Moscow in exchange for Igor Ozhiganov's KHL rights.{{Cite web| url = https://cska-hockey.ru/news/Novosti_kluba/tsska_proizvel_obmen_s_ak_barsom/ | title = CSKA make trade with Ak Bars | publisher = CSKA Moscow | date = 1 May 2019 | accessdate = 1 May 2019 | language = Russian}} He registered 25 points in 45 regular season games, before ending his season through injury.

A free agent from CSKA, Sekáč continued his career in the KHL, agreeing to a one-year contract with Avangard Omsk on 16 July 2020.{{cite web| url = https://www.hawk.ru/news/39210/ | title = Avangard Omsk sign a contract with Jiri Sekac | publisher = Avangard Omsk | date = 16 July 2020 | accessdate = 16 July 2020 | language = Russian}}

On 28 July 2021, Sekáč joined Lausanne HC of the National League (NL) on a three-year deal through the end of the 2023–24 season.{{cite web| url = https://www.swisshockeynews.ch/index.php/shn/11-swiss-ice-hockey/nla/24772-lausanne-hc-signs-forward-jiri-sekac-to-three-year-deal | title = Lausanne HC signs forward Jiri Sekac to three-year deal | publisher = swisshockeynews.ch | date = 28 July 2021 | accessdate = 28 July 2021}}

Career statistics

=Regular season and playoffs=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em"

style="background:#e0e0e0;"

! colspan="3" style="background:#fff;"|

! rowspan="99" style="background:#fff;"|

! colspan="5" | Regular season

! rowspan="99" style="background:#fff;"|

! colspan="5" | Playoffs

style="background:#e0e0e0;"

! Season

! Team

! League

! GP

! G

! A

! Pts

! PIM

! GP

! G

! A

! Pts

! PIM

2007–08

| HC GEUS OKNA Kladno

| CZE U18

| 45

| 6

| 9

| 15

| 8

| —

style="background:#f0f0f0;"

| 2008–09

| HC GEUS OKNA Kladno

| CZE U18

| 46

| 38

| 49

| 87

| 48

| 5

| 3

| 6

2009–10

| Peterborough Petes

| OHL

| 8

| 0

| —

style="background:#f0f0f0;"

| 2009–10

| Youngstown Phantoms

| USHL

| 38

| 2

| 9

| 11

| 35

| —

2010–11

| Youngstown Phantoms

| USHL

| 58

| 18

| 27

| 45

| 27

| —

style="background:#f0f0f0;"

| 2011–12

| Tatranskí Vlci

| MHL

| 6

| 8

| 2

| 10

| 22

| —

2011–12

| HC Lev Poprad

| KHL

| 36

| 2

| 8

| 10

| 4

| —

style="background:#f0f0f0;"

| 2012–13

| HC Sparta Praha

| ELH

| 21

| 4

| 6

| 10

| 8

| —

2012–13

| HC Lev Praha

| KHL

| 26

| 0

| 1

| 8

| 3

| 0

style="background:#f0f0f0;"

| 2013–14

| HC Lev Praha

| KHL

| 47

| 11

| 17

| 28

| 18

| 21

| 1

| 7

| 8

| 24

2014–15

| Montreal Canadiens

| NHL

| 50

| 7

| 9

| 16

| 18

| —

style="background:#f0f0f0;"

| 2014–15

| Anaheim Ducks

| NHL

| 19

| 2

| 5

| 7

| 4

| 7

| 0

| 2

2015–16

| Anaheim Ducks

| NHL

| 22

| 1

| 2

| 3

| 4

| —

style="background:#f0f0f0;"

| 2015–16

| San Diego Gulls

| AHL

| 1

| 0

| 1

| 0

| —

2015–16

| Chicago Blackhawks

| NHL

| 6

| 0

| 1

| 2

| —

style="background:#f0f0f0;"

| 2015–16

| Arizona Coyotes

| NHL

| 11

| 0

| 2

| 10

| —

2016–17

| Ak Bars Kazan

| KHL

| 47

| 13

| 14

| 27

| 41

| 15

| 6

| 4

| 10

| 2

style="background:#f0f0f0;"

| 2017–18

| Ak Bars Kazan

| KHL

| 50

| 16

| 26

| 42

| 16

| 15

| 4

| 9

| 13

| 2

2018–19

| Ak Bars Kazan

| KHL

| 60

| 23

| 24

| 47

| 16

| 4

| 1

| 0

| 1

| 2

style="background:#f0f0f0;"

| 2019–20

| CSKA Moscow

| KHL

| 45

| 12

| 13

| 25

| 12

| —

2020–21

| Avangard Omsk

| KHL

| 34

| 10

| 11

| 21

| 22

| 6

| 2

| 0

| 2

| 0

style="background:#f0f0f0;"

| 2021–22

| Lausanne HC

| NL

| 50

| 19

| 27

| 46

| 24

| 8

| 4

| 2

| 6

2022–23

| Lausanne HC

| NL

| 43

| 15

| 17

| 32

| 24

| —

style="background:#f0f0f0;"

| 2023–24

| Lausanne HC

| NL

| 43

| 8

| 17

| 25

| 70

| 19

| 6

| 5

| 11

| 41

style="background:#e0e0e0;"

! colspan="3" | KHL totals

! 345

! 87

! 114

! 201

! 137

! 64

! 14

! 20

! 34

! 30

style="background:#e0e0e0;"

! colspan="3" | NHL totals

! 108

! 10

! 19

! 29

! 38

! 7

! 0

! 2

=International=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:40em"

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! Year

! Team

! Event

! Result

! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |

! GP

! G

! A

! Pts

! PIM

2009

| Czech Republic

| IH18

| 5th

| 1

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2010

| Czech Republic

| WJC18

| 6th

| 6

| 4

| 0

| 4

| 2

2012

| Czech Republic

| WJC

| 5th

| 6

| 0

| 3

| 2

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2014

| Czech Republic

| WC

| 4th

| 10

| 2

| 0

| 2

| 4

2018

| Czech Republic

| OG

| 4th

| 5

| 0

| 1

| 2

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2021

| Czech Republic

| WC

| 7th

| 5

| 0

| 2

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan=4 | Junior totals

! 12

! 4

! 3

! 7

! 4

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan=4 | Senior totals

! 20

! 2

! 3

! 5

! 8

Awards and honours

class="wikitable" ! Award ! Year ! Ref
colspan="3"\|KHL
Gagarin Cup champion \| 2018, 2021 \| {{cite web\| url = https://en.khl.ru/news/2018/04/22/387278.html \| title = Ak Bars wins the Gagarin Cup \| publisher = Kontinental Hockey League \| date = 2018-04-22 \| accessdate = 2018-04-22}}{{cite web\| url = https://en.khl.ru/news/2021/04/29/484702.html \| title = Avangard is crowned 2021 Gagarin Cup Champions \| publisher = Kontinental Hockey League \| date = 29 April 2021 \| accessdate = 29 April 2021 \| language = Russian }}

class="wikitable"

! Award

! Year

! Ref

colspan="3"|KHL

Gagarin Cup champion

| 2018, 2021

| {{cite web| url = https://en.khl.ru/news/2018/04/22/387278.html | title = Ak Bars wins the Gagarin Cup | publisher = Kontinental Hockey League | date = 2018-04-22 | accessdate = 2018-04-22}}{{cite web| url = https://en.khl.ru/news/2021/04/29/484702.html | title = Avangard is crowned 2021 Gagarin Cup Champions | publisher = Kontinental Hockey League | date = 29 April 2021 | accessdate = 29 April 2021 | language = Russian }}