Justin Florek

{{short description|American professional ice hockey player|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| name = Justin Florek

| image = 2024-02-16 Eispiraten Crimmitschau gegen Dresdner Eislöwen (DEL2, Hockey Outdoor Triple Klingenthal) by Sandro Halank–070.jpg

| caption = Justin Florek in 2024

| image_size = 230px

| team = Dresdner Eislöwen

| league = DEL2

| prospect_team =

| prospect_league =

| former_teams = Boston Bruins
Iserlohn Roosters
EHC Black Wings Linz

| position = Left wing

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|05|18}}

| birth_place = Marquette, Michigan, U.S.

| ntl_team =

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 4

| weight_lb = 194

| shoots = Left

| draft = 135th overall

| draft_team = Boston Bruins

| draft_year = 2010

| career_start = 2012

| career_end =

}}

Justin Jacob Florek (born May 18, 1990) is an American professional ice hockey player. He is currently playing with Dresdner Eislöwen in the DEL2. Florek was selected by the Boston Bruins in the 5th round (135th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career

= Collegiate =

Florek played junior hockey for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program for both the under-17 and under-18 teams before moving on to the Northern Michigan University Wildcats ice hockey program. While at Northern Michigan, Florek played 157 games, scoring 53 goals and 63 assists for 116 points. Florek was named an alternate captain of the team for the 2010–11 season and captain for the 2011–12 season.{{cite web |author= Athletics Department |url= http://www.nmuwildcats.com/sports/mice/records/Oct-2013/Year-By-Year10-13.pdf |title= NMU Hockey Records: Year-By-Year |publisher= Northern Michigan University |access-date= January 6, 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140106041350/http://www.nmuwildcats.com/sports/mice/records/Oct-2013/Year-By-Year10-13.pdf |archive-date= January 6, 2014 |url-status= dead }}

During his collegiate career, he led NMU in game winning goals in the 2009–10, 2010–11 and 2011–12 season, and led the team in power play goals with nine during the 2011–12 season. Florek was named to the CCHA Second All-Star team{{cite web |url= http://www.eliteprospects.com/awards.php?award=NCAA%20(CCHA)%20Second%20All-Star%20Team |title= Hockey Awards & Achievements Showing: NCAA (CCHA) Second All-Star Team |publisher= eliteprospects.com}} and was named a finalist for the CCHA Best Defensive Forward Award for the 2011–12 season.{{cite press release |url= http://www.nmuwildcats.com/sports/mice/2011-12/releases/20130204ilm9vy |title= Florek Named Finalist for CCHA Best Defensive Forward Award |publisher= Northern Michigan University |date= March 8, 2012 |access-date= January 6, 2014 |archive-date= July 21, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180721102838/http://www.nmuwildcats.com/sports/mice/2011-12/releases/20130204ilm9vy |url-status= dead }}

= Professional =

== Boston Bruins ==

Following his final season with the Wildcats, Florek signed an entry-level contract with the Bruins on March 25, 2012, and was assigned to the Providence Bruins of the AHL for the rest of the season.{{cite press release |url= http://bruins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=623979 |title= Florek & Trotman Signed to Entry-level Contracts |publisher= Boston Bruins |date= March 25, 2012}}

Florek attended the Boston Bruins training camp prior to the 2012–13 NHL season, but was assigned to Providence on September 14, 2012.{{cite press release |url= http://bruins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=641495 |title= Bruins Announce Roster Transactions |publisher= Boston Bruins |date= September 14, 2012}} Florek played 71 games with Providence scoring 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points in the regular season and played 12 playoff games scoring one goal and two assists for three points before they were eliminated in the conference finals by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

On September 22, 2013, Florek was again assigned to Providence to begin the 2013–14, but played in four NHL games for Boston during the 2013–14 regular season. On January 4, 2014 Florek made his NHL debut, playing for the Bruins in a 4–1 win against the Winnipeg Jets.{{cite web |url= http://bruins.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/boxscore?id=2013020626 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140106041522/http://bruins.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/boxscore?id=2013020626 |url-status= dead |archive-date= January 6, 2014 |title= Winnipeg Jets at Boston Bruins |work= Boxscore |date= January 4, 2014 |publisher= Boston Bruins}} Florek was reassigned to Providence again on January 5, 2014.{{cite press release |url= http://bruins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=699127 |title= B's Assign Florek to Providence |publisher= Boston Bruins |date= January 5, 2014}} Florek scored his first NHL goal on January 9, 2014, against Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings, in a game the Bruins lost 4-2 to the Kings.

On April 20, 2014, Florek scored his first NHL playoff goal during the opening round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, as Boston defeated the visiting Detroit Red Wings 4–1 in the second game of the series.{{cite web |url=http://bruins.nhl.com/club/blogpost.htm?id=28625 |title=Bruins Turn the Tide in Game 2 as Florek Shines, Miller Returns |last=Switaj |first=Caryn |date=April 20, 2014 |work= Bruins Blog |publisher=Boston Bruins |accessdate=April 21, 2014}}

Florek attended the Bruins training camp for the start of the 2014-2015 NHL Season but was assigned to Providence on October 1, 2014.

== New York Islanders ==

On July 2, 2015, Florek left the Bruins as a free agent to sign a one-year, two-way contract with the New York Islanders.{{Cite web| url = http://islanders.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=773619 | title = Islanders sign six to two-way deals | publisher = New York Islanders |date = 2015-07-02 | accessdate = 2015-07-02}} He was assigned to AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers for the duration of the 2015–16 season. He appeared in every game with the Sound Tigers, producing a career low 16 points.

== Milwaukee Admirals ==

As an unsigned free agent over the summer, Florek was unable to attract NHL interest. On October 8, 2016, he signed a one-year AHL contract with the Milwaukee Admirals, affiliate to the Nashville Predators.{{cite web | url = http://www.milwaukeeadmirals.com/news/100716sign | title = Ads sign Florek, Robinson to AHL deals | publisher = Milwaukee Admirals | date = 2016-10-08 | accessdate = 2016-10-08 | archive-date = October 18, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161018215114/http://www.milwaukeeadmirals.com/news/100716sign | url-status = dead }} In the 2016–17 season, Florek contributed with 12 goals and 30 points in 75 games for the Admirals.

== Iserlohn Roosters ==

On May 19, 2017, as a free agent, he inked a one-year deal with his first European club, the Iserlohn Roosters of the German top-tier Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).{{cite web| url = http://iserlohn-roosters.de/2017/05/19/justin-florek-verstaerkt-den-sturm-der-iserlohn-roosters/ | title = Justin Florek signs with Roosters | publisher = Iserlohn Roosters | date = 2017-05-19 | accessdate = 2017-05-19 | language = German}}

Florek served as the Roosters captain for the 2018–19 season.

== EHC Black Wings Linz ==

Florek left the Roosters to sign a one-year contract with the EHC Black Wings Linz in the neighbouring Austrian Hockey League (EBEL), on May 14, 2019.{{cite web | url = https://www.blackwings.at/news/beitrag/justin-florek-neu-im-linzer-angriff.html | title = Justin Florek new in the Linz attack | publisher = EHC Black Wings Linz | date = 2019-05-14 | accessdate = 2019-05-14 | language = German }}{{Dead link|date=March 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

== South Carolina Stingrays ==

After three seasons in Europe, Florek as a free agent opted to return to North America by agreeing to a contract with the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL on September 3, 2020.{{cite web| url = https://www.stingrayshockey.com/news/stingrays-agree-to-terms-with-justin-florek | title = Stingrays agree to terms with Justin Florek | publisher = South Carolina Stingrays | date = September 3, 2020 | accessdate = September 3, 2020}}

Florek found success in his return to North America, scoring 19 goals and 41 assists for a professional career-high 41 points in his first season. He would help the Stingrays reach the Kelly Cup Finals, where they would lose to the Fort Wayne Komets in four games.

After being named an alternate captain of the Stingrays, Florek would break his recently-set career high in points the following season, scoring 22 goals and 25 assists for 47 points.

== Dresdner Eislöwen ==

After three years with the Stingrays, Florek returned to Europe, signing with the Dresdner Eislöwen in the DEL2.

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="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! colspan="5" \| Regular season ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! colspan="5" \| Playoffs
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM
2008–09 \|Northern Michigan University \|CCHA \|40	9	8	17	6	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \|2009–10 \|Northern Michigan University \|CCHA \|41	12	23	35	22	—	—	—	—	—
2010–11 \|Northern Michigan University \|CCHA \|39	13	15	28	14	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \|2011–12 \|Northern Michigan University \|CCHA \|37	19	17	36	18	—	—	—	—	—
2011–12 \|Providence Bruins \|AHL \|8	2	2	4	2	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \|2012–13 \|Providence Bruins \|AHL \|71	11	16	27	37	12	1	2	3	4
2013–14 \|Providence Bruins \|AHL \|69	19	19	38	27	4	1	0	1	0
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \|2013–14 \|Boston Bruins \|NHL \|4	1	1	2	0	6	1	0	1	4
2014–15 \|Providence Bruins \|AHL \|73	11	24	35	33	5	0	0	0	2
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \|2015–16 \|Bridgeport Sound Tigers \|AHL \|76	7	9	16	31	3	1	0	1	0
2016–17 \|Milwaukee Admirals \|AHL \|75	12	18	30	12	3	0	0	0	2
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \|2017–18 \|Iserlohn Roosters \|DEL \|51	9	12	21	22	2	0	0	0	0
2018–19 \|Iserlohn Roosters \|DEL \|52	10	11	21	22	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \|2019–20 \|EHC Black Wings Linz \|EBEL \|48	8	17	25	42	3	0	1	1	0
2020–21 \|South Carolina Stingrays \|ECHL \|65	19	22	41	29	13	4	2	6	12
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \|2021–22 \|South Carolina Stingrays \|ECHL \|69	22	25	47	34	—	—	—	—	—
2022–23 \|South Carolina Stingrays \|ECHL \|65	17	24	41	57	6	0	2	2	4
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \|2023–24 \|Dresdner Eislöwen \|DEL2 \|13	6	3	9	8	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" !colspan="3"\|NHL totals !4	1	1	2	0	6	1	0	1	4