Petr Nedvěd
{{short description|Czech ice hockey player}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox ice hockey player
| name = Petr Nedvěd
| image = Petr Nedvěd - Show Jana Krause (14. 4. 2021).png
| image_size = 230 px
| caption = Nedvěd in 2021
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|12|9}}
| birth_place = Liberec, Czechoslovakia
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 3
| weight_lb = 196
| position = Centre
| shoots = Left
| played_for = Vancouver Canucks
St. Louis Blues
New York Rangers
Pittsburgh Penguins
HC Sparta Praha
Edmonton Oilers
Phoenix Coyotes
Philadelphia Flyers
HC Bílí Tygři Liberec
| ntl_team = Canada
| ntl_team_2 = Czech Republic
| draft = 2nd overall
| draft_year = 1990
| draft_team = Vancouver Canucks
| career_start = 1990–2014, 2017
| career_end = 2018
|}}
Petr Nedvěd (born December 9, 1971) is a Czech-Canadian former professional ice hockey player who spent 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1990 and 2007.
Early career
Nedvěd was born in Liberec, Czechoslovakia to Jaroslav and Soňa ("Sonia") Nedvěd. He left Czechoslovakia as a refugee on January 2, 1989, at the age of 17 after playing in an international midget tournament in Calgary. At the tournament Nedvěd scored 17 goals and nine assists.
Playing career
After his defection, Nedvěd played one season for the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League and was drafted second overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft after scoring 145 points in 71 games. In 1992–93, he finished with 38 goals and 71 pointsm including a club record 15-game point-scoring streak. Prior to the 1993–94 season, Nedvěd became involved in a contract dispute with the Canucks, which resulted in a holdout. While holding out, Nedvěd obtained his Canadian citizenship and represented Canada at the 1994 Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal. His situation was resolved just before the NHL trade deadline, when he was signed by the St. Louis Blues, with Craig Janney ultimately awarded to the Canucks as compensation (and then dealt back to the Blues shortly after for Jeff Brown, Bret Hedican and Nathan LaFayette).{{citation needed|date=June 2021}} Nedvěd scored 20 points in 19 games, but the Blues were swept in the first round of the playoffs.
Nedvěd's stay was dealt to the New York Rangers for the lockout-shortened 1994–95 season. He finished the year with 23 points in 46 games. For the 1995–96 season, Nedvěd was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In Pittsburgh, Nedvěd would have the best years of his career on an offensive team featuring Mario Lemieux, Jaromír Jágr, and Ron Francis. In his first year in Pittsburgh, he recorded career highs of 45 goals and 99 points, and scored 20 points in helping the Penguins reach the conference finals. Included in that was a goal against the Washington Capitals in quadruple-overtime, which at 79:15 of overtime was at the time the longest NHL game in 60 years. During the 1996–97 season, he finished with 33 goals and 71 points.
Nedvěd missed the entire 1997–98 season due to another contract and spent most of the year with lower-level teams in the Czech Republic. He remained unsigned at the start of the 1998–99 campaign, instead suiting up with the Las Vegas Thunder of the IHL. The situation ended two months into the season when he was dealt back to the New York Rangers in a deal involving Alexei Kovalev. Nedvěd ended up with less money (once the millions of dollars he hadd given up by missing a season were factored in) than had he accepted Pittsburgh's initial offer back in 1997, while at the same time he ended up missing an extended portion of the prime of his career and severely damaged his reputation around the league.{{cite web |last1=Kovacevic |first1=Dejan |title=Analysis: Nedved dealt ... at last |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/sports_headlines/19981126nedved3.asp |website=old.post-gazette.com |access-date=June 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991013040437/http://www.post-gazette.com/sports_headlines/19981126nedved3.asp |archive-date=October 13, 1999 |date=November 26, 1998}}
Nedvěd's second stint in New York would be more successful than the first, and the six seasons he would spend with the Rangers represented the most stable portion of his career. Although the team missed the playoffs every year through this stretch, Nedvěd led the Rangers in scoring twice and finishing second on another occasion. In 2000–01, playing with Jan Hlaváč and Radek Dvořák – a trio dubbed the 'Czech Mates' – he had the second-best season of his career, finishing with 32 goals and 78 points. After the 2003–04 season, Nedvěd was dealt to the Edmonton Oilers at the trade deadline. Although Edmonton failed to make the playoffs, Nedvěd scored 15 points in 16 games.
Nedvěd signed with the Phoenix Coyotes in 2004 and spent the 2004–05 NHL lockout with HC Sparta Praha of the Czech Extraliga. Returning to NHL action in 2005–06 with the Coyotes, he scored just two goals and 11 points in 25 games. He was dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers, where he scored a further 14 points in 28 games and returned to the NHL playoffs for the first time since 1997.
File:Petr Nedvěd.jpg in 2006]]
At the start of the 2006–07 season, Nedvěd was placed on waivers on October 18 following a 9–1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, and was assigned to the American Hockey League (AHL) for the first time in his career. After bouncing between the NHL and AHL for the next two months, Nedvěd was claimed on re-entry waivers by the Edmonton Oilers. In Edmonton he finished the season with just two goals and 12 points in 40 games between Edmonton and Philadelphia.
On July 19, 2007, Nedvěd signed a one-year contract to return to HC Sparta Praha.{{Cite web|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/19/sports/EU-SPT-HKY-Sparta-Prague-Nedved.php |title=Czech forward Petr Nedvěd leaves NHL to play for Czech club on 1-year deal |access-date=2007-07-19 |publisher=International Herald Tribune |year=2007 |agency=Associated Press |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080928204738/http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/19/sports/EU-SPT-HKY-Sparta-Prague-Nedved.php |archive-date=September 28, 2008 }} On July 31, 2008, Nedvěd, attempting to make an NHL comeback, was invited to the New York Rangers training camp on a tryout basis. He was released by the Rangers on September 26 and returned to the Extraliga, this time with his hometown HC Bílí Tygři Liberec.
On May 4, 2012, at age 40, Nedvěd returned to the Czech Republic national team in the 2012 IIHF World Championship hosted in Finland and Sweden.{{Cite web|url=http://www.hokej.cz/index.php?lng=CZ&webid=499&view=clanek_static&id=155|title=Hokej.cz|access-date=2012-05-05|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120505052130/http://hokej.cz/index.php?lng=CZ&webid=499&view=clanek_static&id=155|archive-date=2012-05-05}}
On May 10, 2012, Nedvěd became the oldest Team Czech Republic player to score a goal in World Championship. He scored game-winning goal against Latvia at the age of 40 years, 6 months and 1 day. On January 6, 2014, Nedvěd was named to the Czech team for the 2014 Sochi Olympics. He played in five games as the Czech Republic finished sixth. On March 13, 2014, Nedvěd played his last career game with Bílí Tygři Liberec in a 6–2 home loss against the HC Vítkovice Steel. He officially announced his retirement after the game.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=709456|title=Former NHL forward Petr Nedved announces retirement from hockey|publisher=NHL.com|date=March 14, 2014|access-date=March 15, 2014}}
Awards
- 1989–90 – Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy Rookie of the Year (WHL)
- 1989–90 – Rookie of the Year (CHL)
- 1993–94 – silver medal (1994 Winter Olympics)
- 2011–12 – bronze medal (2012 IIHF World Championship)
Personal life
Nedvěd married supermodel Veronika Vařeková in 2004. In early 2006, when playing for the Phoenix Coyotes, Nedvěd asked for a trade to an Eastern Conference team to be closer to Vařeková, who worked primarily in New York City. During the summer of 2006, Nedvěd and Vařeková separated. He has since moved back to the Czech Republic. His brother, defenceman Jaroslav Nedvěd, is also an ice hockey player.
Legacy
In the 2009 book 100 Ranger Greats, the authors ranked Nedvěd at No. 71 all-time of the 901 New York Rangers who had played during the team's first 82 seasons.{{cite book|url= https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6860998-100-ranger-greats#bookDetails |title=100 Ranger Greats: Superstars, Unsung Heroes and Colorful Characters |first1=Russ |last1=Cohen |first2=John |last2=Halligan |first3=Adam |last3=Raider |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn= 978-0470736197 |date=2009 |access-date=February 3, 2020|page=70}}
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 | ||||||||
| 1986–87
| CSSR U16 | 34 | 46 | 20 | 66 | 52
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1987–88 | TJ CHZ Litvínov | CSSR U16 | 35 | 67 | 27 | 94 | 64
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 1988–89
| TJ CHZ Litvínov | CSSR U18 | 20 | 32 | 19 | 51 | 12
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1989–90 | WHL | 71 | 65 | 80 | 145 | 80
| 11 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 2 |
| 1990–91
| NHL | 61 | 10 | 6 | 16 | 20
| 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1991–92 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 77 | 15 | 22 | 37 | 36
| 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 16 |
| 1992–93
| Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 84 | 38 | 33 | 71 | 96
| 12 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1993–94 | Canada | Intl | 25 | 24 | 13 | 37 | 22
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 1993–94
| NHL | 19 | 6 | 14 | 20 | 8
| 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1994–95 | NHL | 46 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 26
| 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 |
| 1995–96
| NHL | 80 | 45 | 54 | 99 | 68
| 18 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 16 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1996–97 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 74 | 33 | 38 | 71 | 66
| 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 12 |
| 1997–98
| ELH | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8
| 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 52 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1997–98 | CZE II | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | —
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 1997–98
| TJ Nový Jičín | CZE III | 7 | 9 | 16 | 25 | —
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1997–98 | IHL | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 1998–99
| New York Rangers | NHL | 56 | 20 | 27 | 47 | 50
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1998–99 | Las Vegas Thunder | IHL | 13 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 32
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 1999–2000
| New York Rangers | NHL | 76 | 24 | 44 | 68 | 40
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2000–01 | New York Rangers | NHL | 79 | 32 | 46 | 78 | 54
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 2001–02
| New York Rangers | NHL | 78 | 21 | 25 | 46 | 36
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2002–03 | New York Rangers | NHL | 78 | 27 | 31 | 58 | 64
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 2003–04
| New York Rangers | NHL | 65 | 14 | 17 | 31 | 42
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2003–04 | NHL | 16 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 4
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 2004–05
| HC Sparta Prague | ELH | 46 | 22 | 13 | 35 | 44
| 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2005–06 | NHL | 25 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 34
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 2005–06
| NHL | 28 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 36
| 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2006–07 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 21 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 18
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 2006–07
| AHL | 14 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 10
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2006–07 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 19 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 10
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 2007–08
| HC Sparta Prague | ELH | 45 | 20 | 5 | 25 | 98
| 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 20 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2008–09 | ELH | 33 | 14 | 14 | 28 | 72
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 2009–10
| Bílí Tygři Liberec | ELH | 35 | 15 | 20 | 35 | 94
| 15 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 16 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2010–11 | Bílí Tygři Liberec | ELH | 45 | 14 | 41 | 55 | 74
| 7 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 12 |
| 2011–12
| Bílí Tygři Liberec | ELH | 49 | 24 | 37 | 61 | 64
| 11 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 34 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2012–13 | Bílí Tygři Liberec | ELH | 48 | 20 | 33 | 53 | 151
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 2013–14
| Bílí Tygři Liberec | ELH | 49 | 19 | 31 | 50 | 103
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3"|NHL totals ! 982 !! 310 !! 407 !! 717 !! 708 ! 71 !! 19 !! 23 !! 42 !! 64 | ||||||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3"|ELH totals ! 355 !! 150 !! 197 !! 347 !! 708 ! 54 !! 23 !! 26 !! 49 !! 160 |
=International=
{{MedalTableTop}}
{{MedalCountry | {{ih|CAN}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}}
{{MedalSilver |1994 Lillehammer |Ice hockey}}
{{MedalCountry | {{ih|CZE}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|World Championships}}
{{MedalBronze | 2012 Helsinki|Ice hockey}}
{{MedalBottom}}
| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:50em;" | ||||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Year ! Team ! Event ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM | ||||||
| 1994 | Canada | OG
| 8 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 6 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1996 | Czech Republic | WCH
| 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| 2012 | Czech Republic | WC
| 9 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2014 | Czech Republic | OG
| 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3"|Senior totals ! 25 !! 8 !! 5 !! 13 !! 20 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Ice hockey stats |legends=11180}}
{{s-start}}
{{succession box| before = Jason Herter | title = Vancouver Canucks first round draft pick | years = 1990 | after = Shawn Antoski}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nedved, Petr}}
Category:Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the Czech Republic
Category:Canadian ice hockey centres
Category:Canadian people of Czech descent
Category:Czechoslovak defectors
Category:Czechoslovak emigrants to Canada
Category:Edmonton Oilers players
Category:HC Bílí Tygři Liberec players
Category:HC Sparta Praha players
Category:Ice hockey players at the 1994 Winter Olympics
Category:Ice hockey players at the 2014 Winter Olympics
Category:Las Vegas Thunder players
Category:Medalists at the 1994 Winter Olympics
Category:NHL first-round draft picks
Category:Naturalized citizens of Canada
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:Olympic ice hockey players for Canada
Category:Olympic ice hockey players for the Czech Republic
Category:Olympic medalists in ice hockey
Category:Olympic silver medalists for Canada
Category:Ice hockey people from Liberec
Category:Philadelphia Flyers players
Category:Philadelphia Phantoms players
Category:Phoenix Coyotes players
Category:Pittsburgh Penguins players
Category:Seattle Thunderbirds players
Category:St. Louis Blues players
Category:Vancouver Canucks draft picks
Category:Vancouver Canucks players
Category:Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
Category:Czechoslovak ice hockey centres
Category:Czech expatriate ice hockey players in the United States