Roman Horák (ice hockey, born 1991)

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| name = Roman Horák

| image = 2023-04-15 Deutschland gegen Tschechische Republik (Eishockey-Länderspiel) by Sandro Halank–178.jpg

| caption = Horák with the Czech Republic in 2023

| image_size = 230px

| team = HC Sparta Praha

| league = ELH

| prospect_team =

| prospect_league =

| former_teams = HC České Budějovice
Calgary Flames
Edmonton Oilers
HC Vityaz
Växjö Lakers

| ntl_team = CZE

| position = Centre

| shoots = Left

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 0

| weight_lb = 175

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1991|05|21}}

| birth_place = České Budějovice, Czechoslovakia

| draft = 127th overall

| draft_team = New York Rangers

| draft_year = 2009

| career_start = 2007

| career_end =

}}

Roman Horák (born May 21, 1991) is a Czech ice hockey player currently playing for HC Sparta Praha of the Czech Extraliga (ELH). He previously played nine games in the Czech Extraliga with HC České Budějovice before coming to North America to play two WHL seasons with the Chilliwack Bruins. He was selected by the New York Rangers in the fifth round, 127th overall, of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, and joined the Calgary Flames organization via trade in 2011. In 2014, he was traded by the Flames for a brief stint with the Edmonton Oilers.

Playing career

Horák began his professional career with his hometown team HC České Budějovice of the Czech Extraliga, appearing in one game with the club in 2007–08 and eight more in 2008–09. He was selected by the New York Rangers in the fifth round, 127th overall, at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.{{Cite book |title=2011–12 Calgary Flames Media Guide |publisher=Calgary Flames Hockey Club |last1=Hanlon |first1=Peter |last2=Kelso |first2=Sean |last3=Ahrens |first3=Janette |last4=Buer |first4=Greg |year=2011 |page=121}} Additionally, Horák was selected by the Western Hockey League's (WHL) Chilliwack Bruins with the eighth overall pick in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) import draft.{{cite book|editor-last=Flett |editor-first=Cory |editor2-last=Watts |editor2-first=Jessie |title=2009–10 WHL Guide|publisher=Western Hockey League|page=219}} Though he had little knowledge of English, Horák moved to Canada to join the Bruins for the 2009–10 WHL season.{{cite news |last1=Hall |first1=Vicki |last2=Cruickshank |first2=Scott |url=http://sports.nationalpost.com/2011/10/03/horak-wins-job-with-flames/ |title=Horak wins job with Flames |work=National Post |date=2011-10-03 |accessdate=2011-12-10 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130208125354/http://sports.nationalpost.com/2011/10/03/horak-wins-job-with-flames/ |archivedate=2013-02-08 }}

In his first season in Chilliwack, Horák scored 21 goals and 47 points. He improved to 26 goals and 78 points in 2010–11. Additionally, he represented the Czech Republic at the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, where he had one goal and one assist in six games.{{cite web |title=Kreider, Bourque make final USA cut |url=http://rangers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=547060 |publisher=New York Rangers Hockey Club |accessdate=2010-12-29}}{{cite web|title=2010 Player Statistics by Team: Czech Republic|url=https://stats.iihf.com/Hydra/205/IHM2050CZE_83_6_0.pdf|work=IIHF|accessdate=2010-12-29}} He returned to the team for the 2011 tournament, recording one assist in five games in that tournament.{{cite web|title=2011 Player Statistics by Team: Czech Republic|url=https://stats.iihf.com/Hydra/236/IHM2360CZE_83_6_0.pdf|work=IIHF|accessdate=2011-01-04}}

Horák signed a contract with the New York Rangers on May 6, 2011.{{cite web |title=Rangers, Horak agree to contract terms |url=http://rangers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=562116&navid=DL%7cNYR%7chome |publisher=New York Rangers Hockey Club |accessdate=2011-05-13}} However, before he played a game with the NHL team, he was traded to the Calgary Flames on June 1, along with two draft picks, in exchange for defenceman Tim Erixon.{{cite web |title=Flames trade unsigned draft pick Erixon to Rangers |url=https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=367584 |publisher=The Sports Network|date=2011-06-01 |accessdate=2011-06-01}} The Flames discovered Horák while scouting his teammate, and their draft pick, Ryan Howse. The team realized that Howse, a 50-goal scorer in 2010–11, had become far less effective when Horák suffered an injury.{{cite news |last=Cruickshank |first=Scott |url=http://sports.nationalpost.com/2011/10/01/calgary-delighted-with-horak/ |title=Calgary delighted with Horak |newspaper=National Post |date=2011-10-01 |accessdate=2011-12-10 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120714002731/http://sports.nationalpost.com/2011/10/01/calgary-delighted-with-horak/ |archivedate=2012-07-14 }}

Initially expected to join the Flames' minor league affiliate, the Abbotsford Heat of the American Hockey League (AHL), to begin the 2011–12 season, Horák exceeded the team's expectations and earned a spot with the Flames. He made his NHL debut and scored his first point, an assist, against the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 8, 2011.{{cite web |url=http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=400046795 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130102192735/http://scores.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=400046795 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 2, 2013 |title=Matt Niskanen nets 2 points as Penguins drop Flames |publisher=ESPN |date=2011-10-08 |accessdate=2011-10-09}} He scored his first NHL goal on October 26 against Jean-Sébastien Giguère of the Colorado Avalanche.{{cite web |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2011020123&navid=sb:recap |title=Kiprusoff, Flames cool off Avs with 4-2 win |publisher=NHL |date=2011-10-26 |accessdate=2011-10-27}}

On November 8, 2013, Horák was traded to the Edmonton Oilers alongside goaltender prospect Laurent Brossoit in exchange for Ladislav Šmíd and minor league goalie Olivier Roy.{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports-content/hockey/nhl/article/20131108192557725288708/|title=Oilers, Flames complete trade|accessdate=2013-11-09|date=November 8, 2013|publisher=CBC}} He was subsequently reassigned by the Oilers to their AHL affiliate, the Oklahoma City Barons.

With his NHL rights still owned by the Oilers, Horák opted to return to Europe by signing a one-year contract with Russian club Vityaz Podolsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) on May 12, 2014.{{cite web| url = http://www.hcvityaz.ru/news.php?full=1300 | title = Roman Horak in Vityaz | publisher = HC Vityaz Podolsk | date = 2014-05-12 | accessdate = 2014-05-12}}

Horák played two seasons in the Swedish Hockey League with the Växjö Lakers before opting to return to his native Czech Republic as a free agent. On 13 May 2020, he secured a one-year contract with HC Sparta Praha of the ELH, in which he had not played since the 2008–09 season.{{cite web| url = https://www.hcsparta.cz/clanek.asp?id=Ve-stopach-otce-Horak-posilou-Sparty-13749 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200625232323/https://www.hcsparta.cz/clanek.asp?id=Ve-stopach-otce-Horak-posilou-Sparty-13749 | url-status = usurped | archive-date = June 25, 2020 | title = In the footsteps of my father | publisher = HC Sparta Praha | date = 13 May 2020 | accessdate = 13 May 2020 | language = Czech}}

Personal life

His father, Roman Horák, also played hockey in European elite leagues for 14 seasons.

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
2004–05 \| HC České Budějovice \| CZE U18 \| 2	0	0	0	0 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2005–06 \| HC České Budějovice \| CZE U18 \| 34	5	3	8	10 \| 3	0	0	0	4
2006–07 \| HC Mountfield \| CZE U18 \| 24	22	16	38	38 \| 2	1	0	1	4
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2006–07 \| HC Mountfield \| CZE U20 \| 16	1	4	5	6 \| —	—	—	—	—
2007–08 \| HC Mountfield \| CZE U18 \| 2	3	2	5	0 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2007–08 \| HC Mountfield \| CZE U20 \| 34	17	11	28	14 \| 3	0	1	1	0
2007–08 \| HC Mountfield \| ELH \| 1	0	0	0	0 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2008–09 \| HC Mountfield \| CZE U20 \| 31	16	17	33	14 \| 2	0	0	0	0
2008–09 \| HC Mountfield \| ELH \| 8	0	0	0	0 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2009–10 \| Chilliwack Bruins \| WHL \| 66	21	26	47	39 \| 6	2	4	6	4
2010–11 \| Chilliwack Bruins \| WHL \| 64	26	52	78	60 \| 5	1	2	3	0
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2011–12 \| Calgary Flames \| NHL \| 61	3	8	11	14 \| —	—	—	—	—
2011–12 \| Abbotsford Heat \| AHL \| 14	2	2	4	6 \| 8	0	3	3	2
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2012–13 \| Abbotsford Heat \| AHL \| 59	16	14	30	24 \| —	—	—	—	—
2012–13 \| Calgary Flames \| NHL \| 20	2	5	7	2 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2013–14 \| Abbotsford Heat \| AHL \| 13	2	5	7	6 \| —	—	—	—	—
2013–14 \| Calgary Flames \| NHL \| 1	0	0	0	0 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2013–14 \| Oklahoma City Barons \| AHL \| 53	21	27	48	16 \| 3	1	0	1	0
2013–14 \| Edmonton Oilers \| NHL \| 2	1	0	1	0 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2014–15 \| HC Vityaz \| KHL \| 53	18	13	31	26 \| —	—	—	—	—
2015–16 \| HC Vityaz \| KHL \| 57	15	12	27	32 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2016–17 \| HC Vityaz \| KHL \| 60	16	15	31	30 \| 4	0	1	1	2
2017–18 \| HC Vityaz \| KHL \| 54	10	16	26	18 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2018–19 \| Växjö Lakers \| SHL \| 50	15	18	33	24 \| 7	1	4	5	4
2019–20 \| Växjö Lakers \| SHL \| 52	11	19	30	18 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2020–21 \| HC Sparta Praha \| ELH \| 51	17	30	47	6 \| 11	3	6	9	2
2021–22 \| HC Sparta Praha \| ELH \| 51	21	26	47	24 \| 16	3	3	6	6
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" \| ELH totals ! 111 ! 38 ! 56 ! 94 ! 30 ! 27 ! 6 ! 9 ! 15 ! 8
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" \| NHL totals ! 84 ! 6 ! 13 ! 19 ! 16 ! — ! — ! — ! — ! —
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" \| KHL totals ! 224 ! 59 ! 56 ! 115 ! 106 ! 4 ! 0 ! 1 ! 1 ! 2