Jaroslav Halák (; born 13 May 1985) is a Slovak professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as the goalie) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near t ...
for the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL). Halák was selected with the 271st overall pick by the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
in the ninth and final round of the
2003 NHL Entry Draft
The 2003 NHL Entry Draft was the 41st NHL Entry Draft. It was held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee on June 21 and 22, 2003.
Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins. This wa ...
.
Nicknamed "Jaro", he first played for the Canadiens during the
2006–07 season, and remained with the team until being traded to the
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the ...
after the 2009–10 season. He played for the Blues until the
2013–14 season when he was traded to the
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...
. Before playing a game with the Sabres, he was traded to the
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, a ...
, for whom he only played 12 games before his rights were once again traded, this time to the
New York Islanders. He signed a four-year contract with the Islanders in May 2014, and signed with the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
after that contract expired.
Playing career
Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues
Halák played for the
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...
's (AHL)
Hamilton Bulldogs
The Hamilton Bulldogs are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that began to play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, the Bulldogs play their home games at FirstOntario Centre. They were purcha ...
during the
2006–07 season before being called up to their
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL) parent team, the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
on 15 February 2007, after an injury to the Canadiens' starting goaltender,
Cristobal Huet
Cristobal Huet (; born September 3, 1975) is a French- Swiss former professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently a goalie coach for Lausanne HC of the National League (NL). He previously played for HC Lugano and HC Fribourg-Gottéron and ...
. At the time of his call-up, Halák had a 2.00 goals against average (GAA) with the Bulldogs, the lowest in the AHL. He played his first NHL game on 18 February 2007, stopping 31 shots in a 3–2 win over the
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...
. Halák earned his first career NHL shutout on 20 March 2007, making thirty saves to keep the Canadiens' rival
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
off the board with a 1–0 victory.
Halák was assigned to the Bulldogs for the majority of the
2007–08 season. However, after the Canadiens traded Huet on 26 February 2008, Halák took over full-time as the Canadiens back-up goaltender. He started his first playoff game on 30 April 2008 against the
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Well ...
(a 4–2 loss) after sub-par performances from newly appointed starter
Carey Price
Carey Price (born August 16, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is considered to be one of the best goaltenders in the world by many colleagues, fans, ''The ...
, who once again took over in the following game. He fulfilled back-up duties for the Canadiens into the
following season. However, Halák's strong play coupled with inconsistent performances from Price led to an opportunity for Halák to step into a larger role. Ultimately, based on his strong play for the Canadiens and for
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
at the
Vancouver Olympics
)''
, nations = 82
, athletes = 2,626
, events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening = February 12, 2010
, closing = February 28, 2010
, opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean
, cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...
, there was a strong internal push to designate Halák the team's starting goaltender. Halák went on to be named the Canadiens'
Molson Cup
The Molson Cup is an award presented to a distinguished player on Canadian ice hockey teams. After each game, the " three game stars" are selected, usually by a member of the media. At the end of the season, the player with the most three-star ho ...
Player of the Year for the season and was designated the starter heading into their first-round playoff match-up against the
President's Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy (french: Trophée des présidents) is an award presented by the National Hockey League (NHL) to the team that finishes with the most points (i.e. best record) during the NHL regular season. If two teams are tied for the mo ...
-winning
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, a ...
. In the sixth game of the series, Halák stopped 53 shots to set a club record for a playoff game (in regulation-time),
leading the Canadiens to a 4–1 victory. Ultimately, the Canadiens overcame a 3–1 series deficit to win the series in seven games, marking one of the biggest upsets in NHL history.
The win was attributed largely to Halák's play as he turned aside 131 of Washington's 134 shots in games 5 through 7, frustrating the league's top scoring team from the regular season.
After defeating the
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
in seven games, the Canadiens fell to the
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Well ...
in the Eastern Conference Final with a 4–1 series loss.
![Jaroslav Halak](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Jaroslav_Halak.jpg)
At the conclusion of the season, both Halák and Price became
restricted free agent
A restricted free agent (RFA) is a type of free agent in the National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), or National Basketball Association (NBA). Such players have special restrictions on the terms under which they can retain ...
s and a great goaltending debate emerged in Montreal over who would remain with the team, playoff-hero Halák, or the younger Price. After weeks of media speculation the Canadiens chose Price and on 17 June, controversially traded Halák to the
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the ...
in exchange for two prospects, center
Lars Eller
Lars Fosgaard Eller (born 8 May 1989) is a Danish professional ice hockey player for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "the Tiger", he was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the first round, 13th overall in th ...
and right-winger
Ian Schultz. On 6 July 2010, Halák signed a four-year $15 million contract with the Blues.
Prior to the 2010–11 season, Halák held an autograph-signing in Montreal as a farewell and goodwill gesture, to thank fans for their support as well as to raise funds for the Montreal Ste-Justine Children's Hospital. Though 500 fans were expected, more than 5000 fans attended the event held at the Fairview Pointe-Claire mall, testifying to his popularity with Canadiens' fans.
Halák played his first game with the Blues on 9 October 2010, earning a 2–1 victory over the Flyers. Halák would earn his first shutout with the team on 23 October 2010 at home against the Penguins, stopping 31 shots in a 1–0 overtime victory.
Halák had a quick start, going 8–1–1 and would share the starting role with
Brian Elliott
Brian Elliott (born April 9, 1985) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the ninth round, 291st overall, of the 2003 NHL Entry ...
for the remainder of the season. In the
2011–12 season, Halák and Elliott were awarded the William M. Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals (165 collectively) in the regular season.
Trades and New York Islanders
Prior to the
2013–14 trade deadline, the Blues traded Halák,
Chris Stewart,
William Carrier, a first-round draft pick in
2015, and a conditional third-round draft pick in
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
to the
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...
in exchange for
Ryan Miller
Ryan Dean Miller (born July 17, 1980) is an American former ice hockey goaltender who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) mostly for the Buffalo Sabres. Miller was drafted 138th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1999 NHL E ...
and
Steve Ott on 28 February 2014. Halák did not appear in a game for the Sabres and was ultimately dealt along with a third round draft pick to the Washington Capitals in exchange for
Michal Neuvirth
Michal Neuvirth ( , ; born 23 March 1988) is a Czech former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played for the Washington Capitals, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, and Philadelphia Flyers in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selecte ...
and
Rostislav Klesla
Rostislav "Rusty" Klesla (born March 21, 1982) is a Czech former professional ice hockey defenceman. Klesla was selected fourth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, making him the first ever pick in an entry draft by ...
at the trade deadline. Halák dressed for the Sabres as the backup goaltender in one game, making him the 10th player in Sabres history to dress for the team in a regular-season game but not play.
As pending unrestricted free agent, Halák's rights were traded by the Capitals to the
New York Islanders on 1 May 2014 for a fourth round pick in the
2014 draft. On 22 May 2014, the Islanders signed him to a four-year contract worth $18 million. On 4 December 2014, the Islanders defeated the
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a membe ...
, with Halák earning his 11th consecutive win and set a franchise record previously held by
Billy Smith, who won 10 consecutive games. On 15 January 2015, he was named to the
2015 NHL All Star Game as an injury replacement for
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...
goalie
Pekka Rinne
Pekka Rinne (; born 3 November 1982) is a Finnish former professional hockey goaltender. Drafted by the Nashville Predators in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Rinne became their starting goaltender during the 2008–09 season and quickly established ...
, marking his first NHL All-Star appearance. At the game, he played for the team captained by the
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...
'
Jonathan Toews
Jonathan Bryan Toews ( ; born April 29, 1988) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Captain Serious", Toews was selected by the Blackhawks with the t ...
and stopped six of ten shots in the third period as he, Islanders' teammate
John Tavares
John Tavares (born September 20, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected first overall by the New York Islanders in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft ...
, and Team Toews won the game by a record setting score of 17–12. On 19 February 2015, he tied the Islanders' franchise record for most wins in a season, with his 32nd win coming in a 5–2 win against the Predators. Eight days later on 27 February, he set a new franchise record by recording his 33rd win of the season in a 2–1 win against the
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
.
In March 2016, Halák suffered lower-body injury and missed the rest of the season, with
Thomas Greiss
Thomas Greiss (born 29 January 1986) is a German professional ice hockey goaltender for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). Selected 94th overall in the third round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks, he has ...
filling in during the injury. During the
2016–17 season, on 30 December 2016, Halák was placed on waivers. The next day, he was assigned to the
Bridgeport Sound Tigers
The Bridgeport Islanders (previously known as the Bridgeport Sound Tigers) are a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League (AHL). They are the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, who own the f ...
of the
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the le ...
(AHL).
Boston Bruins
After completing his four-year contract with the Islanders, Halák left as a free agent to sign a two-year, $5.5 million contract with the Boston Bruins on 1 July 2018. Halák had his first start as a Bruin on 4 October 2018 in a 4–0 shutout win against the
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...
. Halák made his return to Long Island on March 19 and got a tribute video played for him along with a standing ovation from the fans in attendance. He ended the season with 22 wins and 5 shutouts in 40 total games.
On 1 May 2020, the Bruins signed Halák to a one-year, $2.25 million contract extension.
During the shortened season, Halák won his second Jennings Trophy, winning it alongside
Tuukka Rask
Tuukka Mikael Rask (born 10 March 1987) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey goaltender. Rask was drafted 21st overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs before being traded to the Boston Bruins in 2006, where he played ...
. Halák had 18 wins and 3 shutouts in 31 total games.
On 15 August 2020, before game 3 of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes, Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask opted out of the remainder of the playoffs and left the Toronto "bubble". Halák was named the starter and won his first career playoff start as a Bruin 3–1. Halák proceeded to win his next two playoff starts and lead the Bruins to a 4–1 series victory over Carolina.
Vancouver Canucks
Following his third season with the Bruins, Halák left as a free agent and was signed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks on 28 July 2021.
New York Rangers
On 13 July 2022, Halák signed as a free agent to a one-year, $1.55 million contract with the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
. Halak recorded his first win as a Ranger on November 30, 2022 against the
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a membe ...
, making 34 saves in a 3-1 victory.
International play
Halák has represented
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
internationally on multiple occasions. He first played for his country at the
IIHF World U20 Championship
The IIHF World Junior Championship (WJC), or simply the "World Juniors" in ice hockey circles, is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world. It is t ...
, starting every game for the team in both the
2004 and
2005 tournaments, where the team finished sixth and seventh, respectively. Halák's first senior international experience came in 2007 as he played in the
2007 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
The 2007 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships was the 71st World Ice Hockey Championship. The competition also served as qualification for division placements in the 2008 competition. Canada won the tournament, receiving the gold medal for the ...
, starting 2 games and earning a 1–1 record. The Slovaks finished in sixth place.
Halák again represented Slovakia at the
2009 tournament, where the team finished 10th overall.
In February 2010, Halák was named the starting goaltender for the Slovak national team in the
2010 Winter Olympics
)''
, nations = 82
, athletes = 2,626
, events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening = February 12, 2010
, closing = February 28, 2010
, opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean
, cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gret ...
,
along with future Bruins defensive teammate
Zdeno Chára
Zdeno Chára (; born 18 March 1977) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey defenceman. He played 24 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins, and Washington Capitals between 1997 a ...
. He stopped 36 of 37 shots in a preliminary round victory against a strong
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
team, and went on to start every game for the Slovaks. Halák and his teammates finished fourth overall in the tournament after losing against
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
in the bronze medal match.
This was the best finish ever for Slovakia at the Olympics, one spot better than their fifth-place finish during the
2006 Olympics. Halák played in two of Slovakia's four games during the
2014 Olympics, losing both games as the team would go on to finish 11th.
At the
2016 World Cup of Hockey
The 2016 World Cup of Hockey (abbreviated WCH2016) was an international ice hockey tournament. It was the third installment of the National Hockey League (NHL)-sanctioned competition, 12 years after the second World Cup of Hockey in 2004. It was ...
, Halák led the underdog
Team Europe
Team Europe may refer to a number of sports team using the designate to represent a unified team of European countries in sporting competitions. Whilst neither the European Union nor the Council of Europe are countries themselves, European teams ...
to a 2-1-0 record in the group stage, good for 2nd place in Group A. He then backstopped the team to the final, where they lost in the best of three to
Team Canada, 3-1 and 2–1, respectively.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
Awards and achievements
*2×
William M. Jennings Trophy
The William M. Jennings Trophy is an annual National Hockey League (NHL) award given to "the goaltender(s) having played a minimum of 25 games for the team with the fewest goals scored against it ... based on regular-season play." From 1946 until ...
–
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
,
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
*New York Islanders franchise record of the most consecutive win (11,
2014–15)
*New York Islanders franchise record for wins in a season (38,
2014–15)
*Played in
NHL All-Star Game
The National Hockey League All-Star Game (french: Match des Étoiles de la Ligue Nationale de Hockey, links=no) is an exhibition ice hockey game that is traditionally held during the regular season of the National Hockey League (NHL), with many o ...
in
2015.
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Halak, Jaroslav
1985 births
Living people
Boston Bruins players
Bridgeport Sound Tigers players
Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL) players
HC Slovan Bratislava players
Ice hockey players at the 2010 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey players at the 2014 Winter Olympics
Lausitzer Füchse players
Lewiston Maineiacs players
Long Beach Ice Dogs (ECHL) players
Montreal Canadiens draft picks
Montreal Canadiens players
National Hockey League All-Stars
New York Islanders players
New York Rangers players
Olympic ice hockey players of Slovakia
Slovak ice hockey goaltenders
Ice hockey people from Bratislava
St. Louis Blues players
Vancouver Canucks players
Washington Capitals players
William M. Jennings Trophy winners