Kevin Fiala (born 22 July 1996) is a
Swiss 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 ...
left winger
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
for the
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...
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). He spent one season with the
Malmö Redhawks
The IF Malmö Redhawks (colloquially referred to simply as Malmö or by past abbreviation MIF) is a Swedish professional ice hockey team based in Malmö which plays in the SHL, with Malmö Arena as the venue for home games.
The history of the ...
junior team, then joined
HV71
HV71 (), often referred to as just HV, is a Swedish professional ice hockey club based in Jönköping, playing in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), the first tier of Swedish ice hockey. The team played in the 2008–09 Champions Hockey League ...
, splitting a season between their junior team and their senior team in the
Swedish Hockey League (SHL), being selected by the
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 ...
11th overall in the
2014 NHL Entry Draft
The 2014 NHL Entry Draft was the 52nd NHL Entry Draft. The draft was held on June 27–28, 2014 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The top three selections were Aaron Ekblad, Sam Reinhart and Leon Draisaitl, going to the F ...
. Fiala started the following season with HV71 before moving to North America halfway through, splitting two seasons between the Predators and their
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) affiliate, the
Milwaukee Admirals
The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Panther Arena. They are affiliated with the NHL's Nashvil ...
.
Internationally Fiala has played for the
Swiss national team at several tournaments, both at the
junior
Junior or Juniors may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* ''Junior'' (Junior Mance album), 1959
* ''Junior'' (Röyksopp album), 2009
* ''Junior'' (Kaki King album), 2010
* ''Junior'' (LaFontaines album), 2019
Films
* ''Junior'' (1994 ...
and senior level, and has appeared in two
World Championships
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
.
Playing career
Fiala played in the 2009
Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament
The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament (french: Tournoi international de hockey pee-wee de Québec) is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, ...
with the Swiss Eastern team. He later played in various junior leagues in his native Switzerland prior to joining the Swedish club
Malmö Redhawks
The IF Malmö Redhawks (colloquially referred to simply as Malmö or by past abbreviation MIF) is a Swedish professional ice hockey team based in Malmö which plays in the SHL, with Malmö Arena as the venue for home games.
The history of the ...
for the
2012–13 season. His time was split between the U18 club in the
J18 Elit
The J18 Region (Elit until-2020) is the highest level of under-18 ice hockey in Sweden. The league was first played in the 1980 season. Färjestad BK has won the most league titles, with seven.
The league is divided into four divisions, Norra (Nor ...
and J18 Allsvenskan, and the U20 outfit in the
J20 SuperElit
J20 Nationell is a junior ice hockey league composed of 20 teams in Sweden. Previously known as the J20 SuperElit, it is the highest-level junior ice hockey league in Sweden. The teams are divided in two groups, or divisions, ''Norra'' (North) ...
. Fiala then joined
HV71
HV71 (), often referred to as just HV, is a Swedish professional ice hockey club based in Jönköping, playing in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), the first tier of Swedish ice hockey. The team played in the 2008–09 Champions Hockey League ...
, with whom he debuted for during the 2013
European Trophy
European Trophy (previously named ''Nordic Trophy'' between 2006 and 2009) was an annually held ice hockey tournament, traditionally composed of teams from the higher-level ice hockey leagues in countries across Europe. With 32 participating teams ...
. Throughout the
2013–14 season, Fiala split time with the HV71 junior team in the J20 SuperElit and the senior team, who played in the
Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He was praised by Head Coach
Ulf Dahlén for his play following his SHL debut, a 5–4 defeat to
Linköpings HC Linköpings may refer to:
*Linköpings ASS, Linköpings Allmänna Simsällskap is a Swedish swim team
*Linköpings FC, an association football club
* Linköpings FF, premier men's football team
* Linköpings HC, Linköpings Hockey Club
See als ...
. Fiala was a finalist for the SHL's Rookie of the Year award; he finished tying for the lead among all SHL junior (under-18) players for points, with 11.
Prior to joining the senior team in the SHL, Fiala had been one of the top scorers in the junior league, with 10 goals and 25 points in 27 games.
Fiala was ranked as one of the top European prospects for the
2014 NHL Entry Draft
The 2014 NHL Entry Draft was the 52nd NHL Entry Draft. The draft was held on June 27–28, 2014 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The top three selections were Aaron Ekblad, Sam Reinhart and Leon Draisaitl, going to the F ...
, being considered a top-three player by many scouting services; he ultimately was selected by the
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 ...
11th overall. The Predators signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract on 15 July 2014.
Fiala initially started the
2014–15 season with HV71. However, in January he was reassigned to the
Milwaukee Admirals
The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Panther Arena. They are affiliated with the NHL's Nashvil ...
, the Predators
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) affiliate. At the time, Fiala had 14 points in 20 games, which was the sixth-most points of all junior players in the SHL. He made his NHL debut during the season, on March 24, against 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 ...
. He also appeared in one playoff game during the season.
He scored his first NHL goal on 14 January 2016, against
Connor Hellebuyck
Connor Charles Hellebuyck ( ; born May 19, 1993) is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Jets in the fifth round, 130th overall, of the 2012 NHL Entry Dra ...
of the
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, p ...
. Spending most of the
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and ...
with Milwaukee, he finished the year with 50 points in 66 games.
In the
2016–17 season, Fiala made the Predators opening night roster. In his rookie NHL season, Fiala appeared in 54 games and scored 11 goals. He was assigned to the Admirals throughout the year and recorded with 19 points in 22 games. In the post-season, after a first round sweep of 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 ...
, in which he collected two goals (including the overtime game winner in Game 3), Fiala suffered a broken left femur on 26 April 2017, playing in the opening game of the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. In the second period of the game against 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 ...
, Fiala's left knee collided with the end boards after being checked by St. Louis Blues defenseman
Robert Bortuzzo
Robert Bortuzzo (born March 18, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). Bortuzzo was drafted 78th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
Growi ...
. Fiala was removed from the ice on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance and transported to
Barnes-Jewish Hospital
Barnes-Jewish Hospital is the largest hospital in the U.S. state of Missouri. Located in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis, it is the adult teaching hospital for the Washington University School of Medicine and a major component of ...
in St. Louis. An artery in his left thigh was ruptured during the fracture thus ending Fiala's 2017 playoff participation.
During the
2018–19 season, having tallied 10 goals and 32 points in 64 games with the Predators, Fiala was traded at the trade deadline to the
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and play their home games at the Xcel Ener ...
in exchange for
Mikael Granlund
Mikael Antero Granlund (born 26 February 1992) is a Finnish professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played professionally in Finland with Oulun Kärpät ...
on 25 February 2019. On 11 September 2019, Fiala signed a two-year extension with the Wild.
On 16 August 2021, Fiala agreed to a one-year, $5.1 million contract with the Wild.
On 29 June 2022, Fiala as an impending restricted free agent was traded by the Wild to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for defenseman
Brock Faber
Brock Faber (born August 22, 2002) is an American ice hockey defenseman for the University of Minnesota. Faber was drafted 45th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and is currently a prospect of the Minnesota Wild.
Playi ...
and a first-round pick in
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
. After the trade, Fiala was immediately signed to a seven-year $55.125 million contract extension with the Kings.
International play
Fiala played in the
Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament
The Hlinka Gretzky Cup is an annual international under-18 ice hockey tournament administered by Hockey Canada, the Czech Ice Hockey Association, and the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation.
Held since 1991, it has been contested under various titles ...
in
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 gather ...
and
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
as a member of the
Swiss U18 national team. He also skated for his country at the
2014 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2014 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (formerly called the IIHF U20 World Championship) was the 38th edition of the Ice Hockey World Junior Championship (WJHC), hosted in Malmö, Sweden. The 13,700-seat Malmö Arena was the main venue, ...
, where he was lauded as one of the key players on the Swiss roster. In five WJC games, he recorded one goal and four assists, as Switzerland was eliminated by
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
in the quarter-finals. In May 2014, Fiala represented Switzerland at the
2014 IIHF World Championship
The 2014 IIHF World Championship was hosted by Belarus in its capital, Minsk, held from 9–25 May 2014. Sixteen national teams were competing in two venues, the Minsk-Arena and Chizhovka-Arena. It was the first time Belarus hosted the tourname ...
in
Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
, registering two assists in seven games. Fiala was the third player in history to play in the
under-18,
World Junior, and
World Championship
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
in the same year (the first two were
Andrei Kostitsyn
Andrei Olegovich Kostitsyn ( be, Андрэй Алегавiч Касціцын; russian: Андрей Олегович Костицын; born 3 February 1985) is a Belarusian professional ice hockey forward. He is currently a free agent.
The me ...
and
Vadim Karaga, both with
Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
in 2003).
Fiala also participated at the
2018 IIHF World Championship
The 2018 IIHF World Championship was an international ice hockey tournament hosted by the Danish cities of Copenhagen and Herning, held from 4–20 May 2018. The IIHF announced the winning bid on 23 May 2014 in Minsk, Belarus. South Korea made i ...
, where the Swiss won silver. In the final against Sweden Fiala had a chance to clinch the gold in overtime but his shot went too low. After losing the shootout the Swiss had to settle for silver.
Personal life
Fiala is a native of
St. Gallen
, neighboring_municipalities = Eggersriet, Gaiserwald, Gossau, Herisau (AR), Mörschwil, Speicher (AR), Stein (AR), Teufen (AR), Untereggen, Wittenbach
, twintowns = Liberec (Czech Republic)
, website ...
, Switzerland, although both his parents are
Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus'
Places
*Czech, ...
.
His father, Jan, played professional hockey in the Swiss lower leagues. After retiring Jan turned to coaching, and was one of Fiala's first coaches.
Fiala is a
polyglot
Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolingualism, monolingual speakers in the World population, world's pop ...
and speaks five languages: Czech, English, French, German, and Swedish.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
References
External links
*
Kevin Fiala's SHL profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fiala, Kevin
1996 births
Living people
HV71 players
Los Angeles Kings players
Milwaukee Admirals players
Minnesota Wild players
Nashville Predators draft picks
Nashville Predators players
National Hockey League first-round draft picks
Sportspeople from St. Gallen (city)
Swiss ice hockey forwards
Swiss people of Czech descent