Milan Hnilička (born June 25, 1973) is a Czech former professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

player and politician. He played in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

(NHL) for the

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...

Atlanta Thrashers The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL sea ...

and the

Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The Kings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. ...

. He was a member of the

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since 2017, but resigned in January 2021, after attending a party in breach of coronavirus restrictions. He was drafted 70th overall by the

New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...

in the 1991 NHL entry draft. In 2000, Hnilička won the

Calder Cup The Calder Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the playoff champions of the American Hockey League (AHL). It was first presented in 1937 to the Syracuse Stars. The cup is made of sterling silver mounted on a base of Brazilian mahogany. In it ...

while playing for the

Hartford Wolf Pack The Hartford Wolf Pack are a professional ice hockey team based in Hartford, Connecticut. A member of the American Hockey League (AHL), they play their home games at the PeoplesBank Arena. The team was established in 1926 as the Providence Reds. ...

of the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...

(AHL). He announced his retirement in August 2010. Internationally, Hnilička represented the Czechoslovak national junior team and the Czech national senior team at multiple tournaments.

Playing career

Hnilička played for Poldi SONP Kladno in the

Czechoslovak Extraliga The Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League was the elite ice hockey league in Czechoslovakia from 1936 until 1993, when the country split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Slovak Extraliga and Czech Extraliga formed from the split. History ...

for several years. At the 1991 NHL entry draft he was selected 70th overall by the

, and moved to North America in 1992, spending one season in

major junior Junior ice hockey is amateur-level ice hockey for 16 to 20 year-old players. National List of members of the International Ice Hockey Federation, Junior teams compete annually for the IIHF World Junior Championship. The United States men's nationa ...

with the

Swift Current Broncos The Swift Current Broncos are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Founded in 1967, the Broncos relocated to Lethbridge, Alberta in 1974, and were known as the Lethbridge Broncos, before returning to S ...

of the

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(WHL), helping them reach the 1993 Memorial Cup. He then spent two seasons in the minor leagues before returning to the

Czech Extraliga The Czech Extraliga () is the highest-level ice hockey league in the Czech Republic. It was created in 1993 following the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia midway through the 1992–93 Czechoslovak Extraliga season (which all Slovak and ...

, where he played a further four seasons. Signed by the

of the

(NHL) in 1999, he made his NHL debut on October 14, 1999, against the

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), E ...

. He played two games for the Rangers, spending the majority of the season with their

(AHL) affiliate, the

, winning the

with them as AHL champions. Signing as a free agent with the

, he spent three easons with them, before being traded to the

in 2003. Hnilička mainly played for the Kings' AHL affiliate, the

Manchester Monarchs Manchester Monarchs may refer to: *Manchester Monarchs (AHL) (2001–2015) *Manchester Monarchs (ECHL) The Manchester Monarchs were a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL which began play in the 2015–16 ECHL season, 2015–16 season. Bas ...

, appearing in two games for the Kings. He returned to the Czech Republic in 2004 and played five seasons with Bílí Tygři Liberec, as well as briefly playing for

Salavat Yulaev Ufa Hockey Club Salavat Yulaev (; ), commonly referred as Salavat Yulaev Ufa, is a professional ice hockey club based in Ufa, Russia. It is a member of the Chernyshev Division in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Established in 1957, Salavat Yu ...

of the

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in the 2007–08 season. Hnilička's last games were during the 2009–10 season when he played three games for Slavia Praha. He holds the

Winnipeg Jets The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The Jets compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The te ...

franchise record for saves in one game with 53 that he achieved on 18 December 2001, against the

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International play

Hnilička played his first game for the Czechoslovak junior team in 1990 at the 1990 European Junior Championships, winning a bronze medal. He played again for the Czechoslovakian junior team at the 1991 World Junior Championships, again winning bronze. He was named to the Czechoslovak senior team for both the 1991 Canada Cup and 1991 World Championships, but did not play in either tournament. Hnilička's final tournament for Czechoslovakia was in the 1992 World Junior Championships, where the team finished fifth. With the

dissolution of Czechoslovakia The dissolution of Czechoslovakia, which took effect on December 31, 1992, was the Self-determination, self-determined Partition (politics), partition of the federal republic of Fifth Czechoslovak Republic, Czechoslovakia into the independent ...

he began to represent the Czech national team, playing in seven

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 ...

and the

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

and

2006 Winter Olympics The 2006 Winter Olympics (), officially the XX Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February in Turin, Italy. This marked the second time Italy had hosted the Winter O ...

(though he did not play in 1998). He won gold at the

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

, and 2005 World Championships, as well as a silver medal in

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

and bronze in both

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...

and

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hnilicka, Milan 1973 births Living people ANO (political party) MPs Atlanta Thrashers players Chicago Wolves players Czech expatriate ice hockey players in Canada Czech expatriate ice hockey players in Russia Czech expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Czech ice hockey goaltenders Czech sportsperson-politicians Denver Grizzlies players Hartford Wolf Pack players HC Bílí Tygři Liberec players HC Slavia Praha players HC Sparta Praha players Ice hockey players at the 1998 Winter Olympics Ice hockey players at the 2006 Winter Olympics Los Angeles Kings players Manchester Monarchs (AHL) players Medalists at the 1998 Winter Olympics Medalists at the 2006 Winter Olympics Members of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic (2017–2021) New York Islanders draft picks New York Rangers players Olympic bronze medalists for the Czech Republic Olympic gold medalists for the Czech Republic Olympic ice hockey players for the Czech Republic Olympic medalists in ice hockey Sportspeople from Litoměřice Richmond Renegades players Rytíři Kladno players Salavat Yulaev Ufa players Salt Lake Golden Eagles (IHL) players Swift Current Broncos players 21st-century Czech sportsmen