Roman Hamrlík (born April 12, 1974) 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 ...

defenceman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the l ...

who played 20 seasons 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). He was originally selected first overall in the 1992 NHL entry draft by the

Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. The Lightning compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the ...

, the first-ever selection by the expansion franchise, beginning his career with the team and later playing for the

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

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 ...

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. The ...

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...

Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The Capitals compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NH ...

, and

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 ...

. In total, he played 1,395 games during his NHL career and participated in three NHL All-Star Games, in

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

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 ...

, and

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

. Hamrlík also represented the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

on numerous occasions at the international level, including at the

1998 Winter Olympics The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the and commonly known as Nagano 1998 (), were a winter multi-sport event held from 7 to 22 February 1998, mainly in Nagano, Nagano, Nagano, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, with some events ...

, where he was part of the gold medal-winning Czech team. He also played in the

2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 (; Gosiute dialect, Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; ; Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), were an international wi ...

, as well as two

Ice Hockey World Championships The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual international men's ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), first officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the I ...

, in

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

and

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

, and two

World Cup of Hockey The World Cup of Hockey is an international ice hockey tournament. Inaugurated in 1996 World Cup of Hockey, 1996, it is the successor to the Canada Cup, which was held every three to five years from 1976 Canada Cup, 1976 to 1991 Canada Cup, 1991 ...

tournaments, in

and

2004 World Cup of Hockey The 2004 World Cup of Hockey was an international ice hockey tournament. It was the second installment of the National Hockey League (NHL)-sanctioned competition, eight years after the inaugural 1996 World Cup of Hockey. It was held from August ...

Playing career

Drafted first overall by the

in the 1992 NHL entry draft from ZPS Zlín, Hamrlík played as a

who typically took on an offensive role for his team, especially on the powerplay. His offensive prowess earned him the role of the "powerplay quarterback," as he often led the offense in a powerplay. After his draft, Hamrlík made the immediate leap to North America to play for the Lightning in the 1992–93 season. In 1995–96, he posted career-highs in goals (16), assists (49) and points (65). After five-and-a-half seasons with the organization, Hamrlík was traded to the

midway through the 1997–98 season. Hamrlík was traded to the

on June 24, 2000, in exchange for Eric Brewer, Josh Green, and a

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

second-round pick. During the 2000–01 season, he would match his career-high in goals with 16. Hamrlík signed as an unrestricted free agent with the

on August 14, 2005, to a two-year, $7 million contract. In 2006–07, he posted a career-high in plus-minus with +22. On July 2, 2007, again as a free agent, Hamrlík signed a four-year, $22 million contract with the

. After four productive seasons with Montreal, Hamrlík signed as a free agent on a two-year, $7 million contract with the

on July 1, 2011. In his second season with Washington during the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season, Hamrlik was limited to just four games as a reserve defenceman before he was ultimately placed on waivers by the team on March 5, 2013. He was claimed by the

on March 6, 2013. Hamrlík announced his retirement from professional ice hockey on October 21, 2013. Hamrlík was inducted into the

Czech Ice Hockey Hall of Fame The Czech Ice Hockey Hall of Fame was founded in 2008 and is located in Prague, Czech Republic. The Hall honors individuals that have contributed to the sport of hockey in the Czech Republic. It houses displays and a collection of memorabilia depic ...

on January 22, 2019.

Personal life

Hamrlík has an older brother, Martin Hamrlík, who was drafted by the

Hartford Whalers The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its 25-year existence in Hartford, Connecticut. The club played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972 until 1979, and in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1 ...

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

, but never played in the NHL, and who spent the majority of his playing career in Czech Republic before retiring in 2013. Hamrlík and his wife Cynthia have two children together.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards

NHL All-Star Game The National Hockey League All-Star Game () is an exhibition ice hockey tournament that is traditionally held during the regular season of the National Hockey League (NHL), with many of the League's star players playing against each other. The ga ...

–

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hamrlik, Roman 1974 births Living people Atlanta Knights players Calgary Flames players Czech expatriate ice hockey players in Canada Czech expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Czech ice hockey defencemen Czechoslovak ice hockey defencemen Edmonton Oilers players First overall NHL draft picks Ice hockey people from Zlín Ice hockey players at the 1998 Winter Olympics Ice hockey players at the 2002 Winter Olympics Medalists at the 1998 Winter Olympics Montreal Canadiens players National Hockey League All-Stars New York Islanders players New York Rangers players NHL first-round draft picks Olympic gold medalists for the Czech Republic Olympic ice hockey players for the Czech Republic Olympic medalists in ice hockey PSG Berani Zlín players Tampa Bay Lightning draft picks Tampa Bay Lightning players Washington Capitals players 21st-century Czech sportsmen