Tomáš Tatar
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Tomáš Tatar (; born 1 December 1990) is a Slovak 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 ...
forward for EV Zug of Switzerland's
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
. Tatar was drafted 60th overall by the
Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
in the 2009 NHL entry draft.


Playing career


Slovak Extraliga

During the 2007–08 season, Tatar saw time with Dukla Trenčín's U18 and U20 squads, finishing the season with a combined 50 goals and 39 assists in 46 games. During the 2008–09 season, Tatar's first season in the senior Slovak hockey system, he played for
HKM Zvolen Hokejový Klub HKM a.s. Zvolen is a professional Slovakia, Slovak ice hockey club based in Zvolen. The club has won the Slovak league championship three times (2001, 2013, 2021) and the IIHF Continental Cup in 2005. The team is nicknamed ''Rytieri ...
in the
Slovak Extraliga The Slovak Extraliga, known as the Tipsport liga since the 2025–26 season for sponsorship reasons, is the highest-level ice hockey league in Slovakia. From 2018–19 to 2020–21, the league included one or two teams from Hungary. Teams fro ...
, recording seven goals and eight assists in 48 games.


NHL


Detroit Red Wings

Tatar was drafted 60th overall by the
Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He was also drafted 15th overall by
SKA Saint Petersburg Hockey Club SKA (), often referred to as SKA Saint Petersburg and literally as the Sports Club of the Army, is a professional ice hockey club based in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is a member of the Bobrov Division in the Kontinental Hockey Le ...
in the 2009 KHL Entry Draft. On 25 September 2009, Tatar signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Red Wings. After signing with Detroit, Tatar was assigned to their
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) affiliate, the
Grand Rapids Griffins The Grand Rapids Griffins are a professional ice hockey team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They compete in the American Hockey League (AHL), playing their home games at Van Andel Arena. They are the AHL affiliate to the Detroit Red Wings of t ...
. During the 2009–10 season, his first in North America, Tatar recorded 16 goals and 16 assists in 58 games with Grand Rapids in his rookie season. During the 2010–11 season, in his second professional season, Tatar recorded 24 goals and 33 assists in 70 games with the Griffins. Tatar made his NHL debut on 31 December 2010, where he scored his first NHL goal against Dwayne Roloson of 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 ...
. During the 2011–12 season, Tatar was the leading scorer for the Griffins in his third professional season. Skating in all 76 games for the Griffins, he scored 24 goals and 34 assists, however the Griffins failed to make the Calder Cup playoffs, finishing fourth in the North Division. During the 2012–13 season, Tatar played for three teams. Due to the
2012–13 NHL lockout 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to ...
, he started the season with the
ŠHK 37 Piešťany ŠHK 37 Piešťany was a professional Slovak ice hockey club, based in Piešťany, Slovakia. The club was founded in 1937. The team is nicknamed Havrani ("ravens"). Honours Domestic Slovak 1. Liga * Winners (2): 2009–10, 2010–11 * Run ...
in Slovakia, where he played eight games and recorded five goals and five assists. Following the lockout, Tatar played in 18 games for the Red Wings, recording four goals and three assists. He then ended the season with Grand Rapids, where he 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 ...
as the AHL champions. Tatar was the leading scorer for the Griffins during the playoffs, scoring 16 goals and five assists in 24 games, and was awarded the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy for Most Valuable Player in the 2013 playoffs. During the 2013–14 season, in his first full NHL season, Tatar finished the season with 39 points, ranking second on the team in goals with 19. On 28 July 2014, the Red Wings signed Tatar to a three-year, $8.25 million contract extension. Tatar was named the Second Star of the Week for the week ending 24 November 2014. He tied for second in the NHL with four goals and one assist, including two game-winning goals, to lead the Red Wings to two victories in three games. He was also named the Second Star of the Week for the week ending 19 January 2015; he tied for first in the League with five goals and two assists, scoring in four straight games, to lead the Red Wings to four-straight victories. On 21 July 2017, the Red Wings signed Tatar to a four-year, $21.2 million contract extension.


Vegas Golden Knights

On 26 February 2018, Tatar was traded to the
Vegas Golden Knights The Vegas Golden Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Golden Knights compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division ...
in exchange for a first-round pick in
2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
, a second-round pick in
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
and a third-round pick in
2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
. During the 2018 playoffs, Tatar played in eight games, tallying one goal and one assist.


Montreal Canadiens

Prior to the 2018–19 season, Tatar was traded to 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 ...
, along with prospect
Nick Suzuki Nicholas Suzuki (born August 10, 1999) is a Canadian professional ice hockey Centre (ice hockey), centre and Captain (ice hockey), captain for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the first round, 13th ov ...
and a second round draft pick in 2019, in exchange for their captain Max Pacioretty. In 2019, he injured his foot during training. In the 2019–20 season, Tatar set a career high in points with 61 through 68 regular season games. Tatar typically played on Montreal's first line with Brendan Gallagher and Phillip Danault during the season. In the Canadiens' run to the
2021 Stanley Cup Finals The 2021 Stanley Cup Finals was the Stanley Cup Finals, championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2020–21 NHL season, 2020–21 season and the culmination of the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs. The series was between the 2020–21 ...
, Tatar was frequently a healthy scratch, playing only five games.


New Jersey Devils

On 5 August 2021, as a free agent from Montreal, Tatar signed a two-year, $9 million contract with the
New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The club w ...
. In 158 regular season games with the Devils, Tatar scored 78 points. He was with the team for the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, scoring a goal in the decisive game 7 victory over 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 ...
that secured their first playoff series win since
2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
.


Colorado Avalanche and Seattle Kraken

On 12 September 2023, Tatar signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the
Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. The Avalanche compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Con ...
. He later revealed that he declined a one-year contract offer to stay in New Jersey, looking instead for a multi-year deal, and when he was unable to find one there was no longer an offer from the Devils due to their acquisition of Tyler Toffoli. Tatar made his Avalanche debut on the opening night of the 2023–24 season, registering an assist in a 5–2 victory over 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. ...
on 11 October. Slated to play in a top-six role, Tatar struggled to contribute offensively, scoring his lone goal with the Avalanche in his 26th game during a 6–5 victory over 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. The ...
on 11 December. Having posted nine points through 27 games, Tatar was traded by the Avalanche to the
Seattle Kraken The Seattle Kraken are a professional ice hockey team based in Seattle. The Kraken 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 t ...
in exchange for a
2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
fifth-round pick on 15 December. Tatar made his debut with the Kraken in an elevated role on the top-line alongside Matty Beniers and Jared McCann and saw his shootout attempt foiled in a 3–2 defeat to 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. ...
on 16 December 2023.


Return to New Jersey

As a free agent for a second consecutive year, Tatar opted to return to the Devils by signing a one-year, $1.8 million contract with the team on 2 July 2024.


Switzerland

In 2025, after 14 seasons in the NHL, Tatar signed a two-year contract with EV Zug of the Swiss
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
. While Tatar played predominantly on the left wing for the majority of his career, Zug announced he would be used as a centre.


International play

Tatar represented
Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, 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 west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
at the
2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (''2009 WJHC''), was the 33rd edition of the Ice Hockey World Junior Championship and was played in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, between December 26, 2008, and January 5, 2009. Games were held at the O ...
, where he was the team's leading-scorer, and finished tied for fourth in tournament scoring, recording seven goals and four assists in seven games. Tatar again represented Slovakia at the
2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 2010 World Junior Hockey Championships (''2010 WJHC''), was the 34th edition of IIHF World Junior Championship, Ice Hockey World Junior Championship. The tournament was hosted by Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canad ...
, where he scored three goals and two assists in six games. That same year, he also represented the senior Slovak team at the
2010 IIHF World Championship The 2010 IIHF World Championship was the 74th IIHF World Championship, an annual international ice hockey tournament. It took place between 7 and 23 May 2010 in Germany. The games were played in the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, SAP Arena in Mannh ...
, scoring two goals in six games. Tatar also played for Slovakia at the
2012 IIHF World Championship The 2012 IIHF World Championship was the 76th IIHF World Championship, an annual international ice hockey tournament. It took place between 4–20 May 2012 in Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden. This tournament determined the countries' s ...
, where he was the youngest player on the roster. He skated in all ten games for the
silver medal A silver medal, in sports and other similar areas involving competition, is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, ...
-winning Slovakia at the World Championships, finishing with two goals and three assists. Slovakia finished second to
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
after defeating 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 ...
in the semifinals. Tatar was then selected to play for Slovakia at the
2014 Winter Olympics The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially called the XXII Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Sochi 2014 (), were an international winter multi-sport event that was held from 7 to 23 February 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Opening ro ...
in
Sochi Sochi ( rus, Сочи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg, from  – ''seaside'') is the largest Resort town, resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi (river), Sochi River, along the Black Sea in the North Caucasus of Souther ...
,
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
, where he finished the tournament as the squad's second-leading scorer, with one goal and one assist. Tatar also represented Slovakia later that year at the
2014 IIHF World Championship The 2014 IIHF World Championship was hosted by Belarus in its capital, Minsk, held from 9 to 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 ...
, where he was the team's second-leading scorer, recording four goals and four assists in seven games. Tatar represented Slovakia at the 2015 IIHF World Championship, where he recorded two assists in six games. Tatar represented Team Europe 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 ...
, where he was the team's leading goal scorer, recording three goals in six games, including an overtime goal against Sweden in the semifinal and won a silver medal.


Personal life

Tatar is a supporter of
FC Bayern Munich Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), commonly known as Bayern Munich (), FC Bayern () or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. They are most known for their men's professional association foo ...
.


Career statistics


Regular season and playoffs


International


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tatar, Tomas 1990 births Living people Colorado Avalanche players Detroit Red Wings draft picks Detroit Red Wings players Grand Rapids Griffins players HKM Zvolen players Ice hockey players at the 2014 Winter Olympics Montreal Canadiens players New Jersey Devils players Olympic ice hockey players for Slovakia Seattle Kraken players Ice hockey people from Ilava Slovak expatriate ice hockey players in Canada Slovak expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Slovak ice hockey forwards Vegas Golden Knights players 21st-century Slovak sportsmen