Vojtěch Polák (born June 27, 1985) is a

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 *Czech (surnam ...

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 ...

left wing Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy either as a whole or of certain social hierarchies. Left-wing politic ...

who is currently playing with Cracovia Krakow in the

Polska Hokej Liga The Polska Hokej Liga (''PHL'') is the premier ice hockey league in Poland. The highest professional level of ice hockey in Poland is the Polish Hockey League (PHL); also referred to as the Polska Hokej Liga. Previously, it was known as the I Li ...

. Polak most recently iced with

Sheffield Steelers The Sheffield Steelers are a professional ice hockey team located in Sheffield, England. They were formed in 1991 and play their home games at the Utilita Arena. They are currently a member of the Elite Ice Hockey League. The club's main (tit ...

of the UK

Elite Ice Hockey League The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), sometimes referred to internationally as the British Elite League, is an ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. Formed in 2003 following the demise of the Ice Hockey Superleague, it is the highest level ...

(EIHL). During the 2005–06 season, he played significant time with the

Iowa Stars The Iowa Stars, later known as the Iowa Chops, were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The club was based in Des Moines, Iowa at the Wells Fargo Arena. History The Stars were founded by Howard Baldwin, of Hockey Holdi ...

, 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 ...

affiliate of the Stars.

Playing career

From the 2000–01 season to the 2004–2005 season, Polák would spend his time in 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 ...

. A vast majority of his games played with

HC Energie Karlovy Vary HC Energie Karlovy Vary is a professional ice hockey team based in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. They play in the highest-level national league, the Czech Extraliga. The club The history of the ice hockey in Karlovy Vary dates back to the 1932, w ...

, though he would also play for

HC Dukla Jihlava HC Dukla Jihlava, founded in 1956, is an ice hockey team in the Czech Republic. It won the Czechoslovak Extraliga title 12 times: six consecutive championships beginning in 1967, then in 1974, four consecutive championships beginning in 1982, an ...

and a single game for

HC Sparta Praha Hockey Club Sparta Praha, commonly known as HC Sparta Prague, is a Prague-based Czech professional ice hockey team playing in the Czech Extraliga. The club has won four Czech championships (most recently in 2007) and four Czechoslovak champio ...

. In the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, the Stars drafted him in the second round with the 36th overall pick. In 2005, Polák played his first professional game in North America with the Iowa Stars, scoring what would be his first of 12 goals and 34 points with the team. After an impressive preseason with the Stars in September, he made his NHL debut on October 22 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. The ...

. He would dress for three games with the Stars during the 2005–2006 season, going scoreless.

International play

Polák represented the Czech Republic at the

2004 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 2004 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (''2004 WJHC'') was held between December 26, 2003, and January 5, 2004, in Helsinki and Hämeenlinna, Finland. The United States won their first ever gold medal, defeating Canada 4–3 in the final. ...

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

References

External links