Eliteprospects
Slovakia Erik Cernak
#81 Tampa Bay Lightning / NHL - 25/26
1-time Slovakian Player of the Year (Golden puck) 1
1-time U20 WJC Bronze Medal 1
2-time NHL Stanley Cup Champion 2
1-time OHL Champion 1
2-time Slovakian Extraliga Champion 2
Date of Birth
May 28, 1997
Position
D
Age
28
Height
6'4" / 192 cm
Place of Birth
Kosice, SVK
Weight
229 lbs / 104 kg
Nation
Slovakia
Shoots
R
Youth Team
HC Kosice
Contract
30/31
Cap Hit
$5,200,000 Powered by
NHL Rights
Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay Lightning / Signed
Drafted
2015 round 2 #43 overall by Los Angeles Kings
Agency
PREMIUM

Černák is a big defenseman with excellent reach and strength. Is brilliant defensively and in front of his own net. Can also play on the powerplay thanks to his hockey sense. Doesn't take a lot of penalties for a physical player.
- Vladimir Kubik EP

Cousin: Christián Jaroš

© Photo: Dan Hickling

Use/Embed statistics

Erik Cernak Statistics

S Team League GP G A TP PIM +/-   POST GP G A TP PIM +/-
2010-11 HC Kosice U16 Slovakia U16 26* 9* 13* 22* 34* 41* |
2011-12 HC Kosice U18 Slovakia U18 37* 5* 4* 9* 61* 31* |
HC Kosice U16 Slovakia U16 9* 4* 10* 14* 26* 21* |
2012-13 HC Slovan Bratislava U18 Slovakia U18 1* 0* 2* 2* 0* 1* | Playoffs 1 0 2 2 0 2
HC Slovan Bratislava U20 Slovakia U20 30* 4* 6* 10* 18* 9* | Playoffs 12 0 1 1 8 -5
Team Slovakia U20 Slovakia2 8* 2* 0* 2* 18* -* |
Slovakia U17 “A” WHC-17 5* 0* 0* 0* 8* -* |
Slovakia U17 (all) International-Jr 9* 1* 1* 2* 10* -* |
Slovakia U18 WJC-18 6* 0* 2* 2* 8* -2* |
Slovakia U18 (all) International-Jr 8* 0* 3* 3* 8* -* |
2013-14 HC Kosice U20 Slovakia U20 8* 1* 3* 4* 16* -1* |
HC Kosice Slovakia 13* 0* 0* 0* 0* 0* | Playoffs 7 0 0 0 2 -3
Team Slovakia U20 Slovakia 20* 2* 1* 3* 2* -7* |
Slovakia U18 “C” WJC-18 5* 0* 0* 0* 6* 2* |
Slovakia U20 WJC-20 5* 0* 0* 0* 4* -5* |
Slovakia U20 (all) International-Jr 7* 0* 1* 1* 4* 1* |
2014-15 HC Kosice Slovakia 43* 5* 8* 13* 16* 7* | Playoffs 7 0 1 1 6 6
Slovakia U20 WJC-20 6* 0* 2* 2* 4* 1* |
Slovakia U20 (all) International-Jr 5* 3* 2* 5* 8* 2* |
Slovakia (all) International 3* 1* 0* 1* 6* 2* |
2015-16 Erie Otters OHL 41* 4* 11* 15* 35* 7* | Playoffs 13 0 6 6 10 4
Slovakia U20 “A” WJC-20 4* 0* 0* 0* 2* 1* |
2016-17 Erie Otters OHL 50* 3* 18* 21* 53* 31* | Playoffs 22 1 8 9 10 17
Slovakia U20 WJC-20 5* 0* 1* 1* 2* -3* |
2017-18 Syracuse Crunch AHL 71* 5* 13* 18* 70* 30* | Playoffs 7 1 1 2 4 0
Slovakia (all) International 2* 0* 0* 0* 2* 0* |
2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 58* 5* 11* 16* 58* 25* | Playoffs 4 0 3 3 0 -2
Syracuse Crunch AHL 9* 2* 5* 7* 14* -1* |
Slovakia WC 7* 3* 2* 5* 8* 3* |
Slovakia (all) International 9* 4* 2* 6* 12* 3* |
2019-20 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 67* 5* 7* 12* 59* 11* | Playoffs 25 0 4 4 12 2
2020-21 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 46* 5* 13* 18* 38* 8* | Playoffs 21 1 9 10 16 12
2021-22 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 55* 1* 12* 13* 46* 7* | Playoffs 23 1 1 2 12 1
2022-23 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 70* 2* 14* 16* 53* 8* | Playoffs 1 0 0 0 2 0
2023-24 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 69* 2* 11* 13* 63* 5* | Playoffs 5 0 1 1 2 0
2024-25 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 76* 3* 18* 21* 50* 29* | Playoffs 5 1 0 1 4 1
2025-26 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 19* 0* 4* 4* 21* 0* |
Projected NHL 65* 0* 14* 14* 72* 0* |
2023-24 NHL stats powered by NHL.com

Erik Cernak Tournament Statistics

S Team League GP G A TP PIM +/-   POST GP G A TP PIM +/-
2009-10 Slovakia Elite Hockey QC Int PW 4* 0* 1* 1* 4* -* |
2014-15 HC Kosice Champions HL 6* 0* 1* 1* 4* -2* |
2016-17 Erie Otters Memorial Cup 5* 0* 2* 2* 2* 0* |

Erik Cernak Career Totals

League Years GP G A TP PPG PIM +/- | Years GP G A TP PPG PIM +/-
AHL 2 80* 7* 18* 25* 0.31* 84* 29* | 1 7 1 * 1 * 2 * 0.29 * 4 * 0 *
Champions HL 1 6* 0* 1* 1* 0.17* 4* -2* | 0 * * * * * *
International 3 14* 5* 2* 7* 0.50* 20* 5* | 0 * * * * * *
International-Jr 3 29* 4* 7* 11* 0.38* 30* 3* | 0 * * * * * *
Memorial Cup 1 5* 0* 2* 2* 0.40* 2* 0* | 0 * * * * * *
NHL 8 460* 23* 90* 113* 0.25* 388* 93* | 7 84 3 * 18 * 21 * 0.25 * 48 * 14 *
OHL 2 91* 7* 29* 36* 0.40* 88* 38* | 2 35 1 * 14 * 15 * 0.43 * 20 * 21 *
QC Int PW 1 4* 0* 1* 1* 0.25* 4* -* | 0 * * * * * *
Slovakia 2 76* 7* 9* 16* 0.21* 18* 0* | 2 14 0 * 1 * 1 * 0.07 * 8 * 3 *
Slovakia U16 2 35* 13* 23* 36* 1.03* 60* 62* | 0 * * * * * *
Slovakia U18 2 38* 5* 6* 11* 0.29* 61* 32* | 1 1 0 * 2 * 2 * 2.00 * 0 * 2 *
Slovakia U20 2 38* 5* 9* 14* 0.37* 34* 8* | 1 12 0 * 1 * 1 * 0.08 * 8 * -5 *
Slovakia2 1 8* 2* 0* 2* 0.25* 18* -* | 0 * * * * * *
WC 1 7* 3* 2* 5* 0.71* 8* 3* | 0 * * * * * *
WHC-17 1 5* 0* 0* 0* 0.00* 8* -* | 0 * * * * * *
WJC-18 2 11* 0* 2* 2* 0.18* 14* 0* | 0 * * * * * *
WJC-20 4 20* 0* 3* 3* 0.15* 12* -6* | 0 * * * * * *
* Some data is missing to provide a correct summary.

Erik Cernak Career Highlights

Season
Awards by season
Transactions
DATE STATUS FROM TO SOURCE
07/13/2022
07/13/2022 Extension Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay Lightning
12/22/2020
12/22/2020 Extension Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay Lightning
02/27/2017
02/27/2017 Confirmed Los Angeles Kings Tampa Bay Lightning
07/14/2015
07/14/2015 Confirmed HC Kosice Los Angeles Kings
Player Biography and Trivia

Drafted 2015, 1 #54 overall by Erie Otters in the CHL Import Draft

Drafted 2014, 1 #14 overall by HC Slovan Bratislava in the KHL Draft

2015 NHL Entry Draft: Ranked #90 by FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS

2015 NHL Entry Draft: Ranked #16 by NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING (EU Skaters

2015 NHL Entry Draft: Ranked #41 by TSN/McKenzie

Cult/Star player for HC Kosice