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Czechia Martin Straka

#28 HC Plzeň / Czechia - 13/14
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1. Brooks Macek 14 10 9 19
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4. Stéphane Da Costa 12 5 12 17
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Player Facts
Date of Birth
Sep 03, 1972
Position
C
Age
50
Height
5'9" / 176 cm
Place of Birth
Plzen, CZE
Weight
174 lbs / 79 kg
Nation
Czechia
Shoots
L
Youth Team
HC Plzen
Status
Retired
Drafted
1992 round 1 #19 overall by Pittsburgh Penguins
Highlights
1-time Olympic Gold Medal 1
1-time World Championship Gold Medal 1
1-time U20 WJC Bronze Medal 1
1-time Olympic Bronze Medal 1
1-time U18 EJC Bronze Medal 1
1-time Czech Extraliga Champion 1
1-time Czech Extraliga Player of the Year 1

Straka began his NHL career with Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992 and went from mere survivor to scoring star. After netting 64 points in his first year, he went into serious decline, as he bounced around three teams in two seasons. But when he returned to Penguins in 1997, he maximized his chances and impressively rebounded into a key figure and Penguins all-star.

Though only five feet nine, Straka became a giant performer. He would excel where it counted most-scoring important goals in the playoffs. Straka was a clever and intelligent player and great leader. He had a style that was somewhat reckless, but he managed to avoid getting battered by the bigger bodies in the NHL for the most part and became one of the Penguins' most prolific players of all time. After leaving NHL in 2008, he came back to Czech republic and served six more seasons as the captain of HC Plzen, the team where he was also a franchise owner and general manager. In 2013 he celebrated the Czech title. After retiring, he quickly moved into a coaching position. figure and Penguins all-star.

Straka enjoyed success on international ice as well, winning a gold medal at the Nagano Olympic games (1998), bronze medal at the Torino Olympic games (2006) and a gold medal at the World championship in 2005.


Brother: Michal Straka

Team Staff profile of Martin Straka also available
I will have a beer and cigarette. It was really nice 25 years in hockey, Martin Straka 2014
I think left wing is a little bit easier than center. But since I've been playing left wing for the last few years,I'd say I now prefer left, Martin Straka 2007
You always want to go back home with the family because our parents, our grandparents and all of our friends are there. We want to see them, Martin Straka 2007
Use/Embed statistics
Player Statistics
S Team League GP G A TP PIM +/-   POST GP G A TP PIM +/-
1988-89 HC Plzen U18 Czechoslovakia U18 34 37 34 71 42 - |
1989-90 Czechoslovakia U18 EJC-18 6 4 2 6 2 - |
1990-91 TJ Plzeň Czechoslovakia 47 7 24 32 6 10 |
Czechoslovakia U20 WJC-20 6 1 5 6 0 - |
1991-92 HC Plzeň Czechoslovakia 36 23 24 47 - - | Playoffs 14 4 4 8 - -
Czechoslovakia U20 WJC-20 7 2 6 8 4 - |
Czechoslovakia (all) International 5 2 - - - - |
1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 42 3 13 16 29 2 | Playoffs 11 2 1 3 2 2
Cleveland Lumberjacks IHL 4 4 3 7 0 2 |
1993-94 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 84 30 34 64 24 24 | Playoffs 6 1 0 1 2 -3
Czechia WC 3 1 0 1 4 -2 |
Czechia (all) International 3 1 0 1 4 - |
1994-95 HC Plzeň Czechia 19 10 11 21 18 13 |
Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 31 4 12 16 16 0 |
Ottawa Senators NHL 6 1 1 2 0 -1 |
Czechia (all) International 3 1 - - - - |
1995-96 Ottawa Senators NHL 43 9 16 25 29 -14 |
New York Islanders NHL 22 2 10 12 6 -6 |
Florida Panthers NHL 12 2 4 6 6 1 | Playoffs 13 2 2 4 2 -2
Czechia (all) International 6 3 0 3 0 - |
1996-97 Florida Panthers NHL 55 7 22 29 12 9 | Playoffs 4 0 0 0 0 -2
Czechia WCup 1 0 0 0 0 -1 |
1997-98 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 75 19 23 42 28 -1 | Playoffs 6 2 0 2 2 -3
Czechia OG 6 1 2 3 0 1 |
Czechia (all) International 6 1 2 3 0 - |
1998-99 Pittsburgh Penguins “A” NHL 80 35 48 83 26 12 | Playoffs 13 6 9 15 6 0
1999-00 Pittsburgh Penguins “A” NHL 71 20 39 59 26 24 | Playoffs 11 3 9 12 10 5
2000-01 Pittsburgh Penguins “A” NHL 82 27 68 95 38 19 | Playoffs 18 5 8 13 8 -1
2001-02 Pittsburgh Penguins “A” NHL 13 5 4 9 0 3 |
2002-03 Pittsburgh Penguins “A” NHL 60 18 28 46 12 -18 |
Czechia WC 9 6 4 10 4 5 |
Czechia (all) International 11 7 5 12 4 - |
2003-04 Pittsburgh Penguins “A” NHL 22 4 8 12 16 -16 |
Los Angeles Kings NHL 32 6 8 14 4 -9 |
Czechia “C” WC 7 2 2 4 4 2 |
Czechia (all) International 14 6 5 11 6 - |
2004-05 HC Plzeň Czechia 45 16 18 34 76 5 |
Czechia WCup 5 1 2 3 0 1 |
Czechia WC 9 3 1 4 8 6 |
Czechia (all) International 24 5 8 13 10 - |
2005-06 New York Rangers NHL 82 22 54 76 42 17 | Playoffs 4 0 0 0 2 -4
Czechia OG 8 2 6 8 6 4 |
Czechia (all) International 8 2 6 8 6 4 |
2006-07 New York Rangers “A” NHL 77 29 41 70 24 16 | Playoffs 10 2 8 10 2 0
2007-08 New York Rangers “A” NHL 65 14 27 41 22 5 | Playoffs 10 3 7 10 16 2
2008-09 HC Plzeň “C” Czechia 51 22 30 52 20 12 | Playoffs 17 8 13 21 2 2
Czechia (all) International 1 0 1 1 0 - |
2009-10 HC Plzeň 1929 “C” Czechia 35 17 26 43 32 -2 | Playoffs 6 2 2 4 4 -2
2010-11 HC Plzeň 1929 “C” Czechia 51 17 44 61 12 7 | Playoffs 4 3 2 5 0 1
2011-12 HC Plzeň 1929 “C” Czechia 51 17 30 47 20 9 | Playoffs 12 2 11 13 4 2
2012-13 HC Plzeň “C” Czechia 47 15 39 54 18 26 | Playoffs 20 8 12 20 8 6
2013-14 HC Plzeň “C” Czechia 29 6 20 26 12 10 | Playoffs 6 1 1 2 2 0
Tournament Statistics
S Team League GP G A TP PIM +/-   POST GP G A TP PIM +/-
1989-90 Czechoslovakia U18 Viking Cup - - - - - - |
2003-04 Czechia EHT 2 3 1 4 2 0 |
2004-05 Czechia EHT 2 0 1 1 0 - |
2011-12 HC Plzeň 1929 ET 8 0 9 9 0 - | Playoffs 2 0 2 2 0 1
2012-13 HC Plzeň ET 1 0 0 0 0 - |
2013-14 HC Plzeň ET 2 1 0 1 0 - |
Team Staff History
S Team League Role on Team Notes
2008-09 HC Plzeň Czechia General Manager
2009-10 HC Plzeň 1929 Czechia Franchise Owner Majority owner - 70%
HC Plzeň 1929 Czechia General Manager
2010-11 HC Plzeň 1929 Czechia Franchise Owner Majority owner - 70%
HC Plzeň 1929 Czechia General Manager
2011-12 HC Plzeň 1929 Czechia Franchise Owner Majority owner - 70%
HC Plzeň 1929 Czechia General Manager
2012-13 HC Plzeň Czechia Franchise Owner
HC Plzeň Czechia General Manager
2013-14 HC Plzeň Czechia Franchise Owner
HC Plzeň Czechia General Manager
2014-15 HC Plzeň Czechia Franchise Owner
HC Plzeň Czechia General Manager
2015-16 HC Plzeň Czechia Franchise Owner
HC Plzeň Czechia General Manager
2016-17 HC Plzeň Czechia Franchise Owner
HC Plzeň Czechia General Manager
HC Plzeň Czechia Coach From 2016-10-17.
2017-18 HC Plzeň Czechia Franchise Owner
HC Plzeň Czechia General Manager
HC Plzeň Czechia Head Coach
2018-19 HC Plzeň Czechia Franchise Owner
HC Plzeň Czechia General Manager
2019-20 HC Plzeň Czechia Franchise Owner
HC Plzeň Czechia General Manager
2020-21 Czechia WC Asst. Coach
Czechia EHT Asst. Coach
Czechia (all) International Asst. Coach
HC Plzeň Czechia General Manager
HC Plzeň Czechia Franchise Owner
2021-22 HC Plzeň Czechia General Manager
HC Plzeň Czechia Chairman
Czechia OG Asst. Coach
Czechia (all) International Asst. Coach Recalled 2022-02-24
2022-23 HC Plzeň Czechia General Manager
HC Plzeň Czechia Chairman
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Player Career Totals
League Years GP G A TP PPG PIM +/- | Years GP G A TP PPG PIM +/-
Czechia 8 328 120 218 338 1.03 208 80 | 6 65 24 41 65 1.00 20 9
Czechoslovakia 2 83 30 48 79 0.95 6 10 | 1 14 4 4 8 0.57 - -
Czechoslovakia U18 1 34 37 34 71 2.09 42 - | 0
EHT 2 4 3 2 5 1.25 2 0 | 0
EJC-18 1 6 4 2 6 1.00 2 - | 0
ET 3 11 1 9 10 0.91 0 - | 1 2 0 2 2 1.00 0 1
IHL 1 4 4 3 7 1.75 0 2 | 0
International 10 81 28 27 52 0.64 30 4 | 0
NHL 15 954 257 460 717 0.75 360 67 | 11 106 26 44 70 0.66 52 -6
OG 2 14 3 8 11 0.79 6 5 | 0
Viking Cup 1 - - - - - - - | 0
WC 4 28 12 7 19 0.68 20 11 | 0
WCup 2 6 1 2 3 0.50 0 0 | 0
WJC-20 2 13 3 11 14 1.08 4 - | 0
* Some data is missing to provide a correct summary.
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Player Connections
Player Period Teams
Jaromír Jágr (F) 1991-2009 16 Czechia, Czechia, Czechia, Czechia, Czechia (all), Czechoslovakia (all), New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins
Tomas Vlasak (F) 1995-2014 12 Czechia, Czechia, Czechia (all), HC Plzen
Jiri Slegr (D) 1990-2005 10 Czechia, Czechia, Czechia, Czechia, Czechia (all), Czechoslovakia (all), Czechoslovakia U20, Pittsburgh Penguins
Martin Procházka (F) 1989-2004 10 Czechia, Czechia, Czechia, Czechia (all), Czechoslovakia U18, Czechoslovakia U20

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Transactions
DATE STATUS FROM TO SOURCE
03/28/2014
03/28/2014 Confirmed HC Plzeň Retired
06/21/2012
06/21/2012 Extension HC Plzeň HC Plzeň
06/07/2010
06/07/2010 Extension HC Plzeň 1929 HC Plzeň 1929
Media and Articles
Date Article Website
11/21/2017 Why is Plzen leading Czech Extraleague? Because of Straka! A man with two hearts isport.blesk.cz
03/15/2015 They say I am selling the team to Russians. That made me laugh, says Plzen's boss Straka hokej.idnes.cz
09/12/2014 Straka retires saying: Without Jagr, I would probably never play in NHL hokej.idnes.cz
06/06/2012 Pens Draft History - Martin Straka nhl.com
07/10/2008 Martin Straka signs one-year contract with his former Czech club, leaving NHL thehockeynews.com
06/26/2008 Hockey player Martin Straka returns from NHL to Plzen tyden.cz
06/26/2008 Martin Straka: Done as a New York Ranger bleacherreport.com
09/18/2007 The Five-minute Interview: MARTIN STRAKA nhl.com
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Player Biography and Trivia

Number 28 retired by HC Plzen

Cult/Star player for Czechia

Cult/Star player for HC Plzen

Cult/Star player for New York Rangers

Cult/Star player for Pittsburgh Penguins

Career transactions
- 2014-03-14 • Announced his retirement
- 2008-07-10 • Signed by HC Plzen
- 2005-08-02 • Signed by the New York Rangers
- 2003-11-30 • Traded to the Los Angeles Kings for Martin Strbak & the rights to Sergei Anshakov
- 1997-08-06 • Signed by the Pittsburgh Penguins
- 1996-03-15 • Claimed off waivers by the Florida Panthers
- 1996-01-23 • Traded to the New York Islanders with & Don Beaupre & the rights to Bryan Berard for Damian Rhodes & the rights to Wade Redden
- 1995-04-07 • Traded to the Ottawa Senators for Troy Murray & Norm Maciver
- 1992-06-20 • Selected 19th overall in the NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins

Other memorable dates
- 1993-02-10 • Scored his first NHL goal (vs. New York Rangers vs. Mike Richter)
- 1992-11-07 • Made his NHL debut (vs. Toronto Maple Leafs)

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