Born	December 7, 1984 (1984-12-07) (age 25), Jindřichův Hradec, CS
Height Weight	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 225 lb (102 kg; 16 st 1 lb)
Position	Left wing
Shoots	Left
NHL team F. teams	Ottawa Senators San Jose Sharks
NHL Draft	6th overall, 2003 San Jose Sharks
Pro career	2001 – present

Milan Michálek (Czech pronunciation: [ˈmɪlan ˈmɪxaːlɛk]; anglicised as /mɪˈkælɛk/; born December 7, 1984 in Jindřichův Hradec) is a Czech professional ice hockey player who currently plays left wing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted sixth overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. His older brother Zbyněk is a defenseman who plays for the Phoenix Coyotes.

[edit] Playing career

Michálek scored a goal in his first NHL game before suffering a serious knee injury the next game on October 11, 2004, tearing his right ACL. After knee surgery, Michálek played in the American Hockey League (AHL) before injuring his knee again on January 22. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Michálek did not play anywhere, spending the time rehabilitating his knee.

Michálek battles for position with Willie Mitchell.

Michálek played his first full season with the Sharks in 2005–06, scoring 17 goals and 35 points and earning the San Jose Sharks PlayStation Rookie of the Year award. In the 2006–07 season, Michálek emerged as a speedy, multidimensional player and an offensive threat, scoring 26 goals and 66 points. During the following offseason, Michálek signed a six-year, $26 million contract extension through 2014 while still having one year left on his original rookie contract. It was the longest and most lucrative contract ever signed by a Sharks player. In 2007–08, Michálek played primarily on the Sharks' top line with Joe Thornton. Michálek's production dipped to 24 goals and 55 points, but due to the Sharks' overall offensive struggles, he was still second on the team to Thornton in goals and points.

On September 12, 2009, Michalek was traded by the Sharks along with Jonathan Cheechoo and a second round pick in 2010 to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for forward Dany Heatley, and a fifth round draft pick in 2010.^[1]

With the Senators, Michalek scored his first career NHL hat-trick against the Tampa Bay Lightning on October 15, 2009. He scored 2 shorthanded goals, and one on the powerplay.On December the 1st 2009, The Ottawa Senators visited the San Jose sharks(his former team). Although the Senators lost 5-2, he scored the only two goals. ^[2]

[edit] Career statistics

[edit] See also

• Notable families in the NHL

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Milan Michálek's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database