Ales Hemsky

Ales Hemsky
Born	August 13, 1983 (1983-08-13) Pardubice, Czechoslovakia
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	184 lb (83 kg; 13 st 2 lb)
Position	Right Wing
Shoots	Right
NHL team Former teams	Edmonton Oilers CZE HC Pardubice
National team	Czech Republic
NHL Draft	13th overall, 2001 Edmonton Oilers
Playing career	2002–present

Aleš Hemský (born August 13, 1983) is a Czech professional ice hockey forward and alternate captain currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Playing career

HC Pardubice

Hemský entered pro hockey as a 16-year-old, playing for HC Moeller Pardubice of the Czech Extraliga, in his hometown of Pardubice. He split the 1999–2000 season between Moeller and their junior club, HC Moeller Pardubice Jr. Hemský decided he had a better chance to be scouted if he played Canadian Junior hockey than if he tried to make the jump to the Czech Extraleague, and he subsequently became the first selection of the Hull Olympiques in the 2000 CHL Import Draft.

Hull Olympiques

In 2000, Hemský moved to North America to play for the Hull Olympiques of the QMJHL. The following season (2000–2001), Hemský led all rookies in scoring with 36 goals and 100 points. He was named to the All-Rookie team, was selected to play in the 2001 CHL Top Prospects Game, and was awarded the Mike Bossy Trophy as the QMJHL’s top pro prospect.

Hemský continued his success in Hull during the 2001–02 season, with 27 goals and 97 points in 53 games, and finished 19th in the QMJHL scoring race.

2001 NHL Entry Draft

Hemský on the stage at the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, after the Oilers announced they had selected him thirteenth overall.

The Edmonton Oilers drafted Ales Hemsky as the 13th overall pick in 2001.

Edmonton Oilers

During Hemský's rookie NHL season, he scored 6 goals and 30 points in 59 games, and was a healthy scratch for 23. He also went pointless in all 6 of Edmonton's playoff games.

On October 12, 2002, Hemsky recorded his first career assist against the Nashville Predators.

On January 4, 2003, Hemsky scored his first career goal against the Montreal Canadiens, in his 26th game of his rookie season.

The 2003–04 season saw Hemský take more initiative.^{[citation needed]} Hemský received more minutes on the top two lines.^{[citation needed]} He worked to improve his backchecking, and found his scoring touch on a more regular basis than in his rookie year.^{[citation needed]} When the 06/07 NHL regular season came to an end, Ales Hemský and Petr Sýkora led the Edmonton Oilers in scoring points with 53 points each.

Hemský returned to the Czech Republic to play 47 games for HC Moeller Pardubice during the 2004 NHL Lockout. During that time, he scored 13 goals and 31 points, fifth on the club. Pardubice won the Extraleague championship for the first time in 16 years, and Hemský was named playoff MVP for his efforts.

While in the Czech Republic, Hemský was slashed on the left side of his neck with a broken beer bottle by an unidentified assailant in a Czech bar. He still has the scar.

During the post-lockout 2005–06 season, Hemský had a career year, setting personal bests in every major statistical category. He scored 19 goals, 58 assists and 77 points, while playing in all but one game for the Oilers during the regular season. The Oilers captured the 8th and final playoff seed in the Western Conference. The Oilers went on to eliminate the Red wings in six games in round 1, then beat the San Jose Sharks in games as well in round two. In the Conference finals the Oilers knocked off the Anaheim Ducks in five games. The Oilers lost the Stanley Cup finals in seven games to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Hemský was selected to represent the Czech Republic in the 2006 Winter Olympic Ice Hockey tournament mid-season. Czech hockey icon Jaromír Jágr had a large influence on Hemský's selection, to the point where he insisted that Hemský skate on his line. The two had previously played together on the Czech team that won the 2005 IIHF World Ice Hockey Championships during the NHL's 04–05 lockout season. Hemský scored twice in the Olympic tournament, and the Czech Republic defeated Russia in the bronze-medal game.

During the 2006 NHL playoffs, Hemský was an important part to the Oilers run to the Stanley Cup Finals. Among his opportune goals were two he scored in the third period of game six versus the Detroit Red Wings, including the series-winner. Hemský underwent a biopsy on an inflamed lymph node on the right side of his neck during the playoffs. Results have not been made public.

Edmonton re-signed Hemský in the summer of 2006 to a six-year contract that will see him earn US $24.60 million.

The 2006–07 campaign saw Aleš Hemský notch 53 points in 64 games. Hemský missed 18 games due to shoulder injuries. In 64 games, Hemský scored 13 goals and added 40 assists with 40 penalty minutes. He also scored a memorable goal on Marty Turco with 2 seconds to go in the 3rd period after Patrik Štefan missed an empty net in a game vs. the Dallas Stars.

On September 16, 2007, in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Aleš Hemský scored 3 goals and added 2 assists for 5 points to help his team win the Joey Moss Cup by a score of 9-4. Hemský developed good chemistry on a line with teammates Dustin Penner and Sam Gagner. On October 2, 2007, Hemský was named an alternate captain, along with Shawn Horcoff, Steve Staios and Jarret Stoll.

The 2007–08 campaign was a short one as the Oilers were eliminated from playoff contention. Hemský finished first on the team overall in points scoring with 71, and was first in assists with 51. He sat in third place for goals with 20, which was a career high for Hemský.

Hemský was a member of the Czech Republic national team that participated in the 2008 Men's World Inline Hockey Championships that were played in Bratislava, Slovakia. Hemský tied for fourth place in scoring with 6 goals and 5 assists while leading the Czech Republic to a 5th place finish.

The 2008–09 campaign was another that saw injuries for Hemský, who played 72 out of the 82 regular season games and finished first on the team with 23 goals and 43 assists for 66 points.

Hemsky scores the game winner with 34.9 seconds left in regulation in a 4-3 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on January 20, 2009.

Hemský recorded seven goals and 15 assists during the first 22 games of the 2009–10 season before suffering a left shoulder injury following a check from behind by Los Angeles Kings forward Michal Handzuš. The injury required surgery and Hemský missed the remainder of the regular season.

Hemsky was named to the 2011 NHL All-Star Game in Raleigh, North Carolina, but did not participate due to a concussion.

Hemsky missed the remainder of the 2010-11 NHL season, due to a shoulder injury. Hemsky, Taylor Hall, and Sam Gagner, led the Oilers with 42 points for the majority of the season, until the trio of injured players were surpassed by Jordan Eberle.

Hemsky recorded his 400th career point scoring a goal, in a 9-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.

After missing the first part of the 2011-12 NHL season due to injury, Hemsky struggled, posting just eleven points in his first 25 games, including a nine-game pointless streak. He picked up the pace thereafter, scoring 15 points in his next 22 games, leading the Oilers to sign him to a two year, $10 million deal on February 24, 2012.

Records

• Edmonton Oilers team record for fastest 2 goals ever scored in a regular season game: span of 7 seconds. (shared with Sheldon Souray)

Honours and awards

Individual

• 2001 QMJHL All-Rookie Team
• 2001 QMJHL Mike Bossy Trophy
• 2001 CHL All-Rookie Team

Hemsky was to also represent the QMJHL in the 2001 CHL Top Prospects Game,
but an injury forced him to withdraw.

• 2001 QMJHL Rookie of the Month (January)
• 2002 QMJHL 2nd All-Star Team
• 2002 CHL 3rd All-Star Team
• 2005 Czech Extraliga Playoff MVP
• Selected to play in 2011 NHL All-Star Game

Team

Year	Tournament	Team	Result
2005	IIHF Men's World Ice Hockey Championships	Czech Republic National Team	Gold medal
2005	Czech Extraliga Playoffs	HC Moeller Pardubice	Czech Extraliga National Champions
2006	Winter Olympics - Men's Ice Hockey	Czech Republic National Team	Bronze medal
2006	2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs	Edmonton Oilers	Clarence S. Campbell Bowl (Western Conference Champions)

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1999–00	HC Pardubice	CZE-Jr		52	24	50	74	90		—	—	—	—	—
1999–00	HC Pardubice	CZE		4	0	1	1	0		—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	Hull Olympiques	QMJHL		68	36	64	100	67		5	2	3	5	2
2001–02	Hull Olympiques	QMJHL		53	27	70	97	86		10	6	10	16	6
2002–03	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		59	6	24	30	14		6	0	0	0	0
2003–04	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		71	12	22	34	14		—	—	—	—	—
2004–05	HC Pardubice	CZE		47	13	18	31	28		16	4	10	14	26
2005–06	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		81	19	58	77	64		24	6	11	17	14
2006–07	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		64	13	40	53	40		—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		74	20	51	71	34		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		72	23	43	66	32		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		22	7	15	22	8		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Edmonton Oilers	NHL		47	14	28	42	18		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				490	114	281	395	224		30	6	11	17	14

International

Year	Team	Event		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2002	Czech Republic U20	WJC		7	3	6	9	6
2005	Czech Republic	WC		7	2	1	3	2
2006	Czech Republic	Oly		8	1	2	3	2
2009	Czech Republic	WC		7	2	4	6	4
Totals				29	8	12	21	14

External links

• Ales Hemsky's career stats at Eliteprospects.com
• Ales Hemsky's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database

Preceded by Antoine Vermette	Mike Bossy Trophy winner 2000–01	Succeeded by Pierre-Marc Bouchard
Preceded by Alexei Mikhnov	Edmonton Oilers first round draft pick 2001	Succeeded by Jesse Niinimaki
Preceded by Altrichter Martin	Czech Extraliga Playoff MVP 2005	Succeeded by Petr Briza