Tomáš Slovák

This article is about the ice hockey player. For the canoeist, see Tomáš Slovák (canoeist).

Tomáš Slovák
Born	(1983-04-05) April 5, 1983 Košice, Czechoslovakia
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	209 lb (95 kg; 14 st 13 lb)
Position	Defence
Shoots	Right
team Former teams	Free agent HC Košice Kelowna Rockets Hershey Bears Reading Royals Lowell Lock Monsters Mora IK SaiPa MsHK Žilina Ilves Augsburger Panther Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg Piráti Chomutov HC Dynamo Minsk HK Gomel HC Plzeň HK Hradec Kralove Brynäs IF HC Oceláři Třinec DVTK Jegesmedvék
NHL draft	42nd overall, 2001 Nashville Predators
Playing career	2000–present

Tomáš Slovák (born April 5, 1983) is a Slovak professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently a free agent.

He was originally drafted 42nd overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career

Slovak played as a youth in the developmental program of hometown club, HC Košice, from 1997 to 2001. He made his Slovak Extraliga debut with Košice in the 1999–00 season, appearing in a pair of games. After impressing on the international junior stage for the Slovak junior team, Slovak was selected by the Nashville Predators in the second round, 42nd overall, in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

With intention to pursue an NHL career, Slovak opted to play major junior hockey in North America after he was drafted 4th overall in the 2001 CHL Import Draft by the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Slovak enjoyed a standout second season with the Rockets in 2002–03, contributing with 71 points in 65 games to lead the league amongst defensemen. Having concluded his junior career, Slovak's was expected to compete for a roster position on the Predators defense corps. However, with the Predators going heavy in 2003 NHL Entry Draft on blue chip defenseman Ryan Suter and Shea Weber, his rights were traded by the Nashville Predators to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Sergei Soin on June 21, 2003.

On July 15, 2003, Slovak agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Avalanche. After attending the Avalanche's training camp, Slovak was assigned to begin his rookie season with affiliate, Hershey Bears, of the American Hockey League. In the 2003–04 season, Slovak split time between the Bears and the Reading Royals of the ECHL. He contributed with 11 points in 43 AHL games. In the following 2004–05 season, with his role affected with the Bears by the 2004–05 NHL Lockout, Slovak returned to Slovakia after just one game with the Bears and played out the season with HC Košice.

Slovak returned to North America for the final year of his entry-level contract with the Avalanche in the 2005–06 season. He was familiarly assigned by Colorado to the AHL, playing with new partner the Lowell Lock Monsters. In 59 games, Slovak produced just 8 assists from the blueline, signalling the end of his tenure within the Avalanche organization.

On the opening day of free agency, Slovak was unable to gain NHL interest and opted to sign a contract with Swedish club, Mora IK of the then Elitserien on July 1, 2006. He played just 6 games with Mora in the 2006–07 season, before embarking on a tumultuous year by playing in four separate European teams in three different leagues.

From his return to European hockey, Slovak adapted to his journeyman status and has played in 6 countries and 14 clubs.

Playing predominately in the Czech Extraliga over the last 7 years, Slovak agreed to extend his playing career by signing a one-year contract with Piráti Chomutov on May 1, 2017. His signing marked a return to Chomutov after 6 years from his first stint in the Czech 1st Division.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1997–98	HC Košice	SVK U20		47	1	6	7	24		—	—	—	—	—
1998–99	HC VSŽ Košice	SVK U20		45	6	14	20	65		—	—	—	—	—
1999–2000	HC VSŽ Košice	SVK U20		55	16	28	44	119		—	—	—	—	—
1999–2000	HC VSŽ Košice	SVK		2	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	HC Košice	SVK U20		3	1	1	2	6		—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	HC Košice	SVK		43	5	5	10	28		3	1	0	1	2
2001–02	Kelowna Rockets	WHL		53	2	24	26	41		15	0	0	0	8
2002–03	Kelowna Rockets	WHL		65	18	53	71	86		19	2	20	22	26
2003–04	Hershey Bears	AHL		43	3	8	11	16		—	—	—	—	—
2003–04	Reading Royals	ECHL		20	3	7	10	32		—	—	—	—	—
2004–05	Hershey Bears	AHL		1	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
2004–05	HC Košice	SVK		33	3	11	14	42		10	1	2	3	24
2005–06	Lowell Lock Monsters	AHL		59	0	8	8	61		—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	Mora IK	SEL		6	0	0	0	51		—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	SaiPa	SM-liiga		6	0	1	1	4		—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	MsHK Žilina	SVK		16	1	1	2	30		—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	Ilves	SM-liiga		13	1	5	6	12		7	0	1	1	18
2007–08	Augsburger Panther	DEL		56	4	9	13	82		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Augsburger Panther	DEL		34	1	7	8	28		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	HC Košice	SVK		16	1	3	4	12		18	1	4	5	42
2009–10	Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg	KHL		51	2	4	6	66		4	0	1	1	2
2010–11	Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg	KHL		20	0	3	3	44		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	KLH Chomutov	CZE.2		10	3	6	9	22		13	1	6	7	14
2011–12	Dinamo Minsk	KHL		31	1	1	2	25		1	0	0	0	2
2011–12	HK Gomel	BLR		1	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	HC Škoda Plzeň	ELH		27	4	7	11	8		19	1	4	5	10
2013–14	HC Škoda Plzeň	ELH		47	4	9	13	34		6	1	0	1	2
2014–15	Mountfield HK	ELH		30	2	15	17	28		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Brynäs IF	SHL		21	1	2	3	6		7	1	1	2	0
2015–16	HC Košice	SVK		5	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2015–16	HC Oceláři Třinec	ELH		25	0	2	2	12		4	0	0	0	0
2016–17	HC Škoda Plzeň	ELH		16	0	2	2	28		—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	MsHK DOXXbet Žilina	SVK		3	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
2017–18	Piráti Chomutov	ELH		48	3	8	11	16		—	—	—	—	—
2018–19	DVTK Jegesmedvék	SVK		39	1	3	4	20		—	—	—	—	—
2018–19	HC Košice	SVK		8	0	4	4	8		6	0	4	4	2
2019–20	HC Košice	SVK		46	0	6	6	18		—	—	—	—	—
2020–21	HC Košice	SVK		46	0	4	4	66		4	1	0	1	2
2021–22	HK Trebišov	SVK.3		3	0	4	4	2		9	3	4	7	25
SVK totals				257	11	37	48	226		41	4	10	14	72
KHL totals				102	3	8	11	135		5	0	1	1	4
ELH totals				193	13	43	56	126		29	2	4	6	12

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2001	Slovakia	WJC	8th		7	1	1	2	8
2001	Slovakia	WJC18	8th		6	0	1	1	16
2003	Slovakia	WJC	5th		6	0	0	0	36
Junior totals					19	1	2	3	60

Awards and honors

Award	Year
WHL
West First All-Star Team	2003
Slovak
Champion	2009
Czech
Champion	2013

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or The Internet Hockey Database