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Ján Lašák

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Ján Lašák
Lašák in 2011
Born (1979-04-10) April 10, 1979 (age 45)
Zvolen, Czechoslovakia
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 203 lb (92 kg; 14 st 7 lb)
Position Goaltender
Caught Left
Played for Nashville Predators
SKA St. Petersburg
HC Pardubice
HC Košice
Atlant Moscow Oblast
Jokerit
National team  Slovakia
NHL draft 65th overall, 1999
Nashville Predators
Playing career 1999–2017

Ján Lašák (born April 10, 1979) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey goaltender.

Lašák was drafted by the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL) in the 2nd round (65th overall) of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft and spent the following four seasons in North America before returning to Europe in 2003.

Playing career

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After Lašák was drafted by the Predators, he moved to North America and spent his first professional season with the Hampton Roads Admirals of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL). He had a stellar debut, posting a 36-17-4 record, and was named ECHL Rookie of the Year and Goaltender of the Year, as well as to the All-Rookie and First All-Star teams. He spent the majority of the following three seasons with Nashville's top minor league affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals of the International Hockey League. He posted a 53-49-12 record with Milwaukee, earning some limited action with the Predators. However, he was unable to earn a permanent spot with the Predators, appearing in only 6 games for the team, and posting an 0-4 record.

Due to his inability to stick with the Predators, Lašák decided to return to Europe and spent the 2003-04 season with SKA St. Petersburg of the Russian Super League. The following year Lašák moved to the Czech Republic to play with HC Pardubice of the Czech Extraliga, the team with which he would spend the next five seasons. He enjoyed much success with Pardubice, posting a 116-85-5 record and leading them to the league championship in 2004-05.

Following his successful stint in the Czech Extraliga, Lašák spent the 2009-10 season with Atlant Mytishchi of the Kontinental Hockey League. He posted an 11-6-4 record as the team bowed out in the first round of the playoffs. He also spent part of the season on loan to HC Košice of the Slovak Extraliga, appearing in 17 games for the club.

Lašák signed a one-year contract with Jokerit of the Finnish SM-liiga for the 2010-11 season. He posted a 14-11 record along with a .923 save percentage during the regular season, and despite his efforts including a .940 save percentage and 1.94 goals against average, Jokerit lost its quarterfinal series to HIFK.

In 2011 Lašák returned to the KHL and signed for Amur Khabarovsk.

Ján Lašák

Lasak at the 2008 IIHF World Championship
Medal record
Representing  Slovakia
Ice hockey
IIHF World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2002 Sweden
Silver medal – second place 2000 Russia
Bronze medal – third place 2003 Finland
World Junior Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1999 Canada

International play

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Lašák has been a longtime mainstay of the Slovak national team. He has appeared in nine IIHF World Championships, two Winter Olympic Games, and one World Cup of Hockey for Slovakia. He backstopped Slovakia to its first and to date only gold medal at the 2002 IIHF World Championship in Sweden, while also helping his country capture silver at the 2000 IIHF World Championship and bronze at the 2003 IIHF World Championship.

Career statistics

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP W L T/OT MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV%
1998-99 Zvolen SVK 8 387 29 0 4.50
1999-00 Hampton Roads Admirals ECHL 59 36 17 4 3409 145 0 2.55 .917 10 5 5 610 28 1 2.75 .918
2000–01 Milwaukee Admirals IHL 43 23 17 2 2439 106 1 2.61 .913 3 0 1 60 5 0 4.97 .844
2001-02 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 34 12 18 3 1981 79 2 2.39 .916
2001-02 Nashville Predators NHL 3 0 3 0 177 13 0 4.41 .875
2002–03 Milwaukee Admirals AHL 40 18 14 7 2378 113 1 2.85 .901 6 2 4 366 19 0 3.12 .878
2002–03 Nashville Predators NHL 3 0 1 0 90 5 0 3.33 .872
2003-04 SKA St. Petersburg RSL 34 2000 80 0 2.40 .909
2004-05 HC Pardubice CZE 46 31 14 1 2769 108 4 2.34 .930 16 977 29 3 1.78 .950
2005–06 HC Pardubice CZE 33 16 13 4 1936 82 3 2.54 .927
2006-07 HC Pardubice CZE 45 25 20 0 2625 113 6 2.58 .930 18 10 8 1067 39 3 2.19 .932
2007-08 HC Pardubice CZE 45 22 23 0 2617 118 4 2.71 .925
2008-09 HC Pardubice CZE 37 22 15 0 2165 99 1 2.74 .919 7 3 4 455 15 1 1.98 .931
2009-10 Atlant Mytishchi KHL 21 11 6 4 1249 52 2 2.50 .908 4 1 2 238 10 0 2.52 .921
2009-10 HC Košice SVK 17 977 47 1 2.89 .901
2010-11 Jokerit SM-I 33 14 11 1987 72 2 2.17 .923 7 3 4 432 14 1 1.94 .940
NHL totals 6 0 4 0 267 18 0 4.04 .874
AHL totals 74 30 32 10 4359 192 3 2.64 .908 6 2 4 366 19 0 3.11 .878
CZE totals 212 116 85 5 12470 538 18 2.59 .924 41 2499 83 7 1.99 .939

Awards and honors

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Award Year
Czech
Champion 2005, 2016
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