Tomas Kopecky
Tomas Kopecky was drafted 38th overall in the second round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings. Originally from Ilava, Slovakia, he spent three years (1997-2000) playing with Trencin in two different Slovakian leagues. After getting drafted, he spent most of the next two seasons (2000-2002) in the WHL with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. He then spent the following three years (2002-2005) playing solely in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins. He played his best AHL season in 2005-06, where he recorded 72 points and a +24 rating in 77 games. Also that year, he made his only NHL debut with the Detroit Red Wings on February 28th against the San Jose Sharks. From that point forward, he has played solely in the NHL; however, he only appeared in 26 games during the 2006-07 season due to a broken collarbone. He scored his first and only NHL goal that season on October 18, 2006 against the Anaheim Ducks. He appeared in 77 regular season games during the 2007-08 season, but missed the entire playoffs due to a torn MCL when the Detroit Red Wings beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games to become the Stanley Cup champions. The 2008-09 season has been his best so far, as he established career-highs with 79 games played, 6 goals, 13 assists and 19 points. He missed 15 playoff games due to an eye injury and watched as the Penguins beat the Red Wings in seven games in the Stanley Cup finals. During the off-season, he signed as an unrestricted free agent to a two-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. In international hockey, he represented Slovakia at the 2000 World Under-18 Championships, along with the 2000, 2001 and 2002 World Junior Championships. Kopecky is a skilled two-way forward who can play either center or wing position. However, at 6’3 and around 200 pounds, he could add more bulk to his frame.
|
