Martin Havlát
Martin Havlát | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 19, 1981 Czech Republic |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey player (retired) |
| Years active | 2000–2016 |
| Known for | NHL career with Ottawa Senators, Chicago Blackhawks, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks, New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues |
Martin Havlát (; born April 19, 1981) is a retired Czech professional ice hockey athlete who competed in the NHL for fourteen seasons between 2000 and 2016.
Ottawa Senators
Chosen 26th overall in the first round of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators, Havlát remained in the Czech Republic for an additional season before joining Ottawa for his debut campaign in 2000–01. He tallied 19 goals and 42 points, earning recognition as a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy awarded to the league’s top rookie. Nicknamed "Mach 9" due to his speed and jersey number, Havlát quickly made a name for himself.
In his third NHL season, he recorded 24 goals and 59 points, playing a pivotal role in Ottawa’s journey to the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs. Although he received criticism from Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock concerning his stick handling during the series, Havlát contributed 11 points across 18 playoff contests. The Senators were ultimately eliminated by the eventual champions, the New Jersey Devils, in the conference semifinals.
Throughout the 2003–04 season, Havlát faced two suspensions totaling four games due to kicking and high-sticking infractions but still managed to elevate his offensive output, finishing with 31 goals and 68 points in 68 games—his peak performance with Ottawa.
Following the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Havlát competed in both the Czech Extraliga and Russian Superleague. Upon returning to the NHL in 2005–06, he was handed a five-game suspension early on for another kicking incident. A shoulder injury requiring surgery caused him to miss 59 games. He made his comeback in April 2006 and delivered his strongest playoff showing as a Senator, amassing 13 points over ten games, although Ottawa was defeated by the Buffalo Sabres in the second round.
Chicago Blackhawks
During the summer of 2006, Havlát—then a restricted free agent—expressed intentions to sign only a one-year contract with Ottawa to explore free agency afterward. Consequently, on July 9, 2006, he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks along with Bryan Smolinski as part of a three-team transaction involving the San Jose Sharks. Havlát subsequently agreed to a three-year deal worth $18 million with Chicago. Since his customary number 9 had been retired in honor of Hall of Famer Bobby Hull, he opted for number 24.
Havlát’s debut with Chicago came on October 5, 2006, when he notched two goals and two assists during an 8–6 victory over the Nashville Predators. He ranked among the league’s top scorers through seven games before suffering an ankle sprain on October 20 that sidelined him. Returning on December 9 against the Minnesota Wild, he contributed two goals and an assist. Selected for the 2007 NHL All-Star Game, Havlát concluded the season with a shoulder injury that required surgery. Despite these setbacks, he maintained an impressive scoring pace with 57 points in 56 games.
In the 2007–08 season, injuries restricted him to just 35 games, during which he accumulated 27 points. Meanwhile, Chicago’s offense saw significant improvement thanks to rookies Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. In the following season (2008–09), Havlát led Chicago by posting a personal best of 77 points over 81 games as the team qualified for its first playoffs since 2002. In the first round versus the Calgary Flames, he scored twice in game one, including an overtime winner. The Blackhawks advanced past both Calgary and the Vancouver Canucks before falling to the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Finals. During game three against Detroit, Havlát sustained an injury from a hit by defenseman Niklas Kronwall.
Although named Chicago’s Most Valuable Player for the 2008–09 season, Havlát was not offered a new contract. After protracted negotiations lasting three months, General Manager Dale Tallon declined to propose more than a single-year extension beginning July 1. These discussions were publicly chronicled via Twitter by both Havlát and his agent, with Havlát expressing frustration about loyalty and respect, asserting that he did not abandon the team—they did so by leaving him.
Minnesota Wild
On July 1, 2009, Havlát committed to a six-year contract worth $30 million with the Minnesota Wild. He initially sported jersey number 14 but changed to number 24 ahead of the 2010–11 NHL season after forward Derek Boogaard left the team.
San Jose Sharks and New Jersey Devils
Havlát was traded to the San Jose Sharks on July 3, 2011, in exchange for Dany Heatley. During the 2011–12 NHL season, he tore his hamstring on December 17 but made a comeback on March 17, 2012, and scored an overtime winner against the Detroit Red Wings the following day.
In the 2013 playoffs, Havlát endured multiple injuries, including a spear from Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa. After undergoing surgery for bilateral pelvic floor reconstruction in June 2013, he returned to play on October 31 but was placed on injured reserve due to a lower body injury by December 31.
His tenure with the Sharks was hampered by injuries and inconsistent performance, culminating in Havlát becoming the first player in franchise history to be bought out on June 27, 2014. Shortly after, on June 30, he signed a one-year contract as an unrestricted free agent with the New Jersey Devils, seeking to regain his form.
St. Louis Blues
Following his release from New Jersey without a new contract, Havlát accepted a professional tryout with the Florida Panthers but did not secure a roster spot. Subsequently, he signed a tryout agreement with the St. Louis Blues on October 27, 2015, which led to a one-year contract on November 6, 2015. Havlát made an immediate impression by netting the game-winning goal in his debut against his former team, the New Jersey Devils. However, after only two games, he requested to terminate his contract for personal reasons and was placed on unconditional waivers on November 13, 2015. In August 2016, while training with HC Kometa Brno of the Czech Extraliga, Havlát revealed that his departure was due to a groin injury and expressed intentions to return to the NHL. He ceased training with Kometa Brno in January 2017 after re-injuring his groin and officially announced his retirement on February 8, 2017.
International play
During his junior career, Havlát contributed to the Czech Republic securing gold at the 2000 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships held in Sweden and later achieved similar success at senior level during the 2000 IIHF World Championship in Saint Petersburg.
He represented the Czech Republic at the 2002 Winter Olympics, where he scored three goals. A shoulder injury prevented him from participating in the 2006 Winter Olympics. Havlát was also part of the Czech team that earned bronze at the 2011 IIHF World Championship in Slovakia.
Personal life
Havlát has two siblings: a sister named Lenka and a brother named Slava. He is fluent in both English and Czech and spends his off-season residing in Brno, Czech Republic. His nephew, Borek Sedlák, competes as a Czech ski jumper.
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1997–98 | HC Ytong Brno | CZE U18 | 27 | 29 | 26 | 55 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | HC Ytong Brno | CZE U20 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | HC Železárny Třinec | CZE U20 | 31 | 28 | 23 | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | HC Železárny Třinec | ELH | 24 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1999–00 | HC Oceláři Třinec | CZE U20 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | HC Oceláři Třinec | ELH | 46 | 13 | 29 | 42 | 48 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | ||
| 2000–01 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 73 | 19 | 23 | 42 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2001–02 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 72 | 22 | 28 | 50 | 66 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 14 | ||
| 2002–03 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 67 | 24 | 35 | 59 | 30 | 18 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 14 | ||
| 2003–04 | HC Sparta Praha | ELH | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 68 | 31 | 37 | 68 | 46 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2004–05 | HC Znojemští Orli | ELH | 12 | 10 | 4 | 14 | 16 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 4 | ||
| 2004–05 | HC Dynamo Moscow | Russian Superleague | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | HC Sparta Praha | ELH | 9 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 37 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | ||
| 2005–06 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 18 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 4 | ||
| 2006–07 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 56 | 25 | 32 | 57 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 35 | 10 | 17 | 27 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 81 | 29 | 48 | 77 | 30 | 16 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 8 | ||
| 2009–10 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 73 | 18 | 36 | 54 | 34 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2010–11 | Minnesota Wild | NHL | 78 | 22 | 40 | 62 | 52 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2011–12 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 39 | 7 | 20 | 27 | 22 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | ||
| 2012–13 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 40 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 30 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| [[2013–14 NHL season]|2013–14]] | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 48 | 12 | 10 | 22 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| [[2014–15 NHL season]|2014–15]] | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 40 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 10 | |||||||
| [[2015–16 NHL season]|2015–16]] | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||||
| ELH totals | 96 | 31 | 43 | 74 | 111 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 38 | ||||
| NHL totals | 790 | 242 | 352 | 594 | 404 | 75 | 21 | 31 | 52 | 52 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Competition | Placement | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Czech Republic | WJC18 | 5th place | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | |
| 2000 | Czech Republic | WJC | Template:Gold1 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | |
| 2000 | Czech Republic | WC | Template:Gold1 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2002 | Czech Republic | OG | 7th place | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 27 | |
| 2004 | Czech Republic | WCH | Template:Bronze3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2004 | Czech Republic | WC | 5th place | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2010 | Czech Republic | OG | 7th place | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2011 | Czech Republic | WC | Template:Bronze3 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | |
| Junior career totals | 13 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 12 | ||||
| Senior career totals | 32 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 39 | ||||