Jakub Voráček

Jakub Voráček
Voráček with the Flyers in 2011
Born	August 15, 1989 Kladno, CS
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	214 lb (97 kg; 15 st 4 lb)
Position	Right Wing
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Philadelphia Flyers HC Kladno Columbus Blue Jackets HC Lev Praha
National team	Czech Republic
NHL Draft	7th overall, 2007 Columbus Blue Jackets
Playing career	2005–present

Jakub Voráček (Czech pronunciation: [ˈjakup ˈvoraːtʃɛk];born August 15, 1989) is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted seventh overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, with whom he began his NHL career.

Playing career

Junior

With the Blue Jackets in 2009

Voráček was taken first overall in the 2006 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft and played two seasons with the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He also represented the Czech Republic at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championship in 2007 and 2008. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Blue Jackets on August 2, 2007.^[1]

Professional

Voráček made his NHL debut on October 10, 2008, against the Dallas Stars, also scoring his first career NHL goal in the game's first period on goaltender Marty Turco.^[2] Voráček scored nine goals and 29 assists for 38 points in 80 games during his rookie season, helping the Blue Jackets make the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in franchise history in 2009. He also had the lone assist on the first-ever playoff goal in Blue Jackets history, scored by R. J. Umberger.

On June 23, 2011, Voráček was traded, along with a 2011 first-round draft pick (Sean Couturier) and a 2011 third-round pick (Nick Cousins), to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for forward Jeff Carter.^[3] Days later, on July 1, Voráček signed a one-year contract with the Flyers,^[4] the same day his new team signed fellow Kladno native and long-time NHL star Jaromír Jágr to a one-year contract.^[5] In his Flyers debut against the Boston Bruins, Voráček scored a goal in the game's first period against goaltender Tim Thomas. In the 2011–12 season, Voráček set a new career-high with 18 goals scored, also later scoring his first career playoff goal in Game 1 of the Flyers' opening round Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, beating Marc-André Fleury 2:23 into the first overtime period.

In the subsequent off-season, Voráček signed a four-year, $17 million contract extension with the Flyers on July 26, 2012, paying $4.25 million annually.^[6] Upon signing, Voráček was expected to fill the gap left by Jaromír Jágr, who had departed weeks prior via free agency to Dallas, on the Flyers' top line, alongside Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell.^[7]

Voráček returned to the Czech Republic to play for HC Lev Praha of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) during the 2012–13 NHL lockout. On February 20, 2013, shortly after play resumed in the NHL for the 2012–13 season, he scored his first career hat-trick in a game against Pittsburgh.^[8] On February 25, he was then named the NHL's First Star of the Week after scoring four goals and seven assists in four games played.^[9]

During the 2014–15 season, Voráček scored the second-fastest overtime goal in Flyers history on December 22, 2014, in a game against the Winnipeg Jets. The goal, unassisted, was scored just ten seconds into overtime against Jets goaltender Ondřej Pavelec at the MTS Center in Winnipeg; it was scored just three seconds slower than former Flyer Simon Gagné's overtime-winning goal seven seconds into the January 5, 2006, game against the New York Rangers.^[10] Later in the season, Voráček was named to the 2015 NHL All-Star Game in Columbus, Ohio.^[11] In the Game, he tied the single All-Star Game record for most points scored with six, tying Mario Lemieux's record previously set in the 1988 Game.^[12] Playing in all 82 regular season Philadelphia games, Voráček finished the year with 22 goals and 59 assists for a career-high 81 points, tying him for fourth in the League lead alongside Washington Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin.^[13]

In July 2015, Voráček signed an 8 year, $66 million contract extension with the Flyers.

Records

• Tied for the most amount of points in an All-Star Game with Mario Lemieux. (6 points).

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2005–06	HC Kladno	Czech		1	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	Halifax Mooseheads	QMJHL		59	23	63	86	26		12	7	17	24	6
2007–08	Halifax Mooseheads	QMJHL		53	33	68	101	42		15	5	13	18	14
2008–09	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL		80	9	29	38	44		4	0	1	1	8
2009–10	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL		81	16	34	50	26		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL		80	14	32	46	26		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		78	18	31	49	32		11	2	8	10	8
2012–13	HC Lev Praha	KHL		23	7	13	20	22		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		48	22	24	46	35		—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		82	23	39	62	22		7	2	2	4	4
2014–15	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		82	22	59	81	78		—	—	—	—	—
2015–16	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		73	11	44	55	38		6	1	0	1	4
NHL totals				604	135	292	427	301		28	5	11	16	24

International

Medal record
Representing  Czech Republic
World Championships
	2010 Cologne
	2011 Bratislava
IIHF U18 Championships
	2006 Halmstad

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2006	Czech Republic	WJC18			7	3	3	6	6
2007	Czech Republic	WJC18	9th		4	1	2	3	2
2007	Czech Republic	WJC	5th		6	1	2	3	4
2008	Czech Republic	WJC	5th		6	0	6	6	4
2010	Czech Republic	WC			9	0	2	2	6
2011	Czech Republic	WC			9	1	2	3	2
2013	Czech Republic	WC	7th		8	1	6	7	2
2014	Czech Republic	OG	6th		5	1	1	2	2
Junior totals					23	5	13	18	16
Senior totals					31	3	11	14	12

Awards and honours

Voráček with the Halifax Mooseheads

Award	Year
NHL
NHL All-Star Game	2015
NHL First All-Star Team	2015
Czech
Golden Hockey Stick	2015
QMJHL
All-Rookie Team	2007
RDS Cup	2007
Michel Bergeron Trophy	2007
Second All-Star Team	2008
Philadelphia Flyers (NHL)
Bobby Clarke Trophy	2013, 2015
Gene Hart Memorial Award	2015
Pelle Lindbergh Memorial Trophy	2013
Yanick Dupre Memorial Class Guy Award	2014

References

1. "Blue Jackets sign 2007 first round pick Voracek". Columbus Blue Jackets. August 3, 2007. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
2. "Blue Jackets vs. Stars – 10/10/2008 – Columbus Blue Jackets – Recap". Columbus Blue Jackets. October 10, 2008. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
3. "Flyers Acquire Voracek, 8th overall pick". Philadelphia Flyers. June 23, 2011. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
4. "Flyers add (D) Lilja, Sign Voracek". Philadelphia Flyers. July 1, 2011. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
5. "Jagr Lands in Philly". Philadelphia Flyers. July 1, 2011. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
6. Sarah Baicker (July 26, 2012). "Flyers re-sign Jakub Voracek to four-year deal". CSNPhilly.com. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
7. Morreale, Mike G. (July 26, 2012). "Flyers keep Jakub Voracek with four-year deal". NHL. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
8. Chris Adamski (February 20, 2013). "Voracek's hat trick lifts Flyers to 6–5 win". NHL.com. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
9. Voracek, Stamkos, Bishop named NHL 'Three Stars'
10. Miller, Randy (December 22, 2014). "WATCH: Jakub Voracek scores Flyers' second-fastest OT goal ever to beat Winnipeg Jets". NJ.com. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
11. Kimelman, Adam (January 16, 2015). "Flyers' Voracek excited for All-Star homecoming". NHL. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
12. Basu, Arpon (January 25, 2015). "Flyers' Voracek ties All-Star record with six points". NHL. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
13. Cullen, Scott (May 11, 2015). "Off-Season Game Plan: Philadelphia Flyers". TSN. Retrieved May 27, 2015.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from NHL.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database