Tomáš Vokoun

Tomáš Vokoun
Vokoun with the Penguins during the 2012–13 NHL season.
Born	July 2, 1976 Karlovy Vary, Czechoslovakia
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Caught	Right
Played for	HC Kladno Montreal Canadiens Nashville Predators HC Znojemsti Orli Znojmo HIFK Florida Panthers Washington Capitals Pittsburgh Penguins
National team	Czech Republic
NHL Draft	226th overall, 1994 Montreal Canadiens
Playing career	1995–2014

Tomáš Vokoun (Czech pronunciation: [ˈtomaːʃ ˈvokou̯n]; born July 2, 1976) is a retired Czech professional ice hockey goaltender. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators and the Montreal Canadiens, with whom he was originally drafted in the ninth round, 226th overall, in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career

Early career (1994-1998)

Vokoun was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the ninth round of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, 226th overall. He remained in the Czech Republic for another year, playing with Poldi Kladno.

Vokoun moved to North America for the 1995–96 season and played for the Wheeling Thunderbirds of the ECHL. He was called up to the Fredericton Canadiens of the American Hockey League (AHL) and played one playoff game. Having proven himself in the ECHL, Vokoun spent the 1996–97 season in Fredericton and played in his only game for Montreal; it was not a stellar debut, however, as he allowed four goals in only 20 minutes of play against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Vokoun playing for the Nashville Predators

Nashville Predators (1998–2007)

After another season with the Fredericton Canadiens, Vokoun was chosen by the Nashville Predators in the 1998 NHL Expansion Draft on June 26, 1998.

Vokoun played 37 games for Nashville in their debut season and played nine games for the Milwaukee Admirals in the International Hockey League (IHL). Although he again split time between the two clubs the following season, by 2000, Vokoun established himself in the NHL, though he initially only saw limited action as the back-up to starter Mike Dunham. In 2002, Dunham was traded to the New York Rangers for Marek Židlický, Tomáš Klouček and Rem Murray, essentially awarding Vokoun the starting job.

Vokoun acquitted himself well when given the chance to start, and he shouldered a heavy load for the Predators. His play was solid enough in 2003–04 to send him to the All-Star Game for the first time. Possibly more important to Vokoun, however, was the opportunity for play-off contention, which the Predators earned for the first time in 2004. Although the Predators lost in six games to the Detroit Red Wings in the first round, they surprised many by giving the Red Wings more of a challenge than expected. In Games 3 and 4, both played in Nashville, Vokoun awed spectators with his performance netting the first-ever playoff shutout in franchise history by stopping 41 Red Wing shots.

During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Vokoun played 19 regular season games for HIFK in the Finnish SM-liiga, posting a .940 save percentage. In the playoffs, Vokoun did not perform as well, posting an .846 save percentage in four games—the worst in the league in that year's playoffs.

Nevertheless, by then Vokoun had emerged as one of the world's elite goaltenders. His picture was placed on the cover of Nashville's city directory, testifying to his popularity in the non-traditional hockey market. Furthermore, as a fan favorite, during home games at the Sommet Center, when he made a save, the Predators fans in attendance routinely responded with a loud chant of "VOO-KOOOON!".

On April 10, 2006, the Predators announced that Vokoun was afflicted by thrombophlebitis of the pelvis, a blood-clotting condition. He missed the team's remaining regular season games and the entire playoffs while he recovered by taking blood-thinning drugs and avoiding physical activity.^[1] Back-up goalie Chris Mason took his place as the starter, but the Predators failed to advance in the playoffs, again losing in the quarter-finals. On July 24, 2006, Vokoun was cleared to resume his career and returned for the 2006–07 NHL season.^[2] At the beginning of the season, however, Vokoun injured his thumb during a game and was required to have surgery. Pins were put in this thumb, and he played with the pins and a brace on his thumb.

Florida Panthers (2007-2011)

Vokoun with the Panthers in 2009.

On the day of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Vokoun was traded to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a first-round selection in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, a second-round selection in the 2007 draft (58th overall) and a conditional second-round selection in either 2007 or 2008.

Vokoun was selected to play for the Eastern Conference team in the 2008 NHL All Star Game in Atlanta.^[3]

During the 2008–09 NHL season, Vokoun recorded 26 wins for the Panthers as they battled for their first playoff berth since 2000. Although they ultimately fell short, the Panthers' being in position to qualify was due in large part to the goaltending of Vokoun and fellow goaltender Craig Anderson.

Vokoun was injured by teammate Keith Ballard in a game on November 30, 2009, when Ballard hit Vokoun with an errant stick in the head. Vokoun was carried off the ice on a stretcher and was treated at a nearby hospital for an ear laceration. Vokoun had just given up a goal to Ilya Kovalchuk of the Atlanta Thrashers and Ballard went to break his stick on the goal post in frustration, but caught Vokoun instead.^[4]

Washington and Pittsburgh (2011–2014)

Vokoun with the Capitals in 2012.

Vokoun signed a one-year contract with the Washington Capitals on July 2, 2011, for $1.5 million.^[5] Vokoun had a rough 2011–12 NHL season with the Capitals, however, as it was plagued by injury and inconsistent performance.

On June 4, 2012, Vokoun was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a seventh round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft and was subsequently signed to a two-year, $4 million contract.^[6] Since his customary sweater number 29 was being worn by Marc-André Fleury, Vokoun opted to wear number 92 with the Penguins; he became the first goaltender since Daren Puppa to wear a sweater number from 90 to 98.

On March 30, 2013, Vokoun set a personal best and Pittsburgh Penguins individual franchise record shutout streak of 187:30.^[7] He had two consecutive shutouts (on March 28 against the Winnipeg Jets and on March 30 against the New York Islanders) and a combined shutout with Marc-André Fleury on March 26 against the Montreal Canadiens. Vokoun played the third period to complete the shutout after Fleury was injured at the end of the second period. On May 9, 2013, Vokoun made his first playoff start in six seasons, a 31-save shutout against the New York Islanders in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarter-finals.^[8]

Vokoun was sidelined indefinitely after undergoing surgery to dissolve another blood clot in his pelvis during the 2013 pre-season.^[9] On January 21, 2014, it was reported that Vokoun would begin skating in practice again, with no timetable as to his possible return.^[10] On December 15, 2014, Vokoun announced his retirement.

International play

Vokoun during the 2010 Olympics
Medal record
Men's ice hockey - Competitor for the Czech Republic
Olympic Games
	2006 Turin	Ice hockey
World Championships
	2005 Vienna	Ice hockey
	2010 Cologne	Ice hockey
World Cup
	2004 World Cup	Ice hockey

Vokoun has represented the Czech Republic many times over the course of his playing career. His first international experience came with the under-20 team at the 1996 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, where the Czechs finished in fourth place. His first senior experience came at the 2003 IIHF World Championship, where the Czechs again finished in fourth place. Overall, he has played for the Czechs at four IIHF World Championships, two Winter Olympics Games and also in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. He backstopped the Czechs to a third-place finish at the World Cup, gold medals at the 2005 and 2010 World Championships and won bronze with the team at the 2006 Olympics in Turin.

Personal life

Vokoun currently resides with his wife, Dagmar, and two daughters, Adelle and Natalie, in Parkland, Florida.

Vokoun in net for the October 13, 2011, game between the Capitals and Penguins to honor the members of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl that died in a plane crash near the Russian city of Yaroslavl.

Awards and records

• Runner-up for the NHL Rookie of the Month award for December 1998.
• NHL Player of the Week for the week ending January 2, 2000 (3–0–0, 1 shutout, 1.33 goals against average (GAA), .960 save percentage; he was the first Predator to ever win this award).
• NHL Defensive Player of the Week for the week ending November 30, 2003 (4–0–0, 1.50 GAA, .950 save percentage).
• Selected to play for the Western Conference in the 2004 NHL All-Star Game.
• Selected to play for the Eastern Conference in the 2008 NHL All-Star Game.
• NHL Defensive Player of the Month for January 2010 (NHL's Third Star of the Month, 8–4–2, 1.49 GAA, .956 SV%, 4 SO).

Each of the below records are current as of the end of the 2013–14 NHL season:

• Nashville Predators franchise all-time record for goaltender appearances (383)
• Nashville Predators franchise all-time record for saves (9,657)

Career statistics

Regular season

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	T	OTL	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1993–94	HC Kladno	Czech		1	0	0	0	0	20	2	0	6.00	—
1994–95	HC Kladno	Czech		26	—	—	—	—	1368	70	—	3.07	—
1995–96	Wheeling Thunderbirds	ECHL		35	20	10	2	0	1912	117	0	3.67	.881
1996–97	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		1	0	0	0	0	20	4	0	12.00	.714
1996–97	Fredericton Canadiens	AHL		47	12	26	7	0	2645	154	2	3.49	.902
1997–98	Fredericton Canadiens	AHL		31	13	13	2	0	1735	90	0	3.11	.907
1998–99	Nashville Predators	NHL		37	12	18	4	0	1954	96	1	2.95	.908
1998–99	Milwaukee Admirals	IHL		9	3	2	4	0	539	22	1	2.45	.920
1999–00	Nashville Predators	NHL		33	9	20	1	0	1879	87	1	2.78	.904
1999–00	Milwaukee Admirals	IHL		7	5	2	0	0	364	17	0	2.80	.921
2000–01	Nashville Predators	NHL		37	13	17	5	0	2088	85	2	2.44	.910
2001–02	Nashville Predators	NHL		29	5	14	4	0	1471	66	2	2.69	.903
2002–03	Nashville Predators	NHL		69	25	31	11	0	3974	146	3	2.20	.918
2003–04	Nashville Predators	NHL		73	34	29	10	0	4221	178	3	2.53	.909
2004–05	HC Znojemsti Orli Znojmo	Czech		27	10	14	3	0	1599	69	3	2.59	.927
2004–05	HIFK	SM-liiga		19	11	4	4	0	1149	35	2	1.83	.940
2005–06	Nashville Predators	NHL		61	36	18	—	7	3600	160	4	2.67	.919
2006–07	Nashville Predators	NHL		44	27	12	—	4	2601	104	5	2.40	.920
2007–08	Florida Panthers	NHL		69	30	29	—	8	4030	180	4	2.68	.919
2008–09	Florida Panthers	NHL		59	26	23	—	6	3324	138	6	2.49	.926
2009–10	Florida Panthers	NHL		63	23	28	—	11	3695	157	7	2.55	.925
2010–11	Florida Panthers	NHL		57	22	28	—	5	3224	137	6	2.55	.922
2011–12	Washington Capitals	NHL		48	25	17	—	2	2583	108	4	2.51	.917
2012–13	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		20	13	4	—	0	1029	42	3	2.45	.919
2013–14	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL		2	1	1	—	0	124	5	0	2.41	.891
NHL totals				700	300	288	35	43	39,695	1688	51	2.55	.917

Post-season

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	T	OTL	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1994–95	HC Kladno	Czech		5	—	—	—	—	240	19	—	4.75	—
1995–96	Wheeling Thunderbirds	ECHL		7	4	3	—	—	436	19	0	2.61	—
1995–96	Fredericton Canadiens	AHL		1	0	1	—	—	59	4	0	4.07	—
1998–99	Milwaukee Admirals	IHL		2	0	2	—	—	149	8	0	3.22	.909
2003–04	Nashville Predators	NHL		6	2	4	—	—	356	12	1	2.02	.939
2004–05	HIFK	SM-liiga		4	0	3	—	—	205	12	0	3.51	.846
2006–07	Nashville Predators	NHL		5	1	4	—	—	323	16	0	2.96	.902
2012–13	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		11	6	5	—	—	685	23	1	2.01	.933
NHL totals				22	9	13	—	—	1365	51	2	2.24	.928

International

Year	Team	League	Result	GP	W	L	T	OTL	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1996	Czech Republic	WJC	4th	6	2	2	0	356	21	—	1	3.54	—
2003	Czech Republic	WC	4th	7	4	1	1	389	14	186	1	2.16	.925
2004	Czech Republic	WC	5th	6	5	1	0	370	7	126	2	1.14	.944
2004	Czech Republic	WCup		5	2	3	0	303	15	126	0	2.96	.881
2005	Czech Republic	WC		8	7	1	0	499	9	190	2	1.08	.953
2006	Czech Republic	Oly		7	3	3	0	342	14	136	1	2.46	.897
2010	Czech Republic	Oly	7th	5	3	2	0	304	9	140	0	1.78	.936
2010	Czech Republic	WC		8	7	1	0	496	13	234	0	1.57	.944
WC totals				29	23	4	1	1754	43	736	5	1.46	.942
Olympic totals				12	6	5	0	646	23	276	1	2.14	.917
Senior totals				46	31	12	1	2704	81	1138	6	1.80	.929

References

1. "Nashville's Vokoun will miss entire postseason".
2. "Vokoun to return after dealing with blood ailment".
3. "2008 NHL All-Star Game Roster". Hockey-Reference. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
4. "Vokoun forgives Ballard, now forget about it". NHL.com. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
5. "Washington signs Vokoun to one-year, $1.5 million contract". The Sports Network. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
6. "Penguins Acquire Goaltender Tomas Vokoun; Veteran Netminder Signs Two-Year Contract". NHL.com. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
7. "Penguins' perfect month by the numbers". NHL.com. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
8. "Sidney Crosby, Tomas Vokoun shine as Pittsburgh Penguins top New York Islanders". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
9. "Penguins goalie Vokoun out indefinitely with clot". NHL.com. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
10. "Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Vokoun to skate Wednesday". NHL.com. Retrieved 29 January 2014.

External links

• Tomáš Vokoun's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
• Tomáš Vokoun's player profile at NHL.com