# Miroslav Dvořák (ice hockey)

Miroslav Dvořák (11 October 1951 – 12 June 2008) was a Czechoslovak ice hockey defenseman. He played three seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Philadelphia Flyers from 1982 to 1985. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1969 to 1989, was mainly spent with HC České Budějovice in the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League. Internationally Dvořák played for the Czechoslovak national team at several Ice Hockey World Championships, winning gold medals in 1976 and 1977, along with six silver medals, and a silver medal at the 1976 Winter Olympics.

## Playing career

In 1967 Dvořák started his ice hockey career playing for the HC České Budějovice junior team and from 1970 became a member of senior team. In the same year Dvořák was named the best defender of the World Junior Championships held in Sweden. During his military service he moved to the army team Dukla Jihlava where he spent two seasons. He also played for Czechoslovak national ice hockey team and won eight medals overall in the Ice Hockey World Championships in years 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1982 and 1983 and represented Czechoslovakia on 1976 and 1981 Canada Cups and on 1980 Winter Olympics as well. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the third round of the 1982 NHL entry draft and played three seasons in North America. He had to wait until his thirties to play in the NHL, as playing overseas under the age of 30 was strictly prohibited because of sports rules during communism era in Czechoslovakia. He left professional ice hockey after the 88–89 season and went back to Czechoslovakia to play for HC České Budějovice.

## Death

Dvořák died in the Czech Republic after a long battle with throat cancer at the age of 56 on 12 June 2008. His family played composer Antonín Dvořák's "New World Symphony" at the funeral.

## Career statistics
### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1970–71 | TJ Motor České Budějovice | CSSR | 36 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1971–72 | TJ Motor České Budějovice | CSSR | 20 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1972–73 | ASD Dukla Jihlava | CSSR | — | 4 | 7 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1973–74 | ASD Dukla Jihlava | CSSR | — | 14 | 7 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1974–75 | TJ Motor České Budějovice | CSSR | 44 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1975–76 | TJ Motor České Budějovice | CSSR | 31 | 9 | 4 | 13 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1976–77 | TJ Motor České Budějovice | CSSR | 43 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1977–78 | TJ Motor České Budějovice | CSSR | 43 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1978–79 | TJ Motor České Budějovice | CSSR | 42 | 3 | 18 | 21 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1979–80 | TJ Motor České Budějovice | CSSR | 44 | 7 | 17 | 24 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1980–81 | TJ Motor České Budějovice | CSSR | 44 | 8 | 25 | 33 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1981–82 | TJ Motor České Budějovice | CSSR | 38 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1982–83 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 80 | 4 | 33 | 37 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1983–84 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 66 | 4 | 27 | 31 | 27 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1984–85 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 47 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 1985–86 | ESG Kassel | GER-2 | 45 | 13 | 48 | 61 | 36 | 17 | 8 | 23 | 31 | 30 |
| 1986–87 | ESG Kassel | GER-2 | 34 | 4 | 40 | 44 | 32 | 18 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 12 |
| 1987–88 | EHC Essen-West | GER-2 | 36 | 10 | 36 | 46 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1988–89 | TJ Motor České Budějovice | CSSR | 27 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
| CSSR totals | CSSR totals | CSSR totals | 412 | 82 | 145 | 227 | 255 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 193 | 11 | 74 | 85 | 51 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 |

### International

| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1970 | Czechoslovakia | EJC | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 1974 | Czechoslovakia | WC | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 1975 | Czechoslovakia | WC | 10 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 |
| 1976 | Czechoslovakia | OLY | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 |
| 1976 | Czechoslovakia | WC | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 1976 | Czechoslovakia | CC | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 1977 | Czechoslovakia | WC | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| 1978 | Czechoslovakia | WC | 10 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 1979 | Czechoslovakia | WC | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980 | Czechoslovakia | OLY | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1981 | Czechoslovakia | WC | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 1981 | Czechoslovakia | CC | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 1982 | Czechoslovakia | WC | 10 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| 1983 | Czechoslovakia | WC | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 14 |
| Senior totals | Senior totals | Senior totals | 110 | 4 | 29 | 33 | 52 |