Radim Vrbata

Radim Vrbata (born June 13, 1981 in Mladá Boleslav, Czechoslovakia) is a former professional ice hockey winger who played 16 seasons of the NHL. He played for the Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Arizona Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers.
==Playing career==
Vrbata was drafted in the 8th round, 212th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. He won the 2001 World Junior Championship and the 2005 World Championships with the Czech Republic.
In March, 2003 Vrbata was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Bates Battaglia. He was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes by the Chicago Blackhawks on December 30, 2005 for future considerations. After two subpar seasons in Chicago, he was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes on August 11, 2007 for Kevyn Adams. During his 1st year in Phoenix, he set career highs in goals, and assists, and lead the team in scoring.
On July 1, 2008, Vrbata, as a free agent, signed a three-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. After starting the 2008-09 season out of form and citing confidence issues, and the fact that his wife was having difficulty during pregnancy, Vrbata asked, and was granted permission to return home to the Czech Republic on December 8, 2008. On January 2, 2009 he joined hometown team, BK Mladá Boleslav. Vrbata's stint with Boleslav was cut short when he was sent on loan to HC Bílí Tygři Liberec on January 29, 2009.
After finishing the season in the Czech Republic, Vrbata advised the Lightning he intended to return to the NHL for the second year of his contract in the 2009-10 season. Having filled Vrbata's roster spot the Lightning had no interests in retaining Vrbata and his agent, Rich Evans, was given permission to work out a trade. On July 21, 2009, Vrbata was traded by the Lightning back to the Coyotes in exchange for David Hale and Todd Fedoruk for a second stint with the team.
On 7 April 2018, Vrbata announced his retirement from professional hockey after 16 seasons.
==Career statistics==
 	 	 		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
1998–99 	Hull Olympiques 	QMJHL 		54 	22 	38 	60 	16 		23 	6 	13 	19 	6
1999–00 	Hull Olympiques 	QMJHL 		59 	29 	45 	74 	26 		15 	3 	9 	12 	8
1999–00 	Shawinigan Cataractes	QMJHL 		55 	56 	64 	120 	67 		10 	4 	7 	11 	4
2000–01 	Hershey Bears 	AHL 		20 	8 	14 	22 	8 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2001–02 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		52 	18 	12 	30 	14 		9 	0 	0 	0 	0
2002–03 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		66 	11 	19 	30 	16 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	Carolina Hurricanes 	NHL 		10 	5 	0 	5 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	Carolina Hurricanes 	NHL 		80 	12 	13 	25 	24 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2004–05 	HC Bílí Tygři Liberec	CZE 		45 	18 	21 	39 	91 		13 	3 	2 	5 	0
2004–05 	BK Mladá Boleslav 	Cze2 		2 	0 	1 	1 	6 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	Carolina Hurricanes 	NHL 		16 	2 	3 	5 	6 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	Chicago Blackhawks 	NHL 		45 	13 	21 	34 	22 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	Chicago Blackhawks 	NHL 		77 	14 	27 	41 	26 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	Phoenix Coyotes 	NHL 		76 	27 	29 	56 	14 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	Tampa Bay Lightning 	NHL 		18 	3 	3 	6 	8 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	BK Mladá Boleslav 	CZE 		11 	5 	3 	8 	18 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	HC Bílí Tygři Liberec	CZE 		7 	7 	2 	9 	2 		3 	0 	1 	1 	2
NHL Totals	NHL Totals 	NHL Totals		440 	105 	127 	232 	126 		9 	0 	0 	0 	0
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==International play==
Played for the Czech Republic in:
*2001 World Junior Championships (Gold Medal)
*2003 World Championships
*2005 World Championships (Gold Medal)
*2008 World Championships
===International statistics===
Year 	Team 	Comp 	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2001 	Czech Republic 	WJC 	7 	1	2	3 	4
2003 	Czech Republic 	WC 	9 	3	3	6 	2
2005 	Czech Republic 	WC 	3 	0	1	1 	0
2008 	Czech Republic 	WC 	7 	5	2	7 	4
Junior int'l totals	Junior int'l totals	Junior int'l totals	7 	1	2	3 	4
Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	19	8	6	14 	6
==External links==
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Category:Born in 1981
Category:Czech hockey players
Category:Colorado Avalanche draft picks
Category:Colorado Avalanche players
Category:Carolina Hurricanes players
Category:Chicago Blackhawks players
Category:Hershey Bears player
Category:Hull Olympiques alumni
Category:Phoenix Coyotes players
Category:Shawinigan Cataractes alumni
Category:Tampa Bay Lightning players
Category:Florida Panthers players
Category:BK Mladá Boleslav players
Category:Liberec Bili Tygri HC players
Category:Retired in 2018