Martin Erat

Martin Erat (Born August 28, 1981, in Třebíč, Czech Republic), is a professional ice hockey player.
==Overview==
Martin Erat was selected 191st overall, in the 7th round of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. He was selected as the 12th choice of the Nashville Predators. 
Erat made a splash in his NHL rookie year 2001-2002 as a member of the "Vowel line" which consisted himself on left wing, Vladimir Orszagh on right wing, and Denis Arkhipov at center. That year he set a Nashville rookie record for games played (80), assists (23), and points (32).
His first National Hockey League point was a game winning goal against the Calgary Flames on October 11, 2001. His first NHL playoff point was an assist in the 2004 Western Conference Quarterfinals in a 2-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on January 19, 2004.
Erat struggled during his sophomore season 2002-2003 and spent the majority of the season with the Predator's minor league affiliate the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League.
He came roaring back however in his third season 2003-2004. He had career highs with goals (16), assists (33), and points (49). He also ranked second on the team with a +10 rating.
During the 2004-05 NHL lockout Erat played for HC Zlín of the Czech Extraliga, where he finished eighth in the league in scoring, with 20 goals and 23 assists in 48 games.
In 2005-06, Erat scored a career high 20 goals in his fourth season with the Nashville Predators, while once again tallying 49 points. He also played for the Czech National Team at the Olympics in Torino, where he helped the team secure a bronze medal.
During the 2006-07 season, Erat emerged as a legitimate first line player, tallying 57 points in only 68 games. Most often, Erat teamed with Paul Kariya and David Legwand to form the team's top unit. Erat missed the final 5 weeks of the season with a torn MCL.
He is also known for his Paul Kariya-like wrist shot.
==Awards==
*Named the WHL Eastern Conference Player of the Month for November, 2000.
*Named the WHL Player of the Week for November 13-19, 2000.
==Records==
*Games played by a Nashville Predators rookie - 80 
*Assists by a Nashville Predators rookie - 24
*Points by a Nashville Predators rookie - 33
==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
1997-98	Zlín Jr 	Czech-Jr	 	33 	26 	26 	52 	11 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1998-99	Zlín Jr 	Czech-Jr	 	35 	21 	23 	44 	11 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1998-99	HC Zlín 	Czech 	 	5 	0 	0 	0 	2 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
1999-00	Saskatoon Blades 	WHL 	 	66 	27 	26 	53 	82 	 	11 	4 	8 	12 	16
2000-01	Saskatoon Blades 	WHL 	 	31 	19 	35 	54 	48 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
2000-01	Red Deer Rebels 	WHL 	 	17 	4 	24 	28 	24 	 	22 	15 	21 	36 	32
2001-02	Nashville Predators	NHL 	 	80 	9 	24 	33 	32 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
2002-03	Milwaukee Admirals 	AHL 	 	45 	10 	22 	32 	41 	 	6 	5 	4 	9 	4
2002-03	Nashville Predators	NHL 	 	27 	1 	7 	8 	14 	 	-- 	-- 	-- 	-- 	--
2003-04	Nashville Predators	NHL 	 	76 	16 	33 	49 	38 	 	6 	0 	1 	1 	6
2004-05	HC Zlín 	Czech 	 	48 	29 	30 	43 	129 	 	10 	4 	3 	7 	4
2005-06	Nashville Predators	NHL 	 	80 	20 	29 	49 	48 	 	5 	1 	1 	2 	6
2006-07	Nashville Predators	NHL 	 	68 	16 	41 	57 	5 	 	3 	0 	1 	1 	0
2007-08	Nashville Predators	NHL 	 	76 	23 	34 	57 	40 	 	6 	1 	3 	4 	8
2008-09	Nashville Predators	NHL 	 	71 	17 	33 	50 	48 	 	- 	- 	- 	- 	-
2009-10	Nashville Predators	NHL 	 	74 	21 	28 	49 	50 	 	6 	4 	1 	5 	4
2010-11	Nashville Predators	NHL 	 	64 	17 	33 	50 	22 	 	10 	1 	5 	6 	6
2011-12	Nashville Predators	NHL 	 	71 	19 	39 	58 	30 	 	10 	1 	3 	4 	6
NHL Totals	
NHL Totals 	
NHL Totals	 	708 	162 	309 	471 	424 	 	46 	8 	15 	23 	36
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==International play==
Erat played for the Czech Republic at the World Junior Championships in 2001. He helped the team to win the gold medal. In 2006, Erat played for the Bronze Medal Czech National Team at the Torino Olympics. In the same year, Erat was a member of silver team from IIHF World Championships in Riga, Latvia.
==External links==
*
*Bio page at the Predator's official Website
Category:Czech ice hockey players
Category:HC Zlin players
Category:Saskatoon Blades players
Category:Red Deer Rebels players
Category:Milwaukee Admirals players
Category:Nashville Predators players
Category:Member of the Czech National Team
Category:Born in 1981
Category:IIHF Player