Martin Skoula

Martin Škoula (born October 28, 1979 in Litoměřice, Czechoslovakia) is a professional ice hockey defenceman, currently with the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League. 
==Playing career==
Skoula was selected in the first round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, 17th overall, by the Colorado Avalanche. After playing two seasons in the Czech Republic, Škoula came over to North America in 1997, playing for the Barrie Colts of the OHL. His size and offensive ability made him an instant success. After only one game in the American Hockey League, with the Hershey Bears, Škoula joined the Avalanche, despite being only twenty years old.
In 2001, Škoula was a part of the Avalanche team that won the Stanley Cup. The following season, he played for his native country at the 2002 Olympics. Despite these successes and a solid statistical record, Škoula was often criticized by fans for poor defensive positioning and decisions, and offensive ability that failed to live up to expectations. 
On February 21, 2004, Škoula was dealt by the Avalanche to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for Kurt Sauer and a 4th round pick (Raymond Macias). After playing only twenty games with the Ducks, Škoula left as an unrestricted free agent. He spent the 2004 NHL Lockout in the Czech Extraliga with HC Litvínov. 
On August 3, 2005, prior to the 2005–06 season, Škoula was signed by the Dallas Stars to a two-year contract. He spent less than a season, before he was dealt at the trade deadline by the Stars, along with Shawn Belle to the Minnesota Wild for Willie Mitchell and a 2nd round pick. 
Prior to the 2007–08 season on June 30, 2007, Skoula re-signed with the Wild for an additional 2 years.
==Awards and achievements==
*1998–99 OHL Second All-Star Team
*1998–99 OHL Plus/Minus Award
*2000–01 NHL Stanley Cup (Colorado Avalanche)
==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
1995–96 	HC Litvínov 	CZE 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 		1 	0 	0 	0 	0
1996–97 	HC Litvínov 	CZE 		1 	0 	0 	0 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1997–98 	Barrie Colts 	OHL 		66 	8 	36 	44 	36 		6 	1 	3 	4 	4
1998–99 	Barrie Colts 	OHL 		67 	13 	46 	59 	46 		12 	3 	10 	13 	13
1998–99 	Hershey Bears 	AHL 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 		1 	0 	0 	0 	0
1999–00 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		80 	3 	13 	16 	20 		17 	0 	2 	2 	4
2000–01 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		82 	8 	17 	25 	38 		23 	1 	4 	5 	8
2001–02 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		82 	10 	21 	31 	42 		21 	0 	6 	6 	2
2002–03 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		81 	4 	21 	25 	68 		7 	0 	1 	1 	4
2003–04 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 		58 	2 	14 	16 	30 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL 		21 	2 	7 	9 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2004–05 	HC Litvínov 	CZE 		47 	4 	15 	19 	101 		6 	0 	0 	0 	6
2005–06 	Dallas Stars 	NHL 		61 	4 	11 	15 	36 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	Minnesota Wild 	NHL 		17 	1 	5 	6 	10 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	Minnesota Wild 	NHL 		81 	0 	15 	15 	36 		5 	0 	0 	0 	4
2007–08 	Minnesota Wild 	NHL 		80 	3 	8 	11 	26 		6 	0 	0 	0 	0
2008–09 	Minnesota Wild 	NHL 		81 	4 	12 	16 	10 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		724 	41 	144 	185 	318 		79 	1 	13 	14 	22
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==International play==
Played for Czech Republic in:
*2002 Winter Olympics
*2004 World Championships
*2004 World Cup of Hockey
*2006 World Championships (Silver Medal)
===International statistics===
Year 	Team 	Comp 	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2002 	Czech Republic 	OG 	4 	0	0	0 	0
2004 	Czech Republic 	WC 	7 	1	0	1 	4
2004 	Czech Republic 	WCH 	2 	0	0	0 	2
2006 	Czech Republic 	WC 	9 	0	2	2 	6
Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	Senior int'l totals	22	1	2	3 	12
== Transactions ==
*June 27, 1998 - Škoula drafted by Colorado
*February 21, 2004 - Škoula traded by Colorado to Anaheim in exchange for Kurt Sauer and a 4th round draft pick (Raymond Macias)
*August 3, 2005 - Škoula signs with Dallas.
*March 9, 2006 - Škoula traded by the Dallas Stars along with Shawn Belle to the Minnesota Wild for Willie Mitchell and the Wild's second-round pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
== External links ==
*
*
Category:Born in 1979
Category:Barrie Colts alumni
Category:Colorado Avalanche draft picks
Category:Colorado Avalanche players
Category:Czech hockey players
Category:Dallas Stars players
Category:Hershey Bears player
Category:Mighty Ducks of Anaheim players
Category:Minnesota Wild players
Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks
Category:Stanley Cup champions
Category:1999 debut