Bobby Holík

Robert Holík (born January 1, 1971) is a Czech-American former professional ice hockey center. He played parts of 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Hartford Whalers, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, and Atlanta Thrashers.

Holík is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, winning with the Rangers in 1994 and the Devils in 2000. He was also a two-time back-to-back All-Star in 1998 and 1999.

Career
Before playing in the NHL, Holík played three seasons with Dukla Jihlava of Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League (CSSR).

He was selected 10th overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1989 NHL entry draft. On October 4, 1990, Holík made his NHL debut in a 3–3 tie with the Quebec Nordiques. On October 8, he recorded his first NHL point, assisting on a Ron Francis goal in a 5–3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Two days later, on October 10, Holík scored his first NHL goal against Daren Puppa in a 4–3 win against the Buffalo Sabres.

On August 28, 1992, the Whalers traded Holík along with a 1993 second-round pick and 1994 conditional pick to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Sean Burke and Eric Weinrich. He had a very successful career with the Devils. He played alongside Mike Peluso and Randy McKay. The line was known for its physical play and ability to score goals, earning them the nickname of "The Crash Line". He helped them during the playoffs, eliminating the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Philadelphia Flyers. In the Finals, the Devils went on to sweep the Detroit Red Wings four games to none to win the Stanley Cup. Holík also helped the Devils during the playoffs, defeating the Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Philadelphia Flyers. In the Finals, the Devils defeated the Dallas Stars four games to two to win another Stanley Cup.

On July 1, 2002, Holík signed a five-year, $45 million contract to join the New York Rangers. He played two seasons with the Rangers, scoring 41 goals and recording 50 assists. On July 28, 2005, the Rangers bought out the rest of his contract.

On August 2, 2005, Holík signed a three-year, $12.75 million contract to join the Atlanta Thrashers.
On October 2, 2007, the Thrashers named Holík as the captain of the team.

On July 1, 2008, Holík signed a one-year contract to return to the New Jersey Devils. During the season, he played 62 games, scored 4 goals and recorded 5 assists.

On May 23, 2009, Holík announced that he was retiring from playing professional ice hockey.

References

 Other websites 

Category:1971 births
Category:Living people
Category:Atlanta Thrashers players
Category:Czech ice hockey players
Category:Czechoslovak ice hockey players
Category:Hartford Whalers players
Category:Ice hockey centres
Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States
Category:New Jersey Devils players
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:Stanley Cup champions
Category:Utica Devils players