Michael Frolík
Michael Frolík (; born 17 February 1988) is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger who is currently playing with Lausanne HC of the National League (NL). Frolík has played in the NHL with the Florida Panthers, the organization that drafted him tenth overall in 2006, as well as the Chicago Blackhawks, with whom he won the Stanley Cup with in 2013. He has also had stints with the Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens. Playing career. Amateur. As a youth, Frolík played in the 2002 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a team from  Chomutov. Frolík played two seasons in the Czech Extraliga for Rabat Kladno before being selected tenth overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Florida Panthers. While playing in Kladno, Frolík was nicknamed "The Baby Jágr" due to his similar playing style and appearance to Jaromír Jágr, who also played for Kladno earlier in his career. To add to his overwhelming resemblance, Frolík, who cites Jágr as his role model, wore #68 at the Panthers' rookie camp. Beginning in the 2006–07 season, Frolík began his North American career playing at the major junior level for the Rimouski Océanic of  the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Professional. Florida Panthers. Frolík made his NHL debut for Florida during the 2008–09 season, in which he finished with 21 goals and 24 assists for 45 points in 79 games played. Frolik recorded 43 points the following season. Chicago Blackhawks. On 9 February 2011, during Frolík's third season with the Panthers, in 2010–11, he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks (along with goaltender Alexander Salák) in exchange for Jack Skille, Hugh Jessiman and David Pacan. Frolík scored his first goal as a Blackhawk on 2 March 2011, against the Calgary Flames. On  24 April, he scored the first Stanley Cup playoff penalty shot in Blackhawks history against goaltender Cory Schneider of the Vancouver Canucks in Game 6 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. On 15 July 2011, Frolík signed a three-year contract extension with the Blackhawks at an annual average value at $2.333 million. During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Frolík played for Piráti Chomutov of the Czech Extraliga. On 27 May 2013, during the 2013 playoffs, he scored the second playoff penalty shot goal of his career, against Jimmy Howard of the Detroit Red Wings, becoming the first player in NHL  history to score more than one career penalty shot goal in the playoffs. He ultimately scored ten points in the playoffs en route to the Blackhawks' Stanley Cup victory over the Boston Bruins in six games. Winnipeg Jets. In the subsequent off-season, on 30 June 2013, Frolík was traded to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a third- and fifth-round pick at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. In the 2013–14 season opener on 2 October 2013, at Rexall Place against the Edmonton Oilers, Frolík scored twice in a 5–4 Winnipeg win. On 29 July 2014, Frolík and the  Jets agreed on a one-year, $3.3 million contract. He finished with 19 goals and 23 assists on in the regular season, but was held pointless during the Jets' four-game sweep at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks in the 2015 playoffs. Calgary Flames. On 1 July 2015, Frolík, as an unrestricted free agent, signed a five-year, $21 million contract with the Calgary Flames at an annual average value of $4.3 million. Buffalo Sabres. During his final year under contract with the Flames in the 2019–20 season, unable to replicate his offensive production from previous  years with 10 points through 38 games, Frolik was traded by the Flames to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a fourth round pick in 2020 on 2 January 2020. Montreal Canadiens. On 23 December 2020, Frolík signed as a free agent to a one-year, $750,000 contract with the Montreal Canadiens. St. Louis Blues. As a free agent over the summer and approaching the season, Frolík accepted an invitation to attend the St. Louis Blues training camp on a Professional Tryout contract on September 18, 2021. Lausanne HC. On October 15, 2021, Frolík joined Lausanne HC of the  National League (NL) on a two-year deal through the 2022/23 season. Personal life. His wife is former Miss Czech Republic 2001, Czech model and TV/radio personality Diana Kobzanova. They have two daughters together.