Aleš Stezka Explained

Aleš Stezka
Birth Date:6 January 1997
Birth Place:Plzeň, Czech Republic
Height Cm:193
Weight Kg:91
Position:Goaltender
League:NHL
Team:Seattle Kraken
Prospect Team:Coachella Valley Firebirds
Prospect League:AHL
Former Teams:Bílí Tygři Liberec
HC Vítkovice
Catches:Left
Draft:111th overall
Draft Year:2015
Draft Team:Minnesota Wild
Career Start:2017

Aleš Stezka (born 6 January 1997) is a Czech professional ice hockey goaltender for the Coachella Valley Firebirds of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 111th overall by the Minnesota Wild in 2015.[1]

Playing career

Stezka played junior hockey with the regional Czech team HC Meteor Třemošná.[2] He would join the Bílí Tygři Liberec of the Czech Extraliga in 2010.[3]

In the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Stezka was selected in the fourth round (111th overall) by the Minnesota Wild. However, he would spend the 2015–16 season with the Sioux Falls Stampede and the 2016–17 season with the Chicago Steel, both of the United States Hockey League (USHL).[4]

For the 2017–18 season, Stezka returned to the Czech Republic, once again playing for Liberec, where he formed a goaltending tandem with Roman Will.[5] During the season, he played only two games with Liberec and another 27 after being loaned to HC Benátky nad Jizerou of the 2nd Czech Republic Hockey League, where he alternated in goal with Josef Kořenář.[6]

Stezka spent the 2018–19 season on loan to Piráti Chomutov of the Extraliga and HC Slovan Ústí nad Labem of the 2nd Czech Republic Hockey League. He would then spend the following two seasons playing for AZ Havířov.[7] He then started playing for HC Vítkovice Ridera, where he would spend two seasons.[8] At the end of the 2022–23 season, writers for the Czech newspaper Právo honored him when they chose him as the Extraliga's best goaltender.[9]

Following the 2022–23 season, Stezka went back to North America, where he signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL), taking effect in the 2023–24 season.[10] Before the season, he participated in the Kraken's training camp, and was then sent down to the Kraken's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

International play

Stezka played with the Czech Republic during the 2015 IIHF World U18 Championships. The Czech Republic was eliminated in a 3–2 loss to Canada, in which Stezka made 22 saves.[11] The next year, he played with the Czech Republic in the 2016 World Junior Championships.[12]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGP W L OTL MIN GA SV%GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV%
2015–16Sioux Falls Stampede19 6 10 1 1014 56 1 3.32 .893
2016–17Chicago SteelUSHL37 22 10 3 2154 82 4 2.28 .91613 9 4 796 27 3 2.04 .812
2017–18HC Bílí Tygři LiberecELH2 0 2 0 100 7 0 4.20 .868
2017-18HC Benátky nad JizerouCZE.327 5 22 0 1397 113 0 4.85 .858
2018–19Piráti ChomutovELH5 0 5 0 235 15 0 3.83 .883
2018–19HC Slovan Ústí nad LabemCZE.328 8 20 0 1641 103 1 3.77 .903
2019–20AZ HavířovCZE.350 28 21 0 2928 125 4 2.56 .909
2020–21AZ HavířovCZE.320 8 11 0 1184 50 1 2.53 .914
2021–22HC Vítkovice RideraELH46 24 21 0 2736 116 1 2.54 .9108 3 5 491 18 0 2.20 .923
2022–23HC Vítkovice RideraELH39 25 14 0 2382 85 5 2.14 .92412 6 6 874 18 2 1.24 .960
2023–24Coachella Valley FirebirdsAHL27 18 6 2 1547 64 2 2.48 .914
ELH totals92 49 42 0 5,453 223 6 2.45 .89620 9 11 1,365 36 2 1.72 .942

International

YearTeamEventResultGPWLOTMINGASOGAASV%
2015Czechia U18U186th2010105603.46.908
2016CzechiaWJC5th100040507.50.800
Junior totals30101451105.48.854

Notes and References

  1. Web site: June 27, 2015 . Minnesota Selects Seven at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft . March 9, 2024 . www.iowawild.com . en.
  2. Web site: Historie klubu - HC Meteor Třemošná . 2024-02-17 . www.hcmeteor.cz.
  3. Web site: Profil hráče Aleš Stezka . 2024-03-02 . Bílí Tygři Liberec . cs.
  4. Web site: 2017-09-04 . Ales Stezka kicks off Hockey Wilderness’ 2017 Top-25 Under-25 . 2024-03-02 . Hockey Wilderness . en-US.
  5. Web site: Aleš Stezka . 2024-02-17 . Bílí Tygři Liberec.
  6. Web site: Sára . Robert . 2017-10-29 . Lze se z první ligy probít do NHL? Mladí gólmani z Benátek tomu věří . 2024-08-08 . iDNES.cz . cs.
  7. Web site: TOP 100 hráčů sezony: Aleš Stezka (36. místo) Hokej.cz - web českého hokeje . 2024-03-02 . Hokej.cz.
  8. Web site: iDNES.cz . ČTK . 2023-04-20 . Vítkovice potvrdily odchody brankáře Stezky, Kocha a Lindberga . 2024-03-02 . iDNES.cz . cs.
  9. Web site: 2023-05-06 . Stezka získal Cenu Práva pro nejlepšího gólmana extraligy: Jsem o dost klidnější brankář i člověk - Sport.cz . 2024-03-02 . www.sport.cz . cs.
  10. Web site: Beg . Zaiem . 2023-05-02 . Kraken sign goalie Ales Stezka to entry-level contract . 2024-02-17 . Davy Jones' Locker room . en-US.
  11. Web site: 2015-04-19 . Canada beats Czechs 3-2, remains undefeated at U18 world hockey championship . 2024-03-02 . HuffPost . en.
  12. Web site: Tribune . Michael Russo Star . World junior tournament offers glimpse of Wild's future . 2024-03-02 . Star Tribune.