Jaroslav Modrý Explained

Played For:HC České Budějovice
New Jersey Devils
Ottawa Senators
Los Angeles Kings
Atlanta Thrashers
Dallas Stars
Philadelphia Flyers
HC Liberec
HC Plzeň
Position:Defence
Shoots:Left
Height Ft:6
Height In:2
Weight Lb:220
Ntl Team:TCH
Ntl Team 2:CZE
Birth Date:27 February 1971
Birth Place:České Budějovice, Czechoslovakia
Draft:179th overall
Draft Year:1990
Draft Team:New Jersey Devils
Career Start:1988
Career End:2012

Jaroslav Modrý (born 27 February 1971) is a Czech former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators, Los Angeles Kings, Atlanta Thrashers, Dallas Stars, and Philadelphia Flyers.

He is currently an assistant coach in the St. Louis Blues organization with the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL.

Playing career

Modrý was selected 179th overall in the ninth round of the 1990 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils. He made his NHL debut with the Devils during the 1993–94 season. A trade to the Ottawa Senators in July 1995 was followed months later in March 1996 by a trade to the Los Angeles Kings. Modrý started seeing more playing time in the NHL and eventually became an NHL regular with the Kings, playing his first full season in 2000–01. The following season, 2001–02, saw Modrý set career highs in assists (38) and points (42) and play in the NHL All-Star Game. He scored a career-high 13 goals in 2002–03.

After the 2003–04 season, Modrý left the Kings as an unrestricted free agent and signed with the Atlanta Thrashers. He returned to the Czech Extraliga and played for HC Liberec during the 2004–05 NHL lockout. After only one season with Atlanta, Modrý was traded along with Patrik Štefan to the Dallas Stars for Niko Kapanen and a 2006 7th round draft pick. After playing half of the 2006–07 season with the Stars, Dallas sent him back to the Kings as part of a deadline-day deal to acquire former Kings teammate Mattias Norström. A year later during the following season, Modrý was on the move again as the Kings traded him to the Philadelphia Flyers for a 2008 3rd round draft pick.

Modrý left the NHL for the Czech Extraliga when he signed a two-year contract with HC Liberec for the 2008–09 season.[1] He took up the position of captain upon his arrival in Liberec. At the end of the season, however, he left the club.[2] Modrý left Liberec on 1 May 2009 and signed with HC Plzeň.[3]

Later

After his playing career concluded, Modrý got involved in coaching. From 2016 to 2021, he worked as a youth coach in the Los Angeles Kings organization, including three seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL's Ontario Reign. Modrý then returned to his native Czech Republic to coach there with HC Motor České Budějovice and HC Kometa Brno. In June 2024, he left his head coaching position in Brno, citing family reasons, and accepted an assistant coaching position with the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds.[4]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
1987–88TJ Motor České BudějoviceCSSR30000
1988–89TJ Motor České BudějoviceCSSR16000812011
1989–90TJ Motor České BudějoviceCSSR41224
1990–91ASVŠ Dukla TrenčínCSSR331910640330
1991–92TJ Motor České BudějoviceCZE II1441014
1991–92ASVŠ Dukla TrenčínCSSR180446
1992–93Utica DevilsAHL80735426250222
1993–94New Jersey DevilsNHL412151718
1993–94Albany River RatsAHL1915625
1994–95HC České BudějoviceELH1913430
1994–95New Jersey DevilsNHL110000
1994–95Albany River RatsAHL18561114143364
1995–96Ottawa SenatorsNHL644141838
1995–96Los Angeles KingsNHL90336
1996–97Los Angeles KingsNHL3033625
1996–97Phoenix RoadrunnersIHL233121517
1996–97Utah GrizzliesIHL111452070116
1997–98Utah GrizzliesIHL741221337240226
1998–99Los Angeles KingsNHL50110
1998–99Long Beach Ice DogsIHL64629354484264
1999–2000Long Beach Ice DogsIHL112468
1999–2000Los Angeles KingsNHL265491820002
2000–01Los Angeles KingsNHL634151948101014
2001–02Los Angeles KingsNHL80438426570220
2002–03Los Angeles KingsNHL8213253868
2003–04Los Angeles KingsNHL795273244
2004–05Bílí Tygři LiberecELH193710241204422
2005–06Atlanta ThrashersNHL797313876
2006–07Dallas StarsNHL57191032
2006–07Los Angeles KingsNHL1908822
2007–08Los Angeles KingsNHL6115642
2007–08Philadelphia FlyersNHL19033890330
2008–09Bílí Tygři LiberecELH52314174830006
2009–10HC Plzeň 1929ELH52918279160338
2010–11HC Plzeň 1929ELH52812205440114
2011–12HC Plzeň 1929ELH1410137100226
CSSR totals111315182016044
NHL totals72549201250510281566
ELH totals208255479284350101046

International

YearTeamEvent GPGAPtsPIM
1989CzechoslovakiaEJC
1991CzechoslovakiaWJC60112
2003Czech RepublicWC90334

Notes and References

  1. News: Modry leaves NHL to play for team in Czech Republic . . 2008-07-31 . 2008-08-04 . 2011-06-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110607014450/http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=244931 . dead .
  2. News article from HC Liberec
  3. http://www.hcplzen.cz/clanek.asp?id=Martin-Straka-v-Plzni-prodlouzil-smlouvu,-prichazeji-Modry,-Hanzlik,-Tvrdik-a-Hvila-4568 Martin Straka v Plzni prodloužil smlouvu, přicházejí Modrý, Hanzlík, Tvrdík a Hvila
  4. News: Jaroslav Modrý leaves Czech coaching job for family reasons, now in AHL . . 2024-06-10 . 2024-06-13 .