Marek Tvrdoň Explained

Marek Tvrdoň
Team:HC Nove Zamky
League:Slovak
Former Teams:HK Nitra
HC Slovan Bratislava
Edinburgh Capitals
MsHK Žilina
Saryarka Karagandy
Nottingham Panthers
KS Cracovia
Position:Forward
Birth Date:1993 1, df=yes
Birth Place:Nitra, Slovakia
Height Ft:6
Height In:2
Weight Lb:212
Shoots:Left
Draft:115th overall
Draft Year:2011
Draft Team:Detroit Red Wings
Career Start:2010

Marek Tvrdoň (born 31 January 1993) is a Slovak ice hockey winger who is currently playing for HC Nove Zamky of the Slovak Extraliga.

Tvrdoň was drafted 115th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career

Junior

Born in Nitra, Slovakia, Tvrdon developed with his hometown's HK Nitra junior program. Beginning at the under-18 level in 2007–08, he went on to the under-20 level two years later, scoring 56 points (25 goals and 31 assists) over 45 games. During the 2009–10 season, he also played six games with HK Nitra's men's team in the Slovak Extraliga.

During the subsequent 2010–11 season, Tvrdon moved to North America to play for the major junior Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He began the campaign with 11 points (6 goals and 5 assists) in 12 games before suffering a shoulder injury in mid-October 2010. The following month, he underwent season-ending surgery.[1] In the off-season, he was selected 115th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings. Giant general manager Scott Bonner speculated that if he had played the full season prior to the draft, he would have been selected much higher, perhaps as a "first or second-round pick". Tvrdon has been described as a player with size and skill, while Giants head coach Don Hay listed his work ethic as a weakness following his first WHL season.[1]

On January 8, 2014 Tvrdoň was traded by the Vancouver Giants to the Kelowna Rockets for a second-round pick in the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft.[2]

Professional

On July 3, 2012, Tvrdoň signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Detroit Red Wings.[3]

During the final season of his entry-level deal with the Red Wings in 2015–16, Tvrdoň was unable to make an impact within the organization and was primarily assigned to secondary affiliate, the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL. On December 19, 2015, he was placed on unconditional waivers, in order to mutually terminate his contract. He returned to Slovakia and on December 22, 2015, signed a contract for the remainder of the season with HC Slovan Bratislava of the Kontinental Hockey League.[4] Tvrdoň was unable to establish himself in Bratislava, featuring in just 4 scoreless games.

On August 30, 2016, Tvrdoň opted to return to North America as a free agent, agreeing to a one-year deal with the Indy Fuel of the ECHL.[5]

After a spell with HK Nitra in Slovakia, Tvrdoň agreed a deal to move to the Edinburgh Capitals in September 2017.[6]

Tvrdoň has since had spells with MsHK Žilina, Saryarka Karagandy, EC KAC, Nottingham Panthers, KS Cracovia and Dizel Penza.

He re-joined HK Nitra for the 2020-21 season.

International play

Tvrdon represented with Slovakia at the 2010 IIHF World U18 Championships, where he recorded three goals and one assist in six games. Two years later, he represented Slovakia's national junior team at the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, where he recorded three goals and one assist in six games, finishing as the second-leading goal scorer on the team.[7] Slovakia finished sixth in the tournament after losing their quarterfinal and the fifth place consolation match.[8]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

  Regular season Playoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
2009–10HK NitraSlovak60002
2010–11Vancouver GiantsWHL12651114
2011–12Vancouver GiantsWHL603143746263360
2012–13Vancouver GiantsWHL188142216
2013–14Grand Rapids GriffinsAHL10000
2013–14Toledo WalleyeECHL2294136
2013–14Kelowna RocketsWHL291116272414581314
2014–15Toledo WalleyeECHL246182414
2014–15Grand Rapids GriffinsAHL5110192916132462
2015–16Grand Rapids GriffinsAHL10000
2015–16Toledo WalleyeECHL238132116
2015–16HC Slovan BratislavaKHL40002
2016–17Indy FuelECHL21751210
2016–17HK NitraSlovak2461218421354914
2017–18Edinburgh CapitalsEIHL15871514
2017–18MsHK ŽilinaSlovak31913224460002
2018–19Saryarka KaragandyVHL40110
2018–19EC KAC IIAlpsHL634710
2018–19Nottingham PanthersEIHL1446108
2018–19KS CracoviaPHL3112415371012
2019–20Dizel PenzaVHL70440
2019–20KS CracoviaPHL35916251074266
2020–21HK NitraSlovak502331546451230
2021–22HK NitraSlovak48123143141928102
2022–23HK NitraSlovak44 6 12 23 354 1 1 2 2
2022–23HK Levice2HL2 0 3 3 0
2023–24HC RT Torax PorubaChance46 12 23 35 104 2 0 2 2
KHL totals4 0 0 0 2
PHL totals38 10 17 27 1422 7 9 16 18
Slovak totals203 56 99 155 18648 9 15 24 20

International

YearTeamEventResult GPGAPtsPIM
2010SlovakiaU188th63144
2012SlovakiaWJC6th631414
Junior totals1262818

Notes and References

  1. News: Healed Marek Tvrdon raring to walk the talk. 2011-12-29. 2011-08-30. The Vancouver Sun. Pap, Elliott.
  2. http://www.vancouvergiants.com/article/giants-trade-marek-tvrdon-to-the-rockets Giants Trade Marek Tvrdon to the Rockets
  3. Web site: Nicastro, Tvrdon sign entry-level deals . . 2012-07-03 . 2012-07-03.
  4. Web site: Detroit did not want him, Slovan best choice . hokejportal.net . 2015-12-22 . 2015-12-22.
  5. Web site: Former Detroit draft pick signs with Fuel . . 2016-08-30 . 2016-08-30.
  6. Web site: Edinburgh Capitals.
  7. Web site: Player Statistics By Team. 2012-01-05. IIHF. 2012-01-04.
  8. Web site: Games & Results. IIHF. 2012-01-05.