Milan Hnilička Explained

Milan Hnilička
Honorific-Suffix:MP
Office:Member of the Chamber of Deputies
Term Start:21 October 2017
Term End:26 January 2021
Birth Date:25 June 1973
Birth Place:Litoměřice, Czechoslovakia
Embed:yes
Position:Goaltender
Catches:Left
Height Ft:6
Height In:0
Weight Lb:194
Team:Bílí Tygři Liberec
Former Teams:New York Rangers
Atlanta Thrashers
Los Angeles Kings
League:Czech Extraliga
Ntl Team:Czech Republic
Career Start:1989
Career End:2010
Draft:70th overall
Draft Year:1991
Draft Team:New York Islanders

Milan Hnilička[1] (born June 25, 1973) is a Czech former ice hockey goalie who played in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers, Atlanta Thrashers and the Los Angeles Kings and politician. He was a member of the Chamber of Deputies since 2017, but resigned in January 2021 after attending a party in breach of coronavirus restrictions.[2] He was drafted 70th overall by the New York Islanders in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. In 2000, Milan won the Calder Cup while playing for the Hartford Wolf Pack. He last played in the Czech Extraliga for Bílí Tygři Liberec. He announced his retirement in August 2010. Internationally Hnilička represented the Czechoslovakian national junior team and the Czech national senior team at multiple tournaments, including the 2006 Winter Olympics, where he won a bronze medal.

Playing career

Hnilička played for Poldi SONP Kladno in the Czechoslovak Extraliga for several years. At the 1991 NHL Entry Draft he was selected 70th overall by the New York Islanders, and moved to North America in 1992, spending one season in major junior with the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League, helping them reach the 1993 Memorial Cup. He then spent 2 seasons in the minor leagues before returning to the Czech Extraliga, where he played a further 4 seasons. Signed by the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League in 1999, he made his NHL debut on October 14, 1999 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He played 2 games for the Rangers, spending the majority of the season with their American Hockey League affiliate the Hartford Wolf Pack, winning the Calder Cup with them as AHL champions.

Signing as a free agent with the Atlanta Thrashers, he would spend 3 seasons with them, before being traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 2003. Hnilička mainly played for the Kings' AHL affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs, appearing in 2 games for the Kings. He returned to the Czech Republic in 2004 and played 5 seasons with Bílí Tygři Liberec, as well as briefly playing for Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Russian Superleague in 2007–08. Hnilička's last games were in 2009–10 when he played 3 games for Slavia Praha. He holds the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets franchise record for saves in one game with 53 on December 18, 2001 against the Boston Bruins.

International play

Hnilička played his first game for the Czechoslovak junior team in 1990 at the 1990 European Junior Championships, winning a bronze medal. He played again for the Czechoslovakian junior team at the 1991 World Junior Championships, again winning bronze. He was named to the Czechoslovakian senior team for both the 1991 Canada Cup and 1991 World Championships, but did not play in either tournament. Hnilička's final tournament for Czechoslovakia was the 1992 World Junior Championships, where the team finished fifth.

With the dissolution of Czechoslovakia he began to represent the Czech national team, playing in 7 World Championships and the 1998 and 2006 Winter Olympics (though he did not play in 1998). He won gold at the 1999, 2001, and 2005 World Championships, as well as a silver in 2006 and bronze in both 1997 and 1998.[3]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGP W L T MIN GA SV%GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV%
1988–89Poldi SONP KladnoCSSR U1834 2.51 .921
1989–90Poldi SONP KladnoCSSR24 1113 70 3.77
1990–91Poldi SONP KladnoCSSR40 2122 98 2.80 .902
1991–92Poldi SONP KladnoCSSR38 2066 128 3.73
1992–93Swift Current BroncosWHL65 46 12 2 3679 206 2 3.36 .89617 12 5 1017 54 2 3.19 .911
1992–93Swift Current BroncosM-Cup4 4.72
1993–94Richmond RenegadesECHL43 18 16 5 2299 155 4 4.05 .883
1993–94Salt Lake Golden EaglesIHL8 5 1 0 378 25 0 3.97 .892
1994–95Denver GrizzliesIHL15 9 4 1 798 47 1 3.53 .890
1995–96Poldi KladnoCZE33 16 12 5 1895 151 1 4.78 .8688 3 5 492 24 0 2.93 .916
1996–97Poldi KladnoCZE48 20 17 11 2741 120 4 2.63 .9283 0 3 150 14 0 5.60 .863
1997–98Sparta PrahaCZE49 25 14 10 2498 90 6 2.16 .94311 5 6 631 33 0 3.14 .912
1998–99Sparta PrahaCZE50 27 15 8 2876 109 4 2.27 .9258 5 3 501 12 2 1.44 .960
1999–00New York RangersNHL2 0 1 0 86 5 0 3.49 .886
1999–00Hartford Wolf PackAHL36 22 11 0 1979 71 5 2.15 .9283 0 1 99 6 0 3.64 .854
2000–01Atlanta ThrashersNHL36 12 19 2 1879 105 2 3.35 .890
2001–02Atlanta ThrashersNHL60 13 33 10 3367 179 3 3.19 .908
2002–03Atlanta ThrashersNHL21 4 13 1 1097 65 0 3.56 .893
2002–03Chicago WolvesAHL15 11 2 1 838 33 1 2.36 .922
2003–04Los Angeles KingsNHL2 0 1 0 80 5 0 3.76 .881
2003–04Manchester MonarchsAHL20 8 10 0 1022 44 1 2.58 .9082 0 2 127 5 0 2.37 .914
2004–05Bílí Tygři LiberecCZE46 28 16 2 2740 106 5 2.32 .92812 5 7 702 32 0 2.74 .927
2005–06Bílí Tygři LiberecCZE45 29 11 5 2644 75 6 1.70 .9404 1 3 158 10 0 3.80 .861
2006–07Bílí Tygři LiberecCZE40 28 12 2370 73 4 1.85 .94312 5 7 716 34 0 2.85 .916
2007–08Bílí Tygři LiberecCZE15 11 4 890 30 2 2.02 .937
2007–08Salavat Yulaev UfaRSL9 560 18 1 1.93 .9181 1 59 0 3.02 .885
2008–09Bílí Tygři LiberecCZE22 9 13 1243 66 0 3.19 .910
2009–10Slavia PrahaCZE3 0 3 178 13 0 4.38 .833
CZE totals351 193 117 41 20,075 833 32 2.49 .92558 24 34 3350 159 2 2.85 .919
NHL totals121 29 67 13 6509 359 5 3.31 .900

International

YearTeamEventGPWLTMINGASOGAASV%
1990CzechoslovakiaEJC42.78.864
1991CzechoslovakiaWJC54102691413.12
1991CzechoslovakiaEJC
1991CzechoslovakiaWCDNP
1991CzechoslovakiaCCDNP
1992CzechoslovakiaWJC63292003.65.853
1992CzechoslovakiaWCDNP
1997Czech RepublicWC110060303.00.885
1998Czech RepublicOGDNP
1998Czech RepublicWC84124301021.39.940
1999Czech RepublicWC94291612.24.911
2001Czech RepublicWC98015411311.44.952
2002Czech RepublicWC5410299911.81.917
2005Czech RepublicWC110060010.001.000
2006Czech RepublicOG3110128602.82.878
2006Czech RepublicWC95225482402.63.893
2008Czech RepublicWC6333711612.59.878
Senior totals5728669772.03

Notes and References

  1. http://www.praguepost.com/print/6348-dispute-could-force-hockey-forfeits.html Prague Post
  2. Web site: Michaela Rambousková. Byla to chyba a určitě ne poslední, řekl Hnilička a složil mandát poslance. seznamzpravy.cz. 26 January 2021. 30 January 2021.
  3. http://hokej.cz/index.php? He is world champion from 1999,2001 and 2005. lng=CZ&webid=472&view=hrac_info&idh=136 Stats at hokej.cz