Ice hockey player
| Jakub Lauko | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Born |
(2000-03-28) 28 March 2000 (age 24) Prague, Czech Republic | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 193 lb (88 kg; 13 st 11 lb) | ||
| Position | Center / left wing | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team Former teams |
Minnesota Wild Boston Bruins Piráti Chomutov HC Energie Karlovy Vary | ||
| NHL draft |
77th overall, 2018 Boston Bruins | ||
| Playing career | 2016–present | ||
Jakub Lauko (born 28 March 2000) is a Czech ice hockey center for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Boston Bruins selected him in the third round (77th overall) of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
Playing career
Amateur
After two seasons with Piráti Chomutov of the Czech Extraliga (ELH), Lauko was selected in the third round (77th overall) by the Boston Bruins in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. On 28 September 2018, the Bruins signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Lauko joined the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for the 2018–19 season. He recorded 41 points in 44 games. The Huskies defeated the Halifax Mooseheads in four games to win the President's Cup. Lauko finished the postseason with 13 points in 19 games. The Huskies then went on to capture the Memorial Cup. Lauko led the tournament in scoring with eight points in five games.
Boston Bruins
Lauko joined the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League (AHL) for the 2019–20 season. On 7 December, he was stretchered off the ice in a game against the Utica Comets. After checking Comets' forward Justin Bailey, Lauko collapsed to the ice. However, he was able to give a thumbs-up whilst exiting the game. Lauko finished the season with nine points in 22 games.
On 17 August 2020, the Bruins loaned Lauko to HC Energie Karlovy Vary of the Czech Extraliga until the commencement of the delayed 2020–21 North American season. Lauko returned to Providence, playing 23 games and totalling 19 points in the shortened North American season.
In the 2022–23 season, Lauko got his first chance at the NHL roster. Lauko made his NHL debut on 12 October 2022, against the Washington Capitals. He would register his first NHL point on an assist to a goal by Nick Foligno, who he developed a bond with and affectionately calls "Uncle Nick". On 15 October 2022, it seemed like Lauko scored his first NHL goal against the Arizona Coyotes, but the goal was later called back for goalie interference. He would then score his first NHL goal that counted on 1 November 2022, against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Throughout the season, Lauko bounced between the NHL club and the Providence Bruins. In 23 NHL games, Lauko had 4 goals and 3 assists in his first NHL season.
On 5 July 2023, Lauko signed a two-year contract worth $787,500 AAV with the Bruins, with the first year being a two-way deal.
Minnesota Wild
On 29 June 2024, Lauko was traded along with a fourth-round selection (122nd overall) in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft to the Minnesota Wild for Vinni Lettieri and a 2024 fourth-round selection (110th overall).
Personal
Lauko is of partial Ukrainian descent through his grandmother, who was from Lviv.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2016–17 | Piráti Chomutov | ELH | 28 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2017–18 | Piráti Chomutov | ELH | 42 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Rouyn-Noranda Huskies | QMJHL | 44 | 21 | 20 | 41 | 43 | 19 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 17 | ||
| 2019–20 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 22 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | HC Energie Karlovy Vary | ELH | 25 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 23 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 54 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 56 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2022–23 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 35 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 58 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 23 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2023–24 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 60 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 32 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| ELH totals | 95 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 48 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||||
| NHL totals | 83 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 43 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | ||||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  Czech Republic
| ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament | ||
 |
2017 Czech Republic/Slovakia | |
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Czech Republic | U17 | 8th | 5 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 14 | |
| 2017 | Czech Republic | IH18 | 
|
5 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 8 | |
| 2018 | Czech Republic | WJC | 4th | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2018 | Czech Republic | U18 | 4th | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 8 | |
| 2019 | Czech Republic | WJC | 7th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | |
| 2020 | Czech Republic | WJC | 7th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 29 | 13 | 7 | 20 | 40 | ||||
Awards and honors
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| CHL / QMJHL | ||
| QMJHL President's Cup champion | 2019 | |
| Memorial Cup champion | 2019 | |
| Ed Chynoweth Trophy | 2019 | |
| AHL | ||
| AHL Atlantic Division All-Star Team | 2021 | |
| International | ||
| Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament Silver Medal | 2017 | |
References
- "Bruins Sign Jakub Lauko To Entry-Level Contract". Boston Bruins. 28 September 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
- Palov, Willy. "Huskies beat Mooseheads 4-0 to win QMJHL championship". SaltWire. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
- "Rouyn-Noranda Huskies are 2019 Memorial Cup Presented by Kia Champions". CHL Memorial Cup. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- "Bruins Prospect Jakub Lauko Stretchered Off Ice After Collision In Providence". NESN. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
- "Bruins' Jakub Lauko: Will start season on loan". CBS Sports. 17 August 2020. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
- "Posila zpoza oceánu! Energii posílí útočník Jakub Lauko". HC Karlovy Vary. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
- Garfield, Hannah (7 July 2022). "Bruins' 2018 Draft Revisited Four Years Later". thehockeywriters.com. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
- "Bruins Rookie Spotlight: Jakub Lauko - the Hockey Writers Latest News, Analysis & More". 16 October 2022.
- Dudek, Greg (3 November 2022). "Bruins' Jakub Lauko Explains Reasoning Behind Nick Foligno's Nickname".
- "Bruins rookie Jakub Lauko scored his first NHL goal, and plans to give the puck to a special friend - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com.
- Ryan, Conor. "Jakub Lauko is doing whatever he can to get out of Bruins roster purgatory". www.boston.com.
- Ryan, Conor. "Jakub Lauko re-signs with Bruins; Swayman opts for arbitration". www.boston.com.
- "Minnesota Wild Acquires Forward Jakub Lauko from the Boston Bruins in Exchange for Forward Vinni Lettieri". National Hockey League. 29 June 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
- Jakub Lauko (24 February 2022). "Brutal what is happening in Ukraine 🇺🇦right now. My grandma is from Lvov so i've always had a little bond to your beautiful country. Stay strong✊🏻" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- "Jakub Lauko at eliteprospects.com". www.eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
- 2000 births
- Living people
- Boston Bruins draft picks
- Boston Bruins players
- Czech ice hockey centres
- HC Karlovy Vary players
- Minnesota Wild players
- Piráti Chomutov players
- Providence Bruins players
- Rouyn-Noranda Huskies players
- Ice hockey people from Prague
- Czech expatriate ice hockey players in Canada
- Czech expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
- 21st-century Czech sportsmen