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Ondřej Pavelec
Pavelec with the Winnipeg Jets in 2016
Born	(1987-08-31) 31 August 1987 (age 37) Kladno, Czechoslovakia
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight	215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Caught	Left
Played for	Atlanta Thrashers Winnipeg Jets Bílí Tygři Liberec Pelicans New York Rangers
National team	Czech Republic
NHL draft	41st overall, 2005 Atlanta Thrashers
Playing career	2007–2018
Medal record Men's ice hockey Representing  Czech Republic World Championships 2010 Cologne 2011 Bratislava

Ondřej Pavelec (Czech: [ˈondr̝ej ˈpavɛlɛts]; born 31 August 1987) is a Czech former professional ice hockey goaltender. Drafted in the second round, 41st overall, by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2005, he stayed with the team as they became the Winnipeg Jets in 2011, and played his final season with the New York Rangers. During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Pavelec played for Bílí Tygři Liberec of the Czech Extraliga (ELH) and Pelicans of the Finnish SM-liiga.

Playing career

Junior

Pavelec was drafted in the first round of the 2005 CHL Import Draft by the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He was also drafted by the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers in the second round, 41st overall, at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. He played two seasons with the Screaming Eagles and helped them to a semi-final finish in the 2006–07 season.

Pavelec was a First Team All-Star in each of his two seasons with Cape Breton, and won the Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy for best goals against average (GAA) in both years, making him only the fourth player to repeat as Jacques Plante Trophy winner and the first in 20 years to do so (Robert Desjardins was the last). As a rookie, took home the Raymond Lagacé Trophy and RDS Trophy, awarded to top defensive rookie and rookie of the year, respectively. His numbers were remarkably consistent over the two seasons, as he recorded GAAs of 2.51 in 2005–06 and 2.52 in 2006–07, with save percentages of .929 and .908, respectively.

Professional

Pavelec signed a professional contract with the Atlanta Thrashers in 2007, joining their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. On 18 May 2007, Pavelec shut-out the Toronto Marlies 5–0 in the AHL's Western Conference Finals. Pavelec helped Wolves win the Calder Cup in the 2007–08 season.

After starting nine games for Chicago in the 2008–09 season, Pavelec was recalled to the NHL after Thrashers starter Kari Lehtonen suffered an injury. Pavelec played his first NHL game on 20 October 2007, then made his first NHL start, and recorded his first NHL win, against the Tampa Bay Lightning on 3 November 2007. He was playing with Atlanta since being called up on 1 November 2008, until he was reassigned to the Wolves on 19 December 2008. He later returned to the Thrashers.

On 8 October 2010, Pavelec collapsed and lost consciousness during a game against the Washington Capitals while there was a break in play at 2:25 into the first period. He was taken off the ice on a stretcher and taken to the hospital. He regained consciousness while at the hospital and was in stable condition, and apparently was concerned about the score in the game, which the Thrashers won 4–2. It was determined after testing by doctors that the cause of his collapse was neurocardiogenic syncope, a type of fainting spell, and that he received a concussion and lost consciousness after his head hit the ice. He was released from the hospital on 11 October 2010. He would return to the ice in a 3-4 shootout loss to the St Louis Blues on 30 October 2010.

Due to the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Pavelec returned to his native Czech Republic, where he was expected to join HC Oceláři Třinec. However, he signed with Bílí Tygři Liberec instead, where he joined fellow NHLer Ladislav Šmíd. During the 2014–15 season, Pavelec set a Winnipeg Jets franchise record by recording three shutouts in a row, going 187:05 without allowing a goal. He was instrumental in helping the team qualify for their first ever Stanley Cup playoffs since the franchise relocated from Atlanta to Winnipeg in 2011.

Pavelec was placed on waivers by the Jets on 10 October 2016 and was subsequently sent down to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. The Jets recalled Pavelec on 17 January 2017, and he played his first game of the 2016–17 season on 18 January 2017. Shortly following his debut, Pavelec set a franchise record for most saves in a period after he made 25 saves in the second period to lead the team to a 5–3 win over the St. Louis Blues.

On 1 July 2017, having left the Thrashers/Jets as a free agent after ten professional seasons with the franchise, Pavelec signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract with the New York Rangers.

On 20 September 2018, Pavelec announced his retirement after an 11-year career.

International play

Pavelec led the Czech Republic under-17 team to a second-place finish in the 2004 Junior World Cup, and the under-18 squad to a fourth-place finish at the U-18 World Junior Cup. He was also the starting goalie for the Czech Republic junior team at the 2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Vancouver, Kelowna and Kamloops, British Columbia.

Pavelec then played for the senior Czech team at the 2010 World Championships, helping capture a gold medal. He also competed in the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and Sochi, respectively. In between the two Olympic tournaments, he helped lead the Czechs to a bronze medal at the 2011 World Championships.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and achievements

• Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy (QMJHL's lowest GAA) – 2006, 2007
• Raymond Lagacé Trophy (QMJHL's defensive rookie of the year) – 2006
• RDS Cup (QMJHL's rookie of the year) – 2006
• QMJHL First All-Star Team – 2006, 2007
• QMJHL All-Rookie Team – 2006
• AHL Calder Cup – 2007–2008 Chicago Wolves

References

1. "Pavelec collapses during game". National Hockey League. 11 October 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
2. "Thrashers' Pavelec in Stable Condition in Atlanta Hospital". The Sporting News. October 2010. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
3. "Ondrej Pavelec in stable condition". ESPN. October 2010. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
4. "Atlanta Thrashers at St. Louis Blues Box Score — October 30, 2010". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
5. "Místo Třince by měl Pavelec chytat v Liberci. Kindl míří do Pardubic". Mladá fronta DNES (in Czech). 20 September 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
6. "Winnipeg Jets recall Ondrej Pavelec, will start on Wednesday". Sportsnet.ca. 17 January 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
7. "Pavelec lifts Jets past Coyotes 6–3 in season debut". ESPN. 19 January 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
8. Billeck, Scott (21 January 2017). "Ondrej Pavelec sets Jets record in win". National Hockey League. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
9. "Rangers agree to terms with Ondrej Pavelec". New York Rangers. 1 July 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
10. "Former Winnipeg Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec retires from pro hockey". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 20 September 2018. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
11. Hobson, Russ (20 September 2018). "Former Winnipeg Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec retires". Global News. Retrieved 21 September 2018.

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

• 1987 births
• Atlanta Thrashers draft picks
• Atlanta Thrashers players
• HC Bílí Tygři Liberec players
• Cape Breton Screaming Eagles players
• Chicago Wolves players
• Czech ice hockey goaltenders
• Ice hockey players at the 2010 Winter Olympics
• Ice hockey players at the 2014 Winter Olympics
• Lahti Pelicans players
• Living people
• Manitoba Moose players
• New York Rangers players
• Olympic ice hockey players for the Czech Republic
• Ice hockey people from Kladno
• Winnipeg Jets players
• Czech expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
• Czech expatriate ice hockey players in Canada