Petr Sýkora
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Position | Right Wing |
| Shoots | Left |
| Nickname | Sykie |
| Height Weight |
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 190 lb (86 kg) |
| NHL Team F. Teams |
Edmonton Oilers New York Rangers Anaheim Ducks New Jersey Devils |
| Nationality |  Czech Republic |
| Born | November 19, 1976, Plzen, CS |
| NHL Draft | 18th overall, 1995 New Jersey Devils |
| Pro Career | 1992 – present |
For the Petr Sykora who has played for the Nashville Predators and Washington Capitals, see Petr Sykora (ice hockey centre)
Petr Sýkora (born November 19, 1976 in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia) is an ice hockey player, currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers.
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[edit] Playing career
Sykora was a first-round pick of the New Jersey Devils, 18th overall, in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. Among that draft class, only Jarome Iginla has scored more points.
Sykora began his NHL career in 1995 with the New Jersey Devils. He won a Stanley Cup with the Devils (2000), and was a game away from winning a second Cup in 2001. That year, Sykora has career highs in goals (35), assists (46), and points (81). Sykora, along with linemate Patrik Elias, developed into solid NHL regulars.
Traded to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in 2002 for Jeff Friesen and Oleg Tverdovsky, Sýkora was instrumental in carrying the Mighty Ducks to the Stanley Cup Finals the following year, when they lost to the Devils and his former teammates. He scored the game-winning overtime goal in the fourth-longest playoff game in NHL history on April 24, 2003.
While the NHL lockout was in effect, Sykora played for Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Russian Super League, scoring 31 points in 45 games.
During the 2005-06 NHL season, he and the management of the Mighty Ducks no longer saw eye-to-eye and Sykora called Rangers general manager Glen Sather, asking to join the Rangers via trade. The trade was eventually agreed to and executed on January 9, 2006 with the Rangers getting Sykora in exchange for young defenceman Maxim Kondratiev and the return of a 4th round draft pick the Rangers had previously traded to Anaheim.
It was announced on July 7, 2006 that Petr would not return to the Rangers for the 2006-07 season. On August 11, he signed a one-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers.
Sykora immediately paid dividends for the Oilers, scoring two goals in his first game. He has had a great chemistry with linemate and countryman Ales Hemsky. Sykora also became one of the Oilers' top scorers.
[edit] Controversy
During his time with the Mighty Ducks, there were ongoing rumors that two of the Czech players were having a relationship, Petr Sykora and Vaclav Prospal. This of course proved not to be true. However, the locker room rumor was brought up when Prospal hugged Sykora passionately after a goal scored. The rest of the season, the entire Mighty Ducks locker room made the two the butt-end of jokes.
[edit] Career statistics
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1991-92 | Plzen Jr | Czech-Jr. | 30 | 50 | 50 | 100 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1992-93 | HC Lasselsberger Plzeň | Czech | 19 | 12 | 5 | 17 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1993-94 | HC Lasselsberger Plzeň | CzRep | 37 | 10 | 16 | 26 | -- | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -- | ||
| 1993-94 | Cleveland Lumberjacks | IHL | 13 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 8 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1994-95 | Detroit Vipers | IHL | 29 | 12 | 17 | 29 | 16 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1995-96 | Albany River Rats | AHL | 5 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1995-96 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 63 | 18 | 24 | 42 | 32 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1996-97 | Albany River Rats | AHL | 43 | 20 | 25 | 45 | 48 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 1996-97 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 19 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1997-98 | Albany River Rats | AHL | 2 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1997-98 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 58 | 16 | 20 | 36 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1998-99 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 80 | 29 | 43 | 72 | 22 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | ||
| 1999-00 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 79 | 25 | 43 | 68 | 26 | 23 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 10 | ||
| 2000-01 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 73 | 35 | 46 | 81 | 32 | 25 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 12 | ||
| 2001-02 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 73 | 21 | 27 | 48 | 44 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2002-03 | Anaheim Mighty Ducks | NHL | 82 | 34 | 25 | 59 | 24 | 21 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 12 | ||
| 2003-04 | Anaheim Mighty Ducks | NHL | 81 | 23 | 29 | 52 | 34 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2004-05 | Metallurg Magnitogorsk | RSL | 45 | 18 | 13 | 31 | 44 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | ||
| 2005-06 | Anaheim Mighty Ducks | NHL | 34 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 28 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2005-06 | New York Rangers | NHL | 40 | 16 | 15 | 31 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| NHL Totals | 682 | 225 | 287 | 512 | 290* | 88 | 26 | 33 | 59 | 40 | ||||
[edit] Career highlights
- Youngest player ever to appear in an IHL game (17 years, 71 days)
- Scored a goal in his NHL debut on October 28, 1995, against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
- NHL Rookie of the Month (December 1995)
- Scored 20 goals or more in six straight seasons (1998-99 through 2003-04)
- Scored two goals in his first game as an Edmonton Oiler, on his first two shots.
[edit] External link
Categories: 1976 births | 2000 New Jersey Devils Stanley Cup Championship Team | Albany River Rats players | Cleveland Lumberjacks players | Czech ice hockey players | Detroit Vipers players | Edmonton Oilers players | Living people | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim players | National Hockey League first round draft picks | New York Rangers players | New Jersey Devils players | New Jersey Devils draft picks | Olympic competitors for the Czech Republic | Stanley Cup champions
