David Výborný

Early career

Výborný first rose to prominence playing with Sparta Prague of the Czech Extraliga in 1992. He scored 20 goals and 44 points in 52 games, all as a teenager. The Edmonton Oilers picked Výborný up in the second round of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, and he proved that he was not a fluke by scoring 46 points for Sparta in the next season.

Výborný came over to North America for the 1994–95 season and played for the Cape Breton Oilers of the American Hockey League (AHL). He again performed quite well, scoring 61 points in 76 games, third most on his team and fifth most among AHL rookies. However, he headed back to Europe after only one season in the AHL. Upon his return to Sparta, he scored at a rigorous pace. He scored 42 points in 40 games and helped Sparta into the playoffs, where he again scored more than a point per game. Výborný spent one more season in Prague and continued to improve with 49 points in 47 games; he added 14 more in the playoffs.

Výborný was a star in the Czech Republic, but he went to Sweden for the 1997–98 season. He played for Modo and led the team in scoring. Again, after just one season abroad, Výborný went back to Sparta Prague. In the 1998–99 season, Výborný cemented his place as one of the stars of the Czech hockey scene. He scored 70 points in 52 games and won the Extraliga's scoring title by 18 points. In the next season, he continued to rack up points and finished second in the league's scoring race. He also won a championship with Sparta. Finally, it seemed as if Výborný had nothing left to prove in the Czech Republic.

NHL career

On June 8, 2000, Výborný was signed by the Columbus Blue Jackets to add some scoring punch in their first season. He debuted in the NHL on October 7, and scored a goal on in his very first NHL game. His production for Columbus was much less than it had been in Prague. In the end, he scored 13 goals and 19 assists, for a total of 32 points in 79 games. He was also ranked 10th among rookies for goals and points and was the first rookie ever to score on multiple penalty shots in one season.

Výborný's performance (31 points) was very similar in his second season. As the Blue Jackets improved, though, so did Výborný. In the 2002–03 NHL season, he scored 46 points and led his team with a +12 plus/minus, which set a record for the Blue Jackets. Výborný improved still more for the 2003–04 NHL season, and he scored 22 goals and 31 assists, for a total of 53 points. He led Columbus in assists and came in second to Rick Nash in goals and points. In addition to his offensive talent, Výborný has proved to be quite durable, as he currently holds the Blue Jackets record for the most consecutive games, with 161. He tied for fourth in the NHL in shorthanded goals with four, another record for the Blue Jackets.

Výborný played for Sparta Prague during the 2004–05 NHL lockout.

Back to Europe

On April 25, 2008, it was announced that Výborný was returning to Sparta Prague for the 2008–09 season. With his departure, Rostislav Klesla became the only remaining player from the Blue Jackets' inaugural season. In 2011, Výborný signed with BK Mlada Boleslav. He helped the club win back-to-back championships in the Czech second-division in 2013 and 2014 and earn promotion to the top Czech division in 2014. After suffering a torn ACL, he announced his retirement on March 15, 2016.

Awards and achievements

Records

International play

Výborný won five World Championships with the Czech national team and a bronze medal at the 2006 Olympic Games. At the 2006 World Championships, when capturing silver, he was named to the All-Tournament Allstar-Team. At the 1997 and 1998 World Championships, he won bronze.