Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) Name Kevin Fiala Positions Winger Playing career Parents Jan Fiala | Weight 85 kg Shoots Left Date joined 2014 | |
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NHL team (P)Cur. teamFormer teams Nashville PredatorsMilwaukee Admirals (AHL)HV71 NHL Draft 11th overall, 2014Nashville Predators Similar People Shea Weber, Peter Laviolette, Dean Evason | ||
Kevin fiala drafted by nashville predators 2014 nhl entry draft
Kevin Fiala (born 22 July 1996) is a Swiss professional ice hockey winger currently playing with the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). Fiala was selected by the Predators in the first round, 11th overall, of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He has previously played for HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League.
Contents
- Kevin fiala drafted by nashville predators 2014 nhl entry draft
- Kevin fiala leg injury nashville predators
- Playing career
- International play
- Personal
- References
Kevin fiala leg injury nashville predators
Playing career
Fiala played in various junior leagues in his native Switzerland prior to joining the Swedish club Malmö Redhawks for the 2012–13 season. His time was split between the U18 club in the J18 Elit and J18 Allsvenskan, and the U20 outfit in the J20 SuperElit. Fiala then joined HV71, with whom he debuted for during the 2013 European Trophy. Throughout the 2013–14 season, Fiala split time with the HV71 junior team in the J20 SuperElit and the senior team, which plays in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He was praised by Head Coach Ulf Dahlén for his play following his SHL debut, a 5–4 defeat to Linköpings HC. Fiala was nominated for the SHL's Rookie of the Year award following the completion of his junior season, but lost to Toronto Maple Leafs' prospect Andreas Johnsson.
After his selection in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft on 15 July 2014, Fiala was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract by the Nashville Predators.
Fiala scored his first NHL goal on January 14, 2016, against Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets.
In the 2016–17 season, Fiala made the Predators opening night roster. In his rookie NHL season, Fiala appeared in 54 games and collected 11 goals. He was assigned to the Admirals throughout the year and contributed with 19 points in 22 games. In the post-season, after a successful first round sweep of the Chicago Blackhawks, in which he collected two goals, Fiala suffered a broken left femur on April 26, 2017, playing in the opening game of the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. In the second period of the game against the St. Louis Blues, Fiala's left knee collided with the end boards after being checked by St. Louis Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo. Fiala was removed from the ice on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance and transported to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. An artery in his left thigh was ruptured during the fracture. The injury ended Fiala's 2017 playoff participation.
International play
Fiala played in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in 2012 and 2013 as a member of the Swiss U18 national team. He also skated for his country at the 2014 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, where he was lauded as one of the key players on the Swiss roster. In five WJC games, he recorded one goal and four assists, as Switzerland was eliminated by Canada in the quarter-finals. In May 2014, Fiala represented Switzerland at the 2014 IIHF World Championship in Belarus, registering two assists in seven games. Fiala is just the third player in history to play in the Under-18, Under-20 and Men’s World Championships in the same year, the others being Andrei Kostitsyn and Vadim Karaga.
Personal
Fiala is a native of St. Gallen, Switzerland, although his parents are both Czech. His father, Jan, played professional hockey in the Swiss lower leagues. Fiala speaks five languages: Czech, English, French, German and Swedish.