Position Defense Name Roman Polak Career start 2006 Playing career Weight 102 kg | National team Czech Republic Height 1.85 m Shoots Right Role Ice hockey player Salary 3.1 million USD (2015) | |
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Born 28 April 1986 (age 37)
Ostrava, Czechoslovakia ( 1986-04-28 ) NHL team
Former teams Toronto Maple Leafs
HC Vitkovice
St. Louis Blues NHL Draft 180th overall, 2004
St. Louis Blues Current team Toronto Maple Leafs (#46 / Defenseman) Similar People Stephane Robidas, Dion Phaneuf, David Backes, Michael Grabner, Brad Boyes | ||
Roman polak vs victor stalberg fight april 4 2013 st louis blues vs chicago blackhawks nhl hockey
Roman Polák (born 28 April 1986) is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman currently with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). Polák was drafted in the sixth round, 180th overall, at the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues, the organization with which he spent his entire NHL career with prior to joining the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2014. He rejoined the Maple Leafs in 2016, after a brief stint with the San Jose Sharks.
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Playing career
Polák was drafted in the sixth round, 180th overall, in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues. After playing in the Western Hockey League (WHL) in the 2004–05 season with the Kootenay Ice, he returned to his native Czech Republic to make his professional debut with HC Vítkovice of the Czech Extraliga.
In the 2006–07 season, Polák returned to North America and appeared in his first NHL game on 9 October 2006, against the Anaheim Ducks. After two seasons between the Blues and their affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen, Polák made the starting roster for the Blues in the 2008–09 season.
Polák scored his first NHL goal in his 57th game on 20 December 2008, against the Minnesota Wild. He finished the season with 15 points in 69 games and was re-signed by the Blues to a two-year contract on 24 July 2009.
Emerging as a mainstay in the Blues defense and establishing himself as one of the Blues' top defensive-defensemen over the next two seasons, Polák was re-signed by St. Louis to a five-year contract extension on 2 June 2011.
On 28 June 2014, Polák was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for defenseman Carl Gunnarsson and a 2014 fourth-round draft pick (Ville Husso). During his first season in Toronto, Polák set a career-high in goals scored (5).
On 22 February 2016, Polák was traded to the San Jose Sharks along with Nick Spaling in exchange for second-round draft picks in 2017 and 2018, as well as forward Raffi Torres. He was part of a Sharks team that made their first ever appearance in the Stanley Cup Final, but came up short to the Pittsburgh Penguins, losing 4 games to 2.
On 2 July 2016, Polák returned to the Maple Leafs on a one-year contract.