Tomáš Slovák

Playing career

Slovák began his youth career in the developmental program of HC Košice, where he played from 1997 to 2001. He made his Slovak Extraliga debut with Košice in the 1999–00 season, appearing in two games. After impressing on the international junior stage for the Slovak junior team, he was selected by the Nashville Predators in the second round, 42nd overall, in the 2001 NHL entry draft. To pursue an NHL career, he opted for major junior hockey in North America after being drafted 4th overall in the 2001 CHL Import Draft by the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League. In the 2002–03 season, he contributed 71 points in 65 games, leading the league among defensemen. After his junior career, he was expected to compete for a roster spot on the Predators, but his rights were traded to the Colorado Avalanche for Sergei Soin on June 21, 2003, as Nashville had drafted Ryan Suter and Shea Weber in the 2003 NHL entry draft. On July 15, 2003, he signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Avalanche. After training camp, he was assigned to the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League. In the 2003–04 season, he split time between the Bears and the Reading Royals of the ECHL, recording 11 points in 43 AHL games. The following season, affected by the 2004–05 NHL Lockout, he returned to Slovakia after one game with the Bears and played the rest of the season with HC Košice. He returned to North America for the final year of his contract in 2005–06, assigned to the Lowell Lock Monsters, where he produced 8 assists in 59 games, ending his tenure with the Avalanche organization. On July 1, 2006, he signed with Mora IK of the Elitserien, playing only six games in the 2006–07 season before moving through four separate European teams in three different leagues. From that point, he adapted to a journeyman career, playing in six countries and for fourteen clubs.