Roman Horák (ice hockey, born 1991)

Playing career

Horák began his professional career with his hometown team HC České Budějovice of the Czech Extraliga, appearing in one game in 2007–08 and eight more in 2008–09. He was selected by the New York Rangers in the fifth round, 127th overall, at the 2009 NHL entry draft, and also by the Chilliwack Bruins of the Western Hockey League with the eighth overall pick in the Canadian Hockey League import draft. Despite having little knowledge of English, he moved to Canada to join the Bruins for the 2009–10 WHL season. In his first season in Chilliwack, Horák scored 21 goals and 47 points; he improved to 26 goals and 78 points in 2010–11. He represented the Czech Republic at the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, recording one goal and one assist in six games, and returned for the 2011 tournament, where he had one assist in five games. Horák signed a contract with the New York Rangers on May 6, 2011, but before playing an NHL game he was traded to the Calgary Flames on June 1, along with two draft picks, in exchange for defenceman Tim Erixon. The Flames discovered Horák while scouting his teammate Ryan Howse, a 50-goal scorer in 2010–11 who became far less effective when Horák suffered an injury. Initially expected to join the Abbotsford Heat of the American Hockey League to begin the 2011–12 season, Horák earned a spot with the Flames. He made his NHL debut and scored his first point, an assist, against the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 8, 2011, and scored his first NHL goal on October 26 against Jean-Sébastien Giguère of the Colorado Avalanche. On November 8, 2013, Horák was traded to the Edmonton Oilers alongside goaltender prospect Laurent Brossoit in exchange for Ladislav Šmíd and minor league goalie Olivier Roy, and was reassigned to the Oklahoma City Barons. With his NHL rights still owned by the Oilers, he opted to return to Europe by signing a one-year contract with Russian club Vityaz Podolsk of the Kontinental Hockey League on May 12, 2014. Horák played two seasons in the Swedish Hockey League with the Växjö Lakers before opting to return to his native Czech Republic as a free agent. On 13 May 2020, he secured a one-year contract with HC Sparta Praha of the ELH, in which he had not played since the 2008–09 season.