Ondřej Pavelec

Lore & Background

Pavelec began his junior career with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles of the QMJHL, where he was a First Team All-Star in both of his seasons and won the Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy for best goals against average each year, becoming only the fourth player to repeat as winner and the first in 20 years to do so. He also won the Raymond Lagacé Trophy and RDS Trophy as a rookie. He helped the Screaming Eagles reach the semi-finals in 2006–07.

Turning professional in 2007, Pavelec joined the Chicago Wolves of the AHL and helped them win the Calder Cup in 2007–08. He made his NHL debut on 20 October 2007 and recorded his first win on 3 November 2007 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. On 8 October 2010, Pavelec collapsed and lost consciousness during a game against the Washington Capitals due to neurocardiogenic syncope; he returned to play on 30 October 2010.

During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Pavelec played for Bílí Tygři Liberec of the Czech Extraliga and Pelicans of the Finnish SM-liiga. In the 2014–15 season, he set a Winnipeg Jets franchise record with three consecutive shutouts and a streak of 187:05 without allowing a goal, helping the team qualify for their first Stanley Cup playoffs since relocating from Atlanta. He was placed on waivers in October 2016 and assigned to the Manitoba Moose, then recalled in January 2017, setting a franchise record for most saves in a period (25) in his first game of the season.

Reader's Guide

Ondřej Pavelec's career is notable for his long tenure with the Thrashers/Jets organization, spanning ten professional seasons. He was the goaltender who helped the relocated Winnipeg Jets reach their first Stanley Cup playoffs in 2014–15, highlighted by a franchise-record three consecutive shutouts. His junior career in the QMJHL was distinguished by rare back-to-back Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy wins, and he won a Calder Cup with the Chicago Wolves in 2008. Internationally, Pavelec played for the Czech Republic at the senior level, winning a gold medal at the 2010 World Championships and a bronze at the 2011 World Championships, and competed in the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics. His career also included a notable medical incident in 2010 when he collapsed on the ice due to neurocardiogenic syncope, from which he recovered and returned to play. After leaving the Jets as a free agent, he played one season with the New York Rangers before retiring in 2018.

Did You Know?

• Pavelec won the Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy for best GAA in the QMJHL in both 2006 and 2007, becoming the first player in 20 years to repeat.
• He collapsed and lost consciousness during a game on 8 October 2010 due to neurocardiogenic syncope.
• Pavelec set a Winnipeg Jets franchise record with three consecutive shutouts in the 2014–15 season.
• He helped the Czech Republic win a gold medal at the 2010 World Championships.