Zbynek Michalek is a retired Czech professional ice hockey player who played as a defenseman in the National Hockey League (NHL) for over a decade. He was born on December 23, 1982, in Jindrichuv Hradec, Czechoslovakia.
Michalek began his professional career in the Czech Extraliga with HC Ceske Budejovice in 1999. He played for the team for four seasons before being drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the sixth round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. However, he did not immediately join the Wild and instead played for HC Plzen in the Czech Republic for one more season.
Michalek made his NHL debut with the Wild in the 2003-04 season, playing in 11 games. However, he spent most of the season with the Wild's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Houston Aeros. In the following season, he played in 63 games for the Wild and established himself as a regular in the team's defensive lineup.
In 2005, Michalek was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes, where he played for five seasons. He was known for his defensive skills and shot-blocking abilities, leading the league in blocked shots in the 2008-09 season with 271. He was also a key penalty killer for the Coyotes.
In 2010, Michalek was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he played for two seasons. He was a reliable defenseman for the Penguins and helped the team reach the playoffs in both seasons. In the 2011-12 season, he played in all six games of the Penguins' first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers.
After his stint with the Penguins, Michalek returned to the Coyotes for two more seasons before being traded to the St. Louis Blues in 2015. He played in 15 games for the Blues before being traded again, this time to the Colorado Avalanche. He played in 18 games for the Avalanche before being traded back to the Coyotes in 2016.
Michalek announced his retirement from professional hockey in August 2019, ending a career that spanned over 15 years. He played in a total of 781 NHL games, scoring 42 goals and 135 assists for a total of 177 points. He was known for his defensive skills, shot-blocking abilities, and physical play, and was a respected teammate and leader on and off the ice.
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