Michal Čajkovský

Michal Čajkovský (born 6 May 1992) is a Slovak professional ice hockey defenceman who is currently playing for Traktor Chelyabinsk in Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

Playing career Čajkovský made his European Elite debut during the 2009–10 season playing in the Slovak Extraliga with HC Slovan Bratislava. Undrafted, Čajkovský played major junior hockey with the Kingston Frontenacs and the Ottawa 67's of the Ontario Hockey League.

He spent the 2013–14 season, his first professional North American season, in the ECHL with the Reading Royals, on loan from the Hershey Bears of the AHL. He scored an impressive 14 goals and 36 points in 66 games to earn a selection to the ECHL All-Rookie Team. Čajkovský was re-signed by the Bears to a second one-year contract on 15 August 2014.

On 19 June 2015, Čajkovský returned to Europe and signed a one-year contract with Czech Extraliga team, HC Sparta Praha. In the 2015–16 season, Čajkovský made an immediate impact from the blueline with Sparta, compiling 11 goals and 28 points in 49 games.

After signing an extension to continue with Praha in the 2016–17 season, Čajkovský continued his upward development leading the defense in scoring with 12 points in 19 games before he opted for a mid-season transfer, having gained the attention of Russian-based, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg of the KHL on 27 November 2016.

After attending the Carolina Hurricanes' training camp on a try-out basis, the club signed Čajkovský to a one-year, two-way contract worth $650,000 on 27 September 2018. He was among the last cuts re-assigned to begin the 2018–19 season with AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. While a fixture on the Checkers blueline, Čajkovský recorded 4 points in 23 games without a recall to the Hurricanes. On 28 December 2018, Čajkovský was placed on unconditional waivers by the Hurricanes in order to mutually terminate his contract in order to return to Europe. He was soon signed to a two-year contract to resume play in the KHL with HC Dynamo Moscow.

Čajkovský played two seasons with HC Sibir Novosibirsk before leaving to sign a two-year contract to remain in the KHL with Spartak Moscow on 3 May 2023.

International play

Čajkovský participated at the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships as a member of the Slovakia men's national junior ice hockey team.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 2008–09 HC Slovan Bratislava SVK U18 52 17 13 30 121 — — — — — 2008–09 HC Slovan Bratislava SVK U20 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2009–10 HC Slovan Bratislava SVK U20 26 4 11 15 95 2 0 2 2 2 2009–10 HC Slovan Bratislava Slovak 15 0 0 0 4 3 0 0 0 0 2009–10 HK Orange 20 Slovak 11 1 0 1 6 — — — — — 2010–11 Kingston Frontenacs OHL 67 4 11 15 82 5 0 1 1 16 2011–12 Ottawa 67's OHL 59 3 18 21 120 18 0 5 5 14 2012–13 Ottawa 67's OHL 66 10 24 34 89 — — — — — 2013–14 Reading Royals ECHL 66 14 22 36 28 4 0 0 0 0 2014–15 South Carolina Stingrays ECHL 25 3 9 12 30 27 7 11 18 18 2014–15 Hershey Bears AHL 13 0 2 2 31 — — — — — 2015–16 HC Sparta Praha ELH 49 11 17 28 92 12 1 4 5 12 2016–17 HC Sparta Praha ELH 19 7 5 12 22 — — — — — 2016–17 Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg KHL 20 5 10 15 6 — — — — — 2017–18 Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg KHL 43 7 12 19 38 4 0 2 2 0 2018–19 Charlotte Checkers AHL 23 1 3 4 18 — — — — — 2018–19 Dynamo Moscow KHL 12 0 2 2 32 11 2 2 4 8 2019–20 Dynamo Moscow KHL 58 9 22 31 72 6 2 2 4 2 2020–21 Dynamo Moscow KHL 58 12 14 26 36 10 1 5 6 10 2021–22 Dynamo Moscow KHL 2 0 0 0 4 — — — — — 2021–22 Sibir Novosibirsk KHL 40 3 9 12 32 5 1 3 4 2 2022–23 Sibir Novosibirsk KHL 59 7 10 17 30 5 1 0 1 2 2023–24 Spartak Moscow KHL 61 9 25 34 38 10 3 0 3 4 2024–25 Spartak Moscow KHL 40 2 12 14 22 — — — — — 2025–26 HC Ambrì–Piotta NL 6 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2025–26 Traktor Chelyabinsk KHL 16 2 3 5 40 5 1 0 1 7 KHL totals 409 56 119 175 350 56 11 14 25 35

International Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM 2010 Slovakia WJC18 8th 6 0 0 0 6 2012 Slovakia WJC 6th 6 0 0 0 12 2017 Slovakia WC 14th 7 0 1 1 0 2018 Slovakia OG 11th 4 0 1 1 31 2018 Slovakia WC 9th 7 1 1 2 6 2019 Slovakia WC 9th 7 2 0 2 2 2022 Slovakia OG 7 0 1 1 0 Junior totals 12 0 0 0 18 Senior totals 32 3 4 7 39

Awards and honors Award Year ECHL All-Rookie Team 2013–14