Milan Hnilička

Milan Hnilička (born June 25, 1973) is a Czech former professional ice hockey player and politician. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers, Atlanta Thrashers and the Los Angeles Kings. He was a member of the Chamber of Deputies since 2017, but resigned in January 2021, after attending a party in breach of coronavirus restrictions. He was drafted 70th overall by the New York Islanders in the 1991 NHL entry draft. In 2000, Hnilička won the Calder Cup while playing for the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL). He announced his retirement in August 2010. Internationally, Hnilička represented the Czechoslovak national junior team and the Czech national senior team at multiple tournaments.

Playing career Hnilička played for Poldi SONP Kladno in the Czechoslovak Extraliga for several years. At the 1991 NHL entry draft he was selected 70th overall by the New York Islanders, and moved to North America in 1992, spending one season in major junior with the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League (WHL), helping them reach the 1993 Memorial Cup. He then spent two seasons in the minor leagues before returning to the Czech Extraliga, where he played a further four seasons. Signed by the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL) in 1999, he made his NHL debut on October 14, 1999, against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He played two games for the Rangers, spending the majority of the season with their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, winning the Calder Cup with them as AHL champions.

Signing as a free agent with the Atlanta Thrashers, he spent three seasons with them, before being traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 2003. Hnilička mainly played for the Kings' AHL affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs, appearing in two games for the Kings. He returned to the Czech Republic in 2004 and played five seasons with Bílí Tygři Liberec, as well as briefly playing for Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Russian Superleague in the 2007–08 season. Hnilička's last games were during the 2009–10 season when he played three games for Slavia Praha. He holds the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets franchise record for saves in one game with 53 that he achieved on 18 December 2001, against the Boston Bruins.

International play Hnilička played his first game for the Czechoslovak junior team in 1990 at the 1990 European Junior Championships, winning a bronze medal. He played again for the Czechoslovak junior team at the 1991 World Junior Championships, again winning bronze. He was named to the Czechoslovak senior team for both the 1991 Canada Cup and 1991 World Championships, but did not play in either tournament. Hnilička's final tournament for Czechoslovakia was in the 1992 World Junior Championships, where the team finished fifth.

With the dissolution of Czechoslovakia he began to represent the Czech national team, playing in seven World Championships and the 1998 and 2006 Winter Olympics (though he did not play in 1998). He won gold at the 1999, 2001, and 2005 World Championships, as well as a silver medal in 2006 and bronze in both 1997 and 1998.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP W L T MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV% 1988–89 Poldi SONP Kladno CSSR U18 34 — — — — — 2.51 .921 — — — — — — — — 1989–90 Poldi SONP Kladno CSSR 24 — — — 1,113 70 — 3.77 — — — — — — — — — 1990–91 Poldi SONP Kladno CSSR 40 — — — 2,122 98 — 2.80 .902 — — — — — — — — 1991–92 Poldi SONP Kladno CSSR 38 — — — 2,066 128 — 3.73 — — — — — — — — — 1992–93 Swift Current Broncos WHL 65 46 12 2 3,679 206 2 3.36 .896 17 12 5 1,017 54 2 3.19 .911 1992–93 Swift Current Broncos M-Cup — — — — — — — — — 4 — — — — — 4.72 — 1993–94 Richmond Renegades ECHL 43 18 16 5 2,299 155 4 4.05 .883 — — — — — — — — 1993–94 Salt Lake Golden Eagles IHL 8 5 1 0 378 25 0 3.97 .892 — — — — — — — — 1994–95 Denver Grizzlies IHL 15 9 4 1 798 47 1 3.53 .890 — — — — — — — — 1995–96 Poldi Kladno CZE 33 16 12 5 1,895 151 1 4.78 .868 8 3 5 492 24 0 2.93 .916 1996–97 Poldi Kladno CZE 48 20 17 11 2,741 120 4 2.63 .928 3 0 3 150 14 0 5.60 .863 1997–98 Sparta Praha CZE 49 25 14 10 2,498 90 6 2.16 .943 11 5 6 631 33 0 3.14 .912 1998–99 Sparta Praha CZE 50 27 15 8 2,876 109 4 2.27 .925 8 5 3 501 12 2 1.44 .960 1999–00 New York Rangers NHL 2 0 1 0 86 5 0 3.49 .886 — — — — — — — — 1999–00 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 36 22 11 0 1,979 71 5 2.15 .928 3 0 1 99 6 0 3.64 .854 2000–01 Atlanta Thrashers NHL 36 12 19 2 1,879 105 2 3.35 .890 — — — — — — — — 2001–02 Atlanta Thrashers NHL 60 13 33 10 3,367 179 3 3.19 .908 — — — — — — — — 2002–03 Atlanta Thrashers NHL 21 4 13 1 1,097 65 0 3.56 .893 — — — — — — — — 2002–03 Chicago Wolves AHL 15 11 2 1 838 33 1 2.36 .922 — — — — — — — — 2003–04 Los Angeles Kings NHL 2 0 1 0 80 5 0 3.76 .881 — — — — — — — — 2003–04 Manchester Monarchs AHL 20 8 10 0 1,022 44 1 2.58 .908 2 0 2 127 5 0 2.37 .914 2004–05 Bílí Tygři Liberec CZE 46 28 16 2 2,740 106 5 2.32 .928 12 5 7 702 32 0 2.74 .927 2005–06 Bílí Tygři Liberec CZE 45 29 11 5 2,644 75 6 1.70 .940 4 1 3 158 10 0 3.80 .861 2006–07 Bílí Tygři Liberec CZE 40 28 12 — 2,370 73 4 1.85 .943 12 5 7 716 34 0 2.85 .916 2007–08 Bílí Tygři Liberec CZE 15 11 4 — 890 30 2 2.02 .937 — — — — — — — — 2007–08 Salavat Yulaev Ufa RSL 9 — — — 560 18 1 1.93 .918 1 1 — — 59 0 3.02 .885 2008–09 Bílí Tygři Liberec CZE 22 9 13 — 1,243 66 0 3.19 .910 — — — — — — — — 2009–10 Slavia Praha CZE 3 0 3 — 178 13 0 4.38 .833 — — — — — — — —CZE totals 351 193 117 41 20,075 833 32 2.49 .925 58 24 34 3,350 159 2 2.85 .919NHL totals 121 29 67 13 6,509 359 5 3.31 .900 — — — — — — — —

International

Year Team Event GP W L T MIN GA SO GAA SV% 1990 Czechoslovakia EJC 4 — — — — — — 2.78 .864 1991 Czechoslovakia WJC 5 4 1 0 269 14 1 3.12 — 1991 Czechoslovakia EJC — — — — — — — — — 1991 Czechoslovakia WC DNP — — — — — — — — 1991 Czechoslovakia CC DNP — — — — — — — — 1992 Czechoslovakia WJC 6 — — — 329 20 0 3.65 .853 1992 Czechoslovakia WC DNP — — — — — — — — 1997 Czech Republic WC 1 1 0 0 60 3 0 3.00 .885 1998 Czech Republic OG DNP — — — — — — — — 1998 Czech Republic WC 8 4 1 2 430 10 2 1.39 .940 1999 Czech Republic WC 9 — — — 429 16 1 2.24 .911 2001 Czech Republic WC 9 8 0 1 541 13 1 1.44 .952 2002 Czech Republic WC 5 4 1 0 299 9 1 1.81 .917 2005 Czech Republic WC 1 1 0 0 60 0 1 0.00 1.000 2006 Czech Republic OG 3 1 1 0 128 6 0 2.82 .878 2006 Czech Republic WC 9 5 2 2 548 24 0 2.63 .893 2008 Czech Republic WC 6 3 3 — 371 16 1 2.59 .878Senior totals 57 — — — 2,866 97 7 2.03 —