Tomas Kurka
Encyclopedia
Tomáš Kůrka is a Czech
professional ice hockey
forward
currently playing for HC Sparta Praha
in the Czech Extraliga
.
as their second-round pick, #32 overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
. Kůrka spent two seasons playing junior level in the Ontario Hockey League
with the Plymouth Whalers
before moving to the Hurricanes organization in 2001.
After spending a season in the American Hockey League
with the Lowell Lock Monsters, Kůrka made his NHL debut with the Hurricanes during 2002–03 NHL season, playing 14 games, scoring 3 goals and 2 assists for 5 points. He would go on to play just 3 more games for Carolina, scoring no points. With the 2004–05 NHL season locked-out and eventually cancelled, Kůrka split the season in the AHL with the Providence Bruins
and back home in the Czech Republic for HC Litvínov.
He chose to remain in Europe, signing for KalPa
in the Finnish
SM-liiga
. He also played for Ilves
in the same league, before moving to Södertälje SK
in the Swedish
HockeyAllsvenskan.
Kůrka then returned to the Czech Extraliga in 2007, signing for HC České Budějovice
.
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
forward
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
currently playing for HC Sparta Praha
HC Sparta Praha
HC Sparta Praha is a Prague based Czech ice hockey team playing in Czech Extraliga.-Team History:Founded in 1903 by Canadian expatriate Lyle P. O'Connor, HC Sparta Praha was among the first bandy teams to play on a semi-professional level in the Austro-Hungarian Empire...
in the Czech Extraliga
Czech Extraliga
The Czech Extraliga is the highest-level ice hockey league in the Czech Republic. As of 2009, it is ranked by the IIHF as the third strongest league in Europe....
.
Playing career
Kůrka was drafted by the Carolina HurricanesCarolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
as their second-round pick, #32 overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
2000 NHL Entry Draft
The 2000 NHL Entry Draft was held from June 24 to 25 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, following the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft on June 23 for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild...
. Kůrka spent two seasons playing junior level in the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
with the Plymouth Whalers
Plymouth Whalers
The Plymouth Whalers are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They play out of Compuware Arena in Plymouth, Michigan, USA.-History:...
before moving to the Hurricanes organization in 2001.
After spending a season in the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
with the Lowell Lock Monsters, Kůrka made his NHL debut with the Hurricanes during 2002–03 NHL season, playing 14 games, scoring 3 goals and 2 assists for 5 points. He would go on to play just 3 more games for Carolina, scoring no points. With the 2004–05 NHL season locked-out and eventually cancelled, Kůrka split the season in the AHL with the Providence Bruins
Providence Bruins
The Providence Bruins are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are the primary development team for the NHL's Boston Bruins. They play in Providence, Rhode Island at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.-History:...
and back home in the Czech Republic for HC Litvínov.
He chose to remain in Europe, signing for KalPa
KalPa
The Kalevan Pallo is an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga. They play in Kuopio, Finland at the Niiralan monttu.-Team history:Established in 1929, the full name of the company that runs the representative team is KalPa Hockey Oy. The majority of the company is owned by NHL players Sami Kapanen and...
in the Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
SM-liiga
SM-liiga
The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice...
. He also played for Ilves
Ilves
Ilves is a Finnish sports club nowadays mostly known for their youth work. The ice hockey team plays in the SM-liiga at the Tampereen jäähalli in Hakametsä...
in the same league, before moving to Södertälje SK
Södertälje SK
Södertälje Sportklubb is a Swedish professional ice hockey club playing in HockeyAllsvenskan. Södertälje were charter members of Elitserien when the league was founded in 1975 and have since played 24 seasons in the league...
in the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
HockeyAllsvenskan.
Kůrka then returned to the Czech Extraliga in 2007, signing for HC České Budějovice
HC Ceské Budejovice
HC Mountfield České Budějovice are a professional men's ice hockey club, based in České Budějovice in the Czech Republic. The club plays home games at Budvar Arena, and are members of the Czech Extraliga...
.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1999–2000 1999–2000 OHL season The 1999–2000 OHL season was the 20th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Twenty teams each played 68 games. The Barrie Colts won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Plymouth Whalers.-Eastern Conference:-Western Conference:-Scoring leaders:... |
Plymouth Whalers Plymouth Whalers The Plymouth Whalers are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They play out of Compuware Arena in Plymouth, Michigan, USA.-History:... |
OHL Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada.... |
64 | 36 | 28 | 64 | 37 | 17 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 6 | ||
| 2000–01 | Plymouth Whalers | OHL | 47 | 15 | 29 | 44 | 20 | 16 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 13 | ||
| 2001–02 2001–02 AHL season The 2001–02 AHL season was the 66th season of the American Hockey League. It was the season of the biggest growth in the AHL's history, as it accepted eight new teams. The demise of the International Hockey League brought six teams transferring from the defunct league, in addition to two expansion... |
Lowell Lock Monsters | AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
71 | 13 | 15 | 28 | 24 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2002–03 2002–03 AHL season The 2002–03 AHL season was the 67th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs finished first overall in the regular season... |
Lowell Lock Monsters | AHL | 61 | 17 | 12 | 29 | 10 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2002–03 | Carolina Hurricanes Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
14 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2003–04 2003–04 AHL season The 2003–04 AHL season was the 68th season of the American Hockey League. The league introduces the Willie Marshall Award in honour the career points leader in the AHL, and awards it to the annual top goal scorer.... |
Lowell Lock Monsters | AHL | 55 | 6 | 26 | 32 | 14 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2003–04 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2004–05 | HC Litvínov | Cze Czech Extraliga The Czech Extraliga is the highest-level ice hockey league in the Czech Republic. As of 2009, it is ranked by the IIHF as the third strongest league in Europe.... |
29 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 6 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2004–05 2004–05 AHL season The 2004–05 AHL season was the 69th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished first overall in the regular season... |
Providence Bruins Providence Bruins The Providence Bruins are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are the primary development team for the NHL's Boston Bruins. They play in Providence, Rhode Island at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.-History:... |
AHL | 40 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 4 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 13 | ||
| 2005–06 | KalPa KalPa The Kalevan Pallo is an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga. They play in Kuopio, Finland at the Niiralan monttu.-Team history:Established in 1929, the full name of the company that runs the representative team is KalPa Hockey Oy. The majority of the company is owned by NHL players Sami Kapanen and... |
SM-l SM-liiga The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice... |
56 | 23 | 11 | 34 | 20 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2006–07 | Ilves Tampere | SM-l | 19 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 6 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2006–07 | KalPa KalPa The Kalevan Pallo is an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga. They play in Kuopio, Finland at the Niiralan monttu.-Team history:Established in 1929, the full name of the company that runs the representative team is KalPa Hockey Oy. The majority of the company is owned by NHL players Sami Kapanen and... |
SM-l | 18 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 8 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2006–07 | Södertälje SK Södertälje SK Södertälje Sportklubb is a Swedish professional ice hockey club playing in HockeyAllsvenskan. Södertälje were charter members of Elitserien when the league was founded in 1975 and have since played 24 seasons in the league... |
Swe-1 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2007–08 | HC České Budějovice HC Ceské Budejovice HC Mountfield České Budějovice are a professional men's ice hockey club, based in České Budějovice in the Czech Republic. The club plays home games at Budvar Arena, and are members of the Czech Extraliga... |
Cze | 52 | 19 | 15 | 34 | 20 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2008–09 | HC České Budějovice HC Ceské Budejovice HC Mountfield České Budějovice are a professional men's ice hockey club, based in České Budějovice in the Czech Republic. The club plays home games at Budvar Arena, and are members of the Czech Extraliga... |
Cze | 50 | 17 | 13 | 30 | 20 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2009-10 | HC České Budějovice | Cze | 12 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2009-10 | HC Slavia Praha | Cze | 31 | 17 | 12 | 19 | 31 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2010-11 | HC Sparta Praha HC Sparta Praha HC Sparta Praha is a Prague based Czech ice hockey team playing in Czech Extraliga.-Team History:Founded in 1903 by Canadian expatriate Lyle P. O'Connor, HC Sparta Praha was among the first bandy teams to play on a semi-professional level in the Austro-Hungarian Empire... |
Cze | 38 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 12 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2010-11 | HC Pardubice HC Pardubice HC ČSOB Pojišťovna Pardubice is a professional ice hockey club that plays in the Czech Extraliga. It is located in Pardubice, home venue is ČEZ Arena. The club previously was named HC Eaton Pardubice, but since the 2011–12 season the club is named HC ČSOB Pojišťovna Pardubice.-History:Ice hockey is... |
Cze | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| NHL totals | 17 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||||