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Václav Prospal
Václav Prospal
	Prospal with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2009
Born	17 February 1975 (age 49); České Budějovice, Czechoslovakia
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	198 lb (90 kg; 14 st 2 lb)
Position	Left wing; Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Philadelphia Flyers; Ottawa Senators; Florida Panthers; Tampa Bay Lightning; Mighty Ducks of Anaheim; New York Rangers; Columbus Blue Jackets; HC České Budějovice
National team	Czech Republic
NHL draft	71st overall, 1993; Philadelphia Flyers
Playing career	1993–2013

Václav "Vinny" Prospal (born 17 February 1975) is a Czech former professional ice hockey player, currently a hockey coach. He played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets from. 1997 to 2013. He is currently serving as an assistant coach of the Rochester Americans in the American hockey league.

Playing career

Prospal was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, third round, 71st overall. While with the Flyers, Prospal suffered a fractured arm during the 1997 playoffs. Prospal and another player collided during the Flyers' practice session. During the 1997–98 season, Prospal, who was named to the 1998 Czech Olympic hockey team, broke his leg while fighting for the puck with Lance Pitlick during a game with the Ottawa Senators; Prospal was unable to play in the 1998 Winter Olympics. Prospal was traded to the Senators a few months later. During the 2004–05 lockout, Prospal played for his hometown team HC České Budějovice, leading them in scoring and helping the team return to the Czech Extraliga.

At the beginning of the 2007–08 season, while with the Lightning, Prospal posted 12 goals and 10 assists making it his best career start. On February 25, 2008, Prospal was dealt back to the Flyers for defenseman Alexandre Picard and a 2009 second-round draft pick.

On June 18, 2008, the Lightning acquired the rights to Prospal in exchange for the Nashville Predators' seventh-round pick (previously acquired), 196th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.^[1] The Lightning signed Prospal to a four-year contract on June 30, in a deal worth $14 million overall to the player.^[2]

On July 28, 2009, Prospal was bought out from the remaining three years of his contract with the Lightning and became a free agent.^[3] On August 16, 2009, Prospal signed a one-year, $1.1 million contract with the New York Rangers.^[4] He was named an alternate captain of the Rangers on November 3, 2009. On July 1, 2010, Prospal was re-signed by the Rangers to another one-year deal worth $2.1 million.^[5] After he was not re-signed in 2011, he agreed to a 1-year $1.75 million deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets in the summer of 2011,^[6] followed by one-year, $2.5 million contract for the 2012–13 season. On January 24, 2014, he announced his retirement from professional hockey.^[7]

Post-hockey career

Prospal worked as a scout for the New York Rangers until the end of the 2013–14 season. He currently lives with his wife and four children in Tampa, Florida. He also served as an assistant coach for the Czech national team in the World Cup of Hockey in September 2016. Now He is Manager of HC České Budějovice in Czech Extraliga.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

			Regular season					Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1991–92	TJ Motor České Budějovice	CSSR U18	36	16	16	32	12	—	—	—	—	—
1992–93	HC České Budějovice	CSSR U18	36	26	31	57	24	—	—	—	—	—
1993–94	Hershey Bears	AHL	55	14	21	35	38	2	0	0	0	2
1994–95	Hershey Bears	AHL	69	13	32	45	36	2	1	0	1	4
1995–96	Hershey Bears	AHL	68	15	36	51	59	5	2	4	6	2
1996–97	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL	18	5	10	15	4	5	1	3	4	4
1996–97	Philadelphia Phantoms	AHL	63	32	63	95	70	—	—	—	—	—
1997–98	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL	41	5	13	18	17	—	—	—	—	—
1997–98	Ottawa Senators	NHL	15	1	6	7	4	6	0	0	0	0
1998–99	Ottawa Senators	NHL	79	10	26	36	58	4	0	0	0	0
1999–00	Ottawa Senators	NHL	79	22	33	55	40	6	0	4	4	4
2000–01	Ottawa Senators	NHL	40	1	12	13	12	—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	Florida Panthers	NHL	34	4	12	16	10	—	—	—	—	—
2001–02	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL	81	18	37	55	38	—	—	—	—	—
2002–03	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL	80	22	57	79	53	11	4	2	6	8
2003–04	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim	NHL	82	19	35	54	54	—	—	—	—	—
2004–05	HC České Budějovice	CZE-2	39	28	60	88	82	16	15	15	30	32
2005–06	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL	81	25	55	80	50	5	0	2	2	0
2006–07	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL	82	14	41	55	36	6	1	4	5	4
2007–08	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL	62	29	28	57	31	—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL	18	4	10	14	6	17	3	10	13	6
2008–09	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL	82	19	26	45	52	—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	New York Rangers	NHL	75	20	38	58	32	—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	New York Rangers	NHL	29	9	14	23	8	5	1	0	1	0
2011–12	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL	82	16	39	55	36	—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	HC Mountfield	CZE	19	9	14	23	46	—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL	48	12	18	30	32	—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals			1,108	255	510	765	581	65	10	25	35	26

International

Year	Team	Event	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1993	Czech Republic	EJC	6	4	7	11	2
1994	Czech Republic	WJC	7	1	1	2	16
1995	Czech Republic	WJC	7	3	7	10	2
2000	Czech Republic	WC	9	3	4	7	8
2004	Czech Republic	WC	7	3	4	7	2
2004	Czech Republic	WCH	4	1	3	4	0
2005	Czech Republic	WC	9	2	6	8	4
2006	Czech Republic	OLY	8	4	2	6	2
Junior totals			20	8	15	23	20
Senior totals			37	13	19	32	16