Pavel Kubina (born April 15, 1977) is a Czech former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, Atlanta Thrashers and Philadelphia Flyers from 1998 to 2012.

Pavel Kubina
Kubina with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2008
Born (1977-04-15) April 15, 1977 (age 47)
Čeladná, Czechoslovakia
Height6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb)
PositionDefence
ShotRight
Played forTampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs
Atlanta Thrashers
Philadelphia Flyers
National team Czech Republic
NHL draft179th overall, 1996
Tampa Bay Lightning
Playing career1993–2013

Playing career

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Kubina began his professional career with HC Vítkovice of the Czech Extraliga. He played there for four seasons, during which he was drafted in the seventh round of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Later in 1996, Kubina moved to Canada to join the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League (WHL), with which he scored 44 points in 61 games during the 1996–97 season. He made his NHL debut in the 1997–98 season, although he spent most of the year playing for the Adirondack Red Wings of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Kubina spent most of the next season in the NHL, scoring 21 points, while playing occasionally in the International Hockey League (IHL) for the Cleveland Lumberjacks. By the 1999–2000 season, Kubina had cemented his position in the Lightning's lineup, scoring 26 points during the season.

Kubina scored 30 and 34 points in the 2000–01 and 2001–02 seasons respectively. In the 2003–04 season, he was named to the NHL All-Star Game and won the Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay over the Calgary Flames in the Finals.

On July 1, 2006, Kubina signed a four-year, $20 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was suspended by the NHL for the first game of the 2006–07 season for cross-checking the Detroit Red Wings' Jiří Hudler in a pre-season game.[1]

Kubina in 2007.

On July 1, 2009, Kubina was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers (along with Tim Stapleton) in exchange for Garnet Exelby and Colin Stuart.

On July 2, 2010, Kubina returned to the Tampa Bay Lightning, signing a two-year contract valued at $7.7 million worth approximately $3.85 million annually. On March 9, 2011, Kubina was suspended three games for an elbow on Chicago Blackhawks forward Dave Bolland.

On February 18, 2012, Kubina was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Jon Kalinski, a second-round pick in either the 2012 or 2013 NHL Entry Draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. He finished the 2011–12 season with 4 points in 17 games with the Flyers.

On September 15, 2012, Kubina left the NHL to join Genève-Servette HC of the Swiss National Liga A.

On December 20, 2013, Kubina announced his retirement from hockey.

Personal life

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He and his wife, Andrea, welcomed their first child, a girl, Tereza on November 9, 2006, in the Czech Republic. [1]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
1993–94HC VítkoviceCZE U2035437
1993–94HC VítkoviceZZE10000
1994–95HC VítkoviceCZE U202061016
1994–95HC VítkoviceCZE820210
1995–96HC VítkoviceCZE U201651015
1995–96HC VítkoviceCZE333363240000
1996–97HC VítkoviceCZE10000
1996–97Moose Jaw WarriorsWHL611232441161125727
1997–98Tampa Bay LightningNHL1012322
1997–98Adirondack Red WingsAHL55481286110114
1998–99Tampa Bay LightningNHL689122180
1998–99Cleveland LumberjacksIHL622416
1999–00Tampa Bay LightningNHL698182693
2000–01Tampa Bay LightningNHL70111930103
2001–02Tampa Bay LightningNHL82112334106
2002–03Tampa Bay LightningNHL7531922781100012
2003–04Tampa Bay LightningNHL81171835852204450
2004–05HC VítkoviceCZE2855104612461034
2005–06Tampa Bay LightningNHL765333896511226
2006–07Toronto Maple LeafsNHL617142148
2007–08Toronto Maple LeafsNHL72112940116
2008–09Toronto Maple LeafsNHL8214264094
2009–10Atlanta ThrashersNHL766323866
2010–11Tampa Bay LightningNHL794192362821310
2011–12Tampa Bay LightningNHL52381159
2011–12Philadelphia FlyersNHL1704415501112
2012–13Genève–Servette HCNLA3011410000
NHL totals9701102763861,123513710110

International

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Medal record
Representing  Czech Republic
2006 Torino
World Championships
1999 Oslo
2001 Nuremberg
2005 Vienna
YearTeamEventGPGAPtsPIM
1996Czech RepublicWJC60228
1999Czech RepublicWC1026812
2001Czech RepublicWC923518
2002Czech RepublicOLY40110
2002Czech RepublicWC73478
2005Czech RepublicWC922410
2006Czech RepublicOLY811212
2010Czech RepublicOLY50002
Senior totals5210172762

References

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  1. ^ "Kubina suspended one game". Toronto Sun. 2006. Retrieved 2006-10-02.
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