Ondrej Pavelec Hockey player, goalkeeper Date of Birth: 31.08.1987 Country: Czech

1. Biography of Ondrej Pavelec
2. Early Career
3. Professional Career
4. Later Career
5. International Career
6. Personal Life

Biography of Ondrej Pavelec

Ondrej Pavelec is a former professional ice hockey player who played as a goaltender. He was born on August 31, 1987, in Kladno, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic). Pavelec began his hockey career playing for his hometown club, Kladno. He played for their youth and junior teams before being selected by the Atlanta Thrashers in the NHL Draft in 2005.

Early Career

After being drafted, Pavelec moved to North America to play in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He spent two seasons playing in the QMJHL before making his professional debut in the American Hockey League (AHL). Pavelec made his NHL debut on October 20, 2007, replacing the starting goaltender for the Atlanta Thrashers after the second period. He started his first NHL game on November 3, 2007, and earned his first victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Professional Career

Pavelec played for the Atlanta Thrashers' AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, and won the Calder Cup with them. In the 2008/09 season, Pavelec was expected to play in the NHL but was sent back to the AHL due to the team's goaltending situation. However, injuries to the starting goaltender allowed Pavelec to be called up to the NHL. He played a full season in the NHL in the 2009/10 season, appearing in 42 games and recording 14 wins and two shutouts.

After the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg, Pavelec became the starting goaltender for the Winnipeg Jets. He played 68 games in his first season with the Jets, earning 29 victories. These numbers remain his career-high in the NHL.

Later Career

Pavelec signed a five-year contract extension with the Winnipeg Jets in 2012, but his career hit a setback when he suffered a concussion during a game against the Washington Capitals in the 2010/11 season. He returned to play later that season but faced further challenges due to injuries and team performance. Pavelec played in the NHL playoffs for the first time in the 2014/15 season but the Jets were eliminated in the first round by the Anaheim Ducks.

In the summer of 2017, Pavelec signed with the New York Rangers, where he served as a backup goaltender for Henrik Lundqvist. In September 2018, he announced his retirement from professional hockey.

International Career

Pavelec represented the Czech Republic in various international tournaments. He played for the Czech junior national team in the 2005 World Junior Championships and the Czech U18 team in other age-restricted tournaments. Pavelec also played for the senior Czech national team in three World Championships, winning a gold and a bronze medal.

Personal Life

Pavelec has been in a relationship with model Tereza Budkova. In the summer of 2012, he was involved in a car accident in the Czech Republic while driving under the influence of alcohol. He had his driver's license suspended for 20 months and received a six-month suspended prison sentence as a result.