Aleš Hemský

Infobox Ice Hockey Player
team = Edmonton Oilers
league = NHL


image_size = 200px
position = Right Wing
shoots = Right
height_ft = 6
height_in = 0
weight_lb = 192
nickname = Hemmer
nationality = CZE
birth_date = Birth date and age|1983|8|13|mf=y
birth_place = Pardubice, CS
draft = 13th overall
draft_year = 2001
draft_team = Edmonton Oilers
career_start = 1999

Aleš Hemský (born August 13, 1983, in Pardubice, Czechoslovakia now part of the Czech Republic), is a professional ice hockey forward and alternate captain for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League.

Playing career

Beginnings

HC Pardubice

Hemský entered pro hockey as a 16 year old, playing for Hockey Club Moeller of the Czech Extraliga, in his hometown of Pardubice. He split the 1999-2000 season between Moeller and their junior club, HC Moeller Pardubice Jr. Hemský decided he had a better chance to be scouted if he played Canadian Junior hockey than if he tried to make the jump to the Czech Extraleague, and he subsequently became the first selection of the Hull Olympiques in the 2000 CHL Import Draft.Cite web|url=http://hockeysfuture.com/article.php?sid=2299|title=Ales Hemsky - a story of a scorer|accessdate=2006-09-25|publisher=Hockey's Future|year=2001|author=Robert Neuhauser]

Hull Olympiques

In 2000, Hemský moved to North America to play for the Hull Olympiques of the QMJHL. The following season (2000-2001), Hemský led all rookies in scoring with 36 goals and 100 points. He was named to the All-Rookie team, was selected to play in the 2001 CHL Top Prospects Game, and was awarded the Mike Bossy Trophy as the QMJHL’s top pro prospect.Cite web|url=http://www.edmontonoilers.com/roster/hemsky_ales/|title=Hemsky's profile at the Edmonton Oilers' website|accessdate=2006-09-25|publisher=Edmonton Oilers]

Hemský continued his success in Hull during the 2001-2002 season, with 27 goals and 97 points in 53 games, and finished 19th in the QMJHL scoring race.

2001 NHL Entry Draft

The Edmonton Oilers used the 13th overall pick in 2001 on Hemský. Oilers scout Chris McCarthy said, "We knew that he was the guy that we wanted and when he fell to us, well, we knew who we were going to take."Cite web|url=http://hockeysfuture.com/article.php?sid=8820&mode=threaded&order=0|title=Oilers 2001 draft evaluation|accessdate=2006-09-25|publisher=Hockey's Future|author=Guy Flaming]

The Oilers were able to draft Hemský in part due to a stipulation made in a trade involving star right-winger Bill Guerin to the Boston Bruins. The Oilers were to receive Anson Carter, a 2001 second-round pick, and the option of switching first-round picks in the 2001 or 2002 draft. In 2001 the Oilers chose to exchange their original first-round selection (19th overall) for the Bruins' (13th overall).

Edmonton

During Hemský's rookie NHL season, he scored 6 goals and 30 points in 59 games, and was a healthy scratch for 23. He also went pointless in all 6 of Edmonton's playoff games.

The 2003-2004 season saw Hemský take more initiative.Fact|date=February 2007 Hemský received more minutes on the top two lines.Fact|date=February 2007 He worked to improve his backchecking, and found his scoring touch on a more regular basis than in his rookie year.Fact|date=February 2007 When the 06/07 NHL regular season came to an end, Ales Hemský and Petr Sýkora led the Edmonton Oilers in scoring points with 53 points each.

NHL Lockout

Hemský returned to the Czech Republic to play 47 games for HC Moeller Pardubice during the 2004 NHL Lockout. During that time, he scored 13 goals and 31 points, fifth on the club. Pardubice won the Extraleague championship for the first time in 16 years, and Hemský was named playoff MVP for his efforts.

While in the Czech Republic, Hemský was slashed on the left side of his neck with a broken beer bottle by an unidentified assailant in a Czech bar. He still has the scar.

2005-2006 Regular Season

During the post-lockout 2005-2006 season, Hemský had a career year, setting personal bests in every major statistical category. He scored 19 goals, 58 assists and 77 points, while playing in all but one game for the Oilers during the regular season. The Oilers captured the 8th and final playoff seed in the Western Conference.

2006 Winter Olympics

Hemský was selected to represent the Czech Republic in the 2006 Winter Olympic Ice Hockey tournament mid-season. Czech hockey icon Jaromir Jagr had a large influence on Hemský's selection, to the point where he insisted that Hemský skate on his line.Cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Olympics/2006Turin/Columnists/Jones/2005/12/23/1382112.html|title=Czech this out!|accessdate=2006-09-24|year=2006|author=Terry Jones] The two had previously played together on the Czech team that won the 2005 IIHF World Ice Hockey Championships during the NHL's 04-05 lockout season. Hemský scored twice in the Olympic tournament, and the Czech Republic defeated Russia in the bronze-medal game.

2006 Playoffs

During the 2006 NHL playoffs, Hemský was an important part to the Oilers run to the Stanley Cup Finals. Among his opportune goals were two he scored in the third period of game six versus the Detroit Red Wings, including the series-winner.Cite web|url=http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=startribune&page=nhl/scores/final/W7005.htm|title=NHL Game Summary - Detroit at Edmonton|accessdate=2006-09-25|year=2006] Hemský underwent a biopsy on an inflamed lymph node on the right side of his neck during the playoffs.Cite web|url=http://edmsun.canoe.ca/Sports/Oilers/2006/05/31/1607537-sun.html|title=Ales having biopsy on lymph node|accessdate=2006-08-29|publisher=Edmonton Sun|year=2006|author=Derek Van Diest] Results have not been made public.

Edmonton re-signed Hemský in the summer of 2006 to a six-year contract that will see him earn US $24.6 million.

2006-2007 Regular Season

The 2006-2007 campaign saw Ales Hemsky notch 53 points in 64 games. Hemsky missed 18 games due to shoulder injuries. In 64 games, Hemsky scored 13 goals and added 40 assists with 40 penalty minutes.

2007-2008 Joey Moss Cup and Off-Season

On September 16, 2007, Ales Hemsky scored 3 goals and added 2 assists for 5 points to help his team win the Joey Moss Cup by a score of 9-4. Hemsky developed good chemistry on a line with teammates Dustin Penner and Sam Gagner. On October 2, 2007 Hemsky was named an alternate captain, along with Shawn Horcoff, Steve Staios and Jarret Stoll.

2007-2008 Season End

The 2007-2008 campaign was a short one as the Oilers were eliminated from playoff contention. Ales finished first on the team overall in points scoring with 71, and was first in assists with 51. He sat in third place for goals with 20, which was a career high for Hemsky.

2008 IIHF Inline Hockey World Championships

Hemský was a member of the Czech Republic national team that participated in the 2008 Men's World Inline Hockey Championships that were played in Bratislava, Slovakia. Hemský tied for fourth place in scoring with 6 goals and 5 assists while leading the Czech Republic to a 5th place finish.

Honours and Awards

Individual:

*2001 QMJHL All-Rookie Team
*2001 QMJHL Mike Bossy Trophy
*2001 CHL All-Rookie Team :"Hemsky was to also represent the QMJHL in the 2001 CHL Top Prospects Game,
but an injury forced him to withdraw."Cite web|url=http://www.chl.ca/CHLNews0001/feb5_top.html|title=Injuries mean changes at Top Prospects Game|accessdate=2006-09-25|year=2001]
*2001 QMJHL Rookie of the Month (January)
*2002 QMJHL 2nd All-Star Team
*2002 CHL 3rd All-Star Team
*2005 Czech Extraliga Playoff MVP

Team:

Career statistics

References

External links

*hockeydb|55070