Petr Vrána (born March 29, 1985) is a Czech professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for HC Oceláři Třinec of the Czech Extraliga (ELH). Selected by the New Jersey Devils in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, he played 16 games in the National Hockey League with the Devils during the 2008–09 season. Vrána also spent four seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League. Internationally Vrána has played for the Czech national team at the junior and senior level, including at two World Championships.

Petr Vrána
Vrána in 2011 with Amur Khabarovsk
Born (1985-03-29) March 29, 1985 (age 39)
Šternberk, Czechoslovakia
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 184 lb (83 kg; 13 st 2 lb)
Position Centre
Shoots Left
ELH team
Former teams
HC Oceláři Třinec
HC Havířov
New Jersey Devils
HC Vítkovice
Amur Khabarovsk
HC Lev Praha
Atlant Moscow Oblast
Ak Bars Kazan
Brynäs IF
HC Sparta Praha
NHL draft 42nd overall, 2003
New Jersey Devils
Playing career 2005–present

Playing career

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Vrána is a native of Sternberk and logged his first minutes in the Czech Extraliga with HC Havirov during the 2001-02 season and moved to Canada for the following year, joining the Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He was drafted in the second round, 42nd overall, by the New Jersey Devils in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft and signed with the Devils in May 2004. He remained with the Mooseheads until the end of the 2004-05 campaign and then gained three years of AHL experience with the Albany River Rats and the Lowell Devils.[1] He made his NHL debut with the New Jersey Devils on October 18, 2008 against the Washington Capitals, becoming the 13th player in Devils' history to chip in with a goal in his first NHL contest: He scored against Brent Johnson with assists by Patrik Eliáš and Johnny Oduya.[2]

Vrána returned to the Czech Republic in 2009, signing with HC Vítkovice where he would play until 2011, when he agreed to terms with Amur Khabarovsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). After spending the 2011-12 season with Amur, he moved to fellow KHL side HC Lev Praha in 2012. On July 2, 2014, Vrána left HC Lev, after it declared bankruptcy and folded, as a free agent to sign with fellow KHL club, Atlant Moscow Oblast.[3] Later during the 2014-15 season, he transferred to another KHL team, Ak Bars Kazan.

Vrána signed with Brynäs IF of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) for the 2015-16 campaign and left Sweden after the season to join HC Sparta Praha of the Czech Extraliga for 2016–17.

Personal life

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In 2021, Vrána's Canadian wife Lindsey drowned after falling through the ice on a lake trying to save their dog.[4]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1999–2000 HC MBL Olomouc CZE U18 33 6 9 15 18
2000–01 HC MBL Olomouc CZE U18 41 38 48 86 32 3 1 3 4 6
2000–01 HC MBL Olomouc CZE-2 U20 12 7 9 16 12
2001–02 HC Havířov Panthers CZE U18 5 9 6 15 0
2001–02 HC Havířov Panthers CZE U20 38 11 12 23 22
2001–02 HC Havířov Panthers ELH 6 0 0 0 4
2002–03 Halifax Mooseheads QMJHL 72 37 46 83 32 24 5 15 20 12
2003–04 Halifax Mooseheads QMJHL 48 13 25 38 56
2004–05 Halifax Mooseheads QMJHL 60 16 35 51 77 12 10 4 14 12
2005–06 Albany River Rats AHL 74 12 23 35 91
2006–07 Lowell Devils AHL 61 13 19 32 44
2007–08 Lowell Devils AHL 80 20 41 61 64
2008–09 New Jersey Devils NHL 16 1 0 1 2
2008–09 Lowell Devils AHL 14 5 4 9 6
2009–10 HC Vítkovice Steel ELH 39 7 6 13 10 16 3 3 6 8
2010–11 HC Vítkovice Steel ELH 42 15 14 29 24 16 9 2 11 20
2011–12 Amur Khabarovsk KHL 46 19 24 43 12
2012–13 Lev Praha KHL 51 6 14 20 20 4 1 1 2 2
2013–14 Lev Praha KHL 50 8 14 22 32 22 7 6 13 10
2014–15 Atlant Moscow Oblast KHL 13 4 0 4 8
2014–15 Ak Bars Kazan KHL 22 3 5 8 4 20 0 4 4 2
2015–16 Brynäs IF SHL 26 1 7 8 10
2016–17 HC Sparta Praha ELH 50 21 26 47 34 4 2 2 4 4
2017–18 HC Sparta Praha ELH 51 7 18 25 28 2 1 0 1 2
2018–19 HC Sparta Praha ELH 37 8 18 26 18
2018–19 HC Oceláři Třinec ELH 12 1 4 5 0 17 3 7 10 0
2019–20 HC Oceláři Třinec ELH 47 12 26 38 14
2020–21 HC Oceláři Třinec ELH 48 11 21 32 24 16 2 9 11 4
2021–22 HC Oceláři Třinec ELH 52 13 13 26 26 14 3 3 6 8
2022–23 HC Oceláři Třinec ELH 3 0 1 1 2 20 1 1 2 2
ELH totals 387 95 147 242 184 105 24 27 51 48
NHL totals 16 1 0 1 2
KHL totals 182 40 57 97 76 46 8 11 19 14

International

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Medal record
Representing   Czech Republic
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
  2005 United States
Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM
2002 Czech Republic U17 5 6 9 15 8
2005 Czech Republic WJC 7 5 3 8 16
2013 Czech Republic WC 6 0 0 0 0
2017 Czech Republic WC 8 1 1 2 0
Junior totals 12 11 12 23 24
Senior totals 14 1 1 2 0

References

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  1. ^ "TheAHL.com | The American Hockey League". theahl.com. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  2. ^ "Vrana scores first NHL goal in New Jersey Devils' shootout victory". NJ.com. 19 October 2008. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
  3. ^ "Nemen, Vrana and Engren move to Atlant". HC Lev Praha. 2014-07-02. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-07-02.
  4. ^ "Wife of ex-Mooseheads captain Petr Vrana drowns in Czech Republic while trying to save puppy". thechronicleherald.ca.com. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
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Awards and achievements
Preceded by Winner of the Michel Bergeron Trophy
2003
Succeeded by
Preceded by Winner of the RDS Cup
2003
Succeeded by