Marek Tvrdoň

Marek Tvrdoň (born 31 January 1993) is a Slovak ice hockey winger who is currently playing for HC Nove Zamky of the Slovak Extraliga.

Marek Tvrdoň
Tvrdoň with HK Nitra in 2017
Born	(1993-01-31) 31 January 1993 (age 31) Nitra, Slovakia
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	212 lb (96 kg; 15 st 2 lb)
Position	Forward
Shoots	Left
Slovak team Former teams	HC Nove Zamky HK Nitra HC Slovan Bratislava Edinburgh Capitals MsHK Žilina Saryarka Karagandy Nottingham Panthers KS Cracovia
NHL draft	115th overall, 2011 Detroit Red Wings
Playing career	2010–present

Tvrdoň was drafted 115th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career

Junior

Born in Nitra, Slovakia, Tvrdon developed with his hometown's HK Nitra junior program. Beginning at the under-18 level in 2007–08, he went on to the under-20 level two years later, scoring 56 points (25 goals and 31 assists) over 45 games. During the 2009–10 season, he also played six games with HK Nitra's men's team in the Slovak Extraliga.

During the subsequent 2010–11 season, Tvrdon moved to North America to play for the major junior Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He began the campaign with 11 points (6 goals and 5 assists) in 12 games before suffering a shoulder injury in mid-October 2010. The following month, he underwent season-ending surgery.^[1] In the off-season, he was selected 115th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings. Giant general manager Scott Bonner speculated that if he had played the full season prior to the draft, he would have been selected much higher, perhaps as a "first or second-round pick". Tvrdon has been described as a player with size and skill, while Giants head coach Don Hay listed his work ethic as a weakness following his first WHL season.^[1]

On January 8, 2014 Tvrdoň was traded by the Vancouver Giants to the Kelowna Rockets for a second-round pick in the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft.^[2]

Professional

On July 3, 2012, Tvrdoň signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Detroit Red Wings.^[3]

During the final season of his entry-level deal with the Red Wings in 2015–16, Tvrdoň was unable to make an impact within the organization and was primarily assigned to secondary affiliate, the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL. On December 19, 2015, he was placed on unconditional waivers, in order to mutually terminate his contract. He returned to Slovakia and on December 22, 2015, signed a contract for the remainder of the season with HC Slovan Bratislava of the Kontinental Hockey League.^[4] Tvrdoň was unable to establish himself in Bratislava, featuring in just 4 scoreless games.

On August 30, 2016, Tvrdoň opted to return to North America as a free agent, agreeing to a one-year deal with the Indy Fuel of the ECHL.^[5]

After a spell with HK Nitra in Slovakia, Tvrdoň agreed a deal to move to the Edinburgh Capitals in September 2017.^[6]

Tvrdoň has since had spells with MsHK Žilina, Saryarka Karagandy, EC KAC, Nottingham Panthers, KS Cracovia and Dizel Penza.

He re-joined HK Nitra for the 2020-21 season.

International play

Tvrdon represented with Slovakia at the 2010 IIHF World U18 Championships, where he recorded three goals and one assist in six games. Two years later, he represented Slovakia's national junior team at the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, where he recorded three goals and one assist in six games, finishing as the second-leading goal scorer on the team.^[7] Slovakia finished sixth in the tournament after losing their quarterfinal and the fifth place consolation match.^[8]

Career statistics

Tvrdoň with the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2015

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2009–10	HK Nitra	Slovak		6	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Vancouver Giants	WHL		12	6	5	11	14		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Vancouver Giants	WHL		60	31	43	74	62		6	3	3	6	0
2012–13	Vancouver Giants	WHL		18	8	14	22	16		—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	Grand Rapids Griffins	AHL		1	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	Toledo Walleye	ECHL		22	9	4	13	6		—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	Kelowna Rockets	WHL		29	11	16	27	24		14	5	8	13	14
2014–15	Toledo Walleye	ECHL		24	6	18	24	14		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Grand Rapids Griffins	AHL		51	10	19	29	16		13	2	4	6	2
2015–16	Grand Rapids Griffins	AHL		1	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2015–16	Toledo Walleye	ECHL		23	8	13	21	16		—	—	—	—	—
2015–16	HC Slovan Bratislava	KHL		4	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	Indy Fuel	ECHL		21	7	5	12	10		—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	HK Nitra	Slovak		24	6	12	18	42		13	5	4	9	14
2017–18	Edinburgh Capitals	EIHL		15	8	7	15	14		—	—	—	—	—
2017–18	MsHK Žilina	Slovak		31	9	13	22	44		6	0	0	0	2
2018–19	Saryarka Karagandy	VHL		4	0	1	1	0		—	—	—	—	—
2018–19	EC KAC II	AlpsHL		6	3	4	7	10		—	—	—	—	—
2018–19	Nottingham Panthers	EIHL		14	4	6	10	8		—	—	—	—	—
2018–19	KS Cracovia	PHL		3	1	1	2	4		15	3	7	10	12
2019–20	Dizel Penza	VHL		7	0	4	4	0		—	—	—	—	—
2019–20	KS Cracovia	PHL		35	9	16	25	10		7	4	2	6	6
2020–21	HK Nitra	Slovak		50	23	31	54	64		5	1	2	3	0
2021–22	HK Nitra	Slovak		48	12	31	43	14		19	2	8	10	2
2022–23	HK Nitra	Slovak		44	6	12	23	35		4	1	1	2	2
2022–23	HK Levice	2HL		2	0	3	3	0		–	–	–	–	–
2023–24	HC RT Torax Poruba	Chance		46	12	23	35	10		4	2	0	2	2
KHL totals				4	0	0	0	2		—	—	—	—	—
PHL totals				38	10	17	27	14		22	7	9	16	18
Slovak totals				203	56	99	155	186		48	9	15	24	20

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2010	Slovakia	U18	8th		6	3	1	4	4
2012	Slovakia	WJC	6th		6	3	1	4	14
Junior totals					12	6	2	8	18

References

1. Pap, Elliott (30 August 2011). "Healed Marek Tvrdon raring to walk the talk". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
2. Giants Trade Marek Tvrdon to the Rockets vancouvergiants.com, January 8, 2014
3. "Nicastro, Tvrdon sign entry-level deals". National Hockey League. 3 July 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2012.
4. "Detroit did not want him, Slovan best choice". hokejportal.net. 22 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
5. "Former Detroit draft pick signs with Fuel". Indy Fuel. 30 August 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
6. "Edinburgh Capitals".
7. "Player Statistics By Team" (PDF). IIHF. 4 January 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
8. "Games & Results". IIHF. Retrieved 5 January 2012.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database