Václav Nedomanský

Václav Nedomanský (born 14 March 1944) is a Czech former ice hockey forward. Nedomanský is best known as the first Czechoslovak hockey player to defect to North America to play.^[1] He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019. He is also a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame (1997), Slovak Hockey Hall of Fame (2002), Czech Ice Hockey Hall of Fame (2008) and was named into the IIHF All-Time Czech Team (2020).

Václav Nedomanský
Hockey Hall of Fame, 2019
Nedomanský (right) with Czechoslovkia in 1970
Born	(1944-03-14) 14 March 1944 (age 80) Hodonín, Bohemia and Moravia
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Slovan Bratislava Toronto Toros Birmingham Bulls Detroit Red Wings St. Louis Blues New York Rangers
National team	Czechoslovakia
Playing career	1962–1983
Medal record Men's ice hockey Representing Czechoslovakia Men's ice hockey Olympic Games 1968 Grenoble Team 1972 Sapporo Team World Championships 1965 Finland Ice hockey 1966 Yugoslavia Ice hockey 1969 Sweden Ice hockey 1970 Sweden Ice hockey 1971 Switzerland Ice hockey 1972 Czechoslovakia Ice hockey 1973 Soviet Union Ice hockey 1974 Finland Ice hockey

Playing in Czechoslovakia

Nedomanský played for Slovan Bratislava of the Czechoslovak Extraliga for twelve seasons. In 1968, he was a member of the Czechoslovak national ice hockey team which won silver medals at the Winter Olympics in Grenoble and bronze medals in 1972 at the Winter Olympics in Sapporo. He also played for Czechoslovakia in nine IIHF World Championships, and was named top forward at the 1974 World Championships.^[2] He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1997.^[3]

Career after defection

Nedomanský defected in 1974 to Toronto via Switzerland.^[4] He was not able to return to his home country until after the fall of the Iron Curtain.^{[citation needed]}

He played just over three seasons in the World Hockey Association with the Toronto Toros and the Birmingham Bulls, peaking with 56 goals and 98 points for Toronto in 1975–76. He also won the Paul Deneau Trophy for sportsmanship in 1975–76. He then signed as a free agent with the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings in 1977. Nedomanský played five seasons for Detroit, posting highs of 38 goals and 74 points. He retired after one final season with the St. Louis Blues and the New York Rangers in 1982–83.^{[citation needed]}

Nedomanský coached in Germany and Austria from 1987 to 1991.^{[citation needed]}

He was born in Hodonín in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia in the present-day Czech Republic.^[5] The winter stadium in Hodonín bears his name.^[6]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1960–61	SHK Hodonín	CZE-2		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1961–62	SHK Hodonín	CZE-2		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1962–63	Slovan ChZJD Bratislava	CSSR		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1963–64	Slovan ChZJD Bratislava	CSSR		31	20	7	27	—		—	—	—	—	—
1964–65	Slovan ChZJD Bratislava	CSSR		32	31	10	41	—		—	—	—	—	—
1965–66	Slovan ChZJD Bratislava	CSSR		36	39	14	53	—		—	—	—	—	—
1966–67	Slovan ChZJD Bratislava	CSSR		36	40	20	60	22		—	—	—	—	—
1967–68	Slovan ChZJD Bratislava	CSSR		36	34	15	49	10		8	5	6	11	—
1968–69	Slovan ChZJD Bratislava	CSSR		36	27	20	47	—		—	—	—	—	—
1969–70	Slovan ChZJD Bratislava	CSSR		36	29	13	42	23		—	—	—	—	—
1970–71	Slovan ChZJD Bratislava	CSSR		33	31	15	46	—		7	7	3	10	—
1971–72	Slovan ChZJD Bratislava	CSSR		35	35	21	56	—		—	—	—	—	—
1972–73	Slovan ChZJD Bratislava	CSSR		34	22	17	39	—		11	4	4	8	—
1973–74	Slovan ChZJD Bratislava	CSSR		44	46	28	74	—		—	—	—	—	—
1974–75	Toronto Toros	WHA		78	41	40	81	19		6	3	1	4	9
1975–76	Toronto Toros	WHA		81	56	42	98	8		—	—	—	—	—
1976–77	Birmingham Bulls	WHA		81	36	33	69	10		—	—	—	—	—
1977–78	Birmingham Bulls	WHA		12	2	3	5	6		—	—	—	—	—
1977–78	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		63	11	17	28	2		7	3	5	8	0
1978–79	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		80	38	35	73	19		—	—	—	—	—
1979–80	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		79	35	39	74	13		—	—	—	—	—
1980–81	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		74	12	20	32	30		—	—	—	—	—
1981–82	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		68	12	28	40	22		—	—	—	—	—
1982–83	St. Louis Blues	NHL		22	2	9	11	2		—	—	—	—	—
1982–83	New York Rangers	NHL		35	12	8	20	0		—	—	—	—	—
CSSR totals				388	354	180	534	—		26	16	13	29	—
WHA totals				252	135	118	253	43		6	3	1	4	9
NHL totals				421	122	156	278	88		7	3	5	8	0

International

Year	Team	Event		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1965	Czechoslovakia	WC		7	4	2	6	2
1966	Czechoslovakia	WC		7	5	2	7	8
1967	Czechoslovakia	WC		7	1	2	3	14
1968	Czechoslovakia	OLY		7	5	2	7	4
1969	Czechoslovakia	WC		10	9	2	11	10
1970	Czechoslovakia	WC		10	10	7	17	11
1971	Czechoslovakia	WC		10	10	7	17	—
1972	Czechoslovakia	OLY		6	8	3	11	0
1972	Czechoslovakia	WC		9	9	6	15	0
1973	Czechoslovakia	WC		10	9	3	12	2
1974	Czechoslovakia	WC		10	10	3	13	4
Senior totals				93	80	39	119	55

References

1. Peng, Sheng (15 September 2016). "Meet 'Big Ned': The international hockey legend you never knew - TheHockeyNews". TheHockeyNews. The Hockey News. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
2. Pinchevsky, Tal (2012). Breakaway: From Behind the Iron Curtain to the NHL--The Untold Story of Hockey's Great Escapes. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781118096215. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
3. "Vaclav Nedomansky Stats and News". National Hockey League. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
4. George Gross, "Czech Hockey Star Defects to Canada", front page of The Toronto Sun 18 July 1974 (Vol. 3, No. 182). See also pp. 3 and 32–33.
5. "Šlo mu všechno, k čemu se postavil. Slaví Nedomanský, hokejový velikán" (in Czech). iDNES.cz. 14 March 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
6. Turek, Petr (23 July 2014). "Hodonínský zimní stadion ponese jméno legendárního Nedomanského". Hodonínský Deník (in Czech). Deník.cz. Retrieved 27 October 2023.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
• Cold War Conversations - Czechoslovak hockey star defects to Canada (132) An interview with Václav's son Vashi Nedomanský, who talks about his father's defection from Czechoslovakia to Canada.