Pavel Kubina

Pavel Kubina (born April 15, 1977, in Čeladná, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman, currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League.

Playing career
Kubina started his professional career with HC Vítkovice of the Czech Extraliga. He played there for four seasons, during which he was drafted in the seventh round of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft by the Lightning.

Later in 1996, he came to Canada to play for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL, and scored 44 points in 61 games. Kubina got his first taste of NHL action in the 1997–98 NHL season, although he spent most of his time playing for the Adirondack Red Wings of the American Hockey League.

He then spent most of the next season in the NHL, tallying a total of 21 points, while playing occasionally in the International Hockey League for the Cleveland Lumberjacks. By the 1999–00 NHL season Kubina had cemented his position in the Lightning's lineup, and notched 26 points for them.

Kubina had 30 points in the 2000–01 campaign and 34 in 2001–02.

In the 2003–04 season he won the Stanley Cup.

On July 1, 2006, Kubina signed a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs for four years at $20 million. Kubina was suspended by the NHL for the first game of the 2006–07 season for cross-checking Detroit's Jiří Hudler in a preseason game.

On July 1, 2009, Kubina was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers with the rights to Tim Stapleton for Garnet Exelby and Colin Stuart.

International play
Played for the Czech Republic in :


 * 2006 Winter Olympics (bronze medal)