Michael Špaček (ice hockey)

Michael Špaček (born on April 9, 1997 in Mariánské Lázně) is a Czech professional ice hockey center/right winger. He currently plays with the Frölunda HC of the SHL. He was drafted 108th overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the Winnipeg Jets.

Club career
Špaček began his junior career with the HC Pardubice organisation. He made his senior debut by playing 4 games with the HC ČSOB Pojišťovna Pardubice of the Tipsport Extraliga at age 17, during the 2013-14 season. In this season, he also played 6 games with the HC Pardubice under-18 team and 31 games with the HC Pardubice under-20 team.

In his first full professional campaign with the HC ČSOB Pojišťovna Pardubice in the 2014-15 season, Špaček contributed with 12 points in 40 regular season games and 0 points in 4 play-off games. He also played 4 play-off games with the HC Pardubice under-18 team and 5 games with the HC Pardubice under-20 team.

Špaček competed with the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL, during the 2015-16 season.

For the next season, Špaček stayed with the Rebels where he played 59 regular season games and 7 play-off games in this season. After that, he also played 4 games with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. On June 2, 2017, after two seasons with Red Deer, Špaček completed his junior career in agreeing to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Winnipeg Jets organisation.

Špaček stayed in North America playing with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. During the 2019-20 season, still re-assigned to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL, Špaček appeared in 45 games posting 20 points before he was re-assigned by the Jets to join the Ontario Reign, primary affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings, on loan for the remainder of the season on March 2, 2020. Špaček failed to appear in a game with the Reign due to injury before the season was prematurely ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As an impending restricted free agent from the Jets, Špaček opted to halt his NHL aspirations by agreeing to a one-year contract in Finland with the Tappara of the Liiga on August 4, 2020. After 18 games played with the Tappara, Špaček moved back to his native Czechia to finish the season with the HC Oceláři Třinec of the Tipsport Extraliga. He played there 9 regular season games and 16 play-off games and became the Tipsport Extraliga champion.

In 2021, he signed a two-year contract with the Frölunda HC of the SHL.

International career
Špaček participated as a member of the Czech National Team at the 2014 and 2015 World U18 Championship s (winning the silver medal at the 2014 tournament and being named one of the top 3 players on the Czech team at the 2015 tournament) and at the 2015, 2016 and 2017 World Junior Championship s (being named one of the top 3 players on the Czech squad at the 2016 and 2017 tournaments).