Libor Hájek

Libor Hájek (born on February 4, 1998 in Smrček) is a Czech professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing with the New York Rangers of the NHL. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning, in the second-round, 37th overall, in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

Club career
Hájek began his junior career with the HCM Warrior Brno organisation. Before the end of the 2010-11 season moved Hájek to the HC Kometa Brno organisation where he finished the season with 3 games played with its under-16 team. Hájek continued with the HC Kometa Brno organisation until the end of the 2014-15 season.

Hájek made his senior debut playing 17 regular season games and 7 play-off games with HC Kometa Brno of the Tipsport Extraliga during the 2014-15 season. In this season, he also played 44 regular season games and 1 play-off game with the HC Kometa Brno under-20 team and 2 games with the HC Kometa Brno under-18 team.

In opting to continue his development in North America, Hájek was selected 2nd overall in the 2015 CHL Import Draft by the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL.

In the 2015-16 season spent with the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL played Hájek also at the CHL Top Prospects Game.

At the completion of his second season with the Blades, after 65 games played, Hájek was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning organisation on March 21, 2017. He immediately joined primary affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL on a try-out to play out the remainder of the 2016-17 season. He played there 8 games.

In the 2017-18 season, Hájek played 33 games with the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL and 25 regular season games plus 4 play-off games with the Regina Pats of the WHL. On February 26, 2018, Hájek was traded to the New York Rangers organisation, along with Vladislav Namestnikov, Brett Howden, and two draft picks, for Ryan McDonagh and J. T. Miller.

In the 2018-19 season, Hájek played 5 games with the New York Rangers of the NHL and 58 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL

In the next season played Hájek 28 games with the New York Rangers of the NHL and 23 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. Hájek recorded his first career NHL assist off a goal by Mika Zibanejad during the this season opener against the Winnipeg Jets on October 3, 2019.

Due to the delayed start of the 2020-21 North American season, Hájek began the 2020-21 season on loan with the HC Kometa Brno of the Tipsport Extraliga. He played there 10 games before he moved back to the New York Rangers of the NHL. He finished there the season with 44 games played.

International career
Hájek played with the Czech National Team at the 2014 World U17 Hockey Challenge, 2014 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament (winning there silver), 2015 and 2016 World U18 Championship s and at the 2018 World Junior Championship (being there selected one of the top 3 players on the Czech team as he was the tournament's leading defenceman with most assists (7) and most points (8) recorded).