Petr Sýkora

Petr Sýkora (born November 19, 1976 in Plzen, Czechoslovakia) is a professional ice hockey right wing, who is currently an unrestricted free agent in the NHL. He most recently played for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL, where he was a member of their 2009 Stanley Cup Champinship.

Playing career
Before being drafted, Sykora spent several seasons in the Czechoslovak Extraliga and the IHL. As a Cleveland Lumberjack, Sykora became the youngest player ever to play in the IHL at 17 years and 71 days.

In the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, Sykora was drafted in the first round, 18th overall, by the New Jersey Devils. Among that draft class, only Jarome Iginla has scored more points.

Sykora began his NHL career in 1995–96 with New Jersey, posting 42 points in his rookie campaign, as well as being chosen as the NHL Rookie of the Month for December. In his fourth NHL season, his career would take off, recording a breakout 72 points, which still stands as the second highest total of his career. As part of the Devils' effective A-line, with Patrik Eliáš and Jason Arnott, he helped lead the team to a Stanley Cup in 2000. However, in Game 6, in Dallas, Sykora suffered an injury and ended up in the hospital. When the Devils won Game 6 to win the Stanley Cup, the head coach, Larry Robinson and linemate Patrik Elias, wore Sykora's jersey for Petr.. The next season, Sykora and the Devils were only a game away from repeating as Stanley Cup champions, but lost in the seventh game to the Colorado Avalanche. That year, Sykora recorded career highs in goals (35), assists (46), and points (81).

However, the next season, Sykora's offensive production dropped to just 48 points, and the before the start of 2002–03, he was traded to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for Jeff Friesen and Oleg Tverdovsky. In his first season with Anaheim, Sykora appeared in his third Stanley Cup final, but lost to his former teammates from New Jersey. En route to the finals, he scored the game-winning quintuple-overtime goal in the fourth-longest playoff game in NHL history in Game 1 of the quarter finals against Dallas.

In 2002, Sykora was selected to play for the Czech Republic in the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, where the team placed fourth. Two years later, Sykora also represented the Czech Republic in the 2004 World Cup. However, his greatest achievement on an international level came the following year during the 2005 World Championships, in which Sykora helped lead the Czechs to the finals to play Team Canada. In a stunning upset, the Czechs beat Canada 3-0, marking Sykora's first gold medal in an international tournament.

While the NHL lockout was in effect, Sykora played for Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Russian Super League, scoring 31 points in 45 games. As NHL play resumed, in 2005–06, Sykora requested to be traded from Anaheim and on January 9, 2006, the New York Rangers acquired Sykora in exchange for young defenceman Maxim Kondratiev and the return of a 4th round draft pick the Rangers had previously traded to Anaheim.

After completing the season with New York, it was announced on July 7, 2006, that Sykora would not return to the Rangers, and he was subsequently signed to a one-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers. On a line with countryman Ales Hemsky, Sykora maintained the previous few seasons' scoring output and managed 53 points.

In July 2007, Sykora signed a 2-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins as an unrestricted free agent. After initially playing with Sidney Crosby, Sykora was later lined up with Evgeni Malkin after Crosby suffered an injury towards the end of the season. Benefiting from high-caliber linemates, Sykora enjoyed his best offensive season since 2000–01, tallying 63 points.

Reaching the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals against the Detroit Red Wings, Sykora scored an overtime goal in game five after "calling" it to on-ice reporter Pierre McGuire in the second overtime. With the Penguins down 3-1 in the series, Sykora scored the next period on the powerplay to force a game six. However, the Penguins could not stave off elimination for a second straight game and lost the Cup to Detroit. The series marked Sykora's fourth time playing in a Stanley Cup final.

On December 11, 2008, Sykora scored his 8th, 9th, and 10th goals of the season for his first career NHL hat trick against the New York Islanders at Mellon Arena. Sykora had previously recorded 38 career two-goal games in his career, the all-time NHL record for most two-goal games without a single hat trick.

On April 7, 2009, Sykora scored his 300th career NHL goal in a 6-4 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Sykora won a Stanley Cup on June 12, 2009 while with the Penguins. On July 1, he became a free agent. He was Signed by the Minnesota Wild in 2009-10 and then sent down to the AHL's Houston Aeros