Jirí Dopita
Encyclopedia
Jiří Dopita (ˈjɪr̝iː ˈdopɪta, born December 2, 1968 in Šumperk
, Czechoslovakia
) is Czech professional ice hockey
player who has played in the Czech Elite League
most of his career. He briefly played in the National Hockey League
. Dopita has primarily played centre throughout his career.
, but never came to North America while the Bruins owned his rights. However, starting in 1993, Dopita joined the German Bundesliga with the Berlin Polar Bears, averaging over a point per game in the Bundeliga and with Berlin's later entry in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.
Starting in the 1995–96 season, Dopita returned to his native Czech Republic and played with Vsetín HC of the Czech Extraliga
. Dopita continued his scoring pace in the Czech Republic, averaging over a point per game every year in six seasons with Vsetín, compiling 315 career points, and being selected again in the NHL draft, this time in 1998
by the New York Islanders
. However, once again, Dopita would not play with the Islanders.
By the late 1990s, some considered Dopita the best player outside the NHL. He was a member of the gold medal-winning Czech team
at the 1998 Winter Olympics, and was named Czech player of the year in 2001, the first non-NHLer to win the award since Roman Turek
in 1994. When his NHL rights were moved to the Philadelphia Flyers
, the Flyers made a concerted effort to bring Dopita to the NHL. The Flyers had convinced Dopita's former Vsetin HC teammate Roman Cechmanek
to come to North America prior to the previous season and the 32-year old Dopita agreed to join him in Philadelphia for the 2001–02 NHL season.
However, Dopita's time in the NHL was to be disappointing. He recorded respectable totals getting limited ice time with Philadelphia, but a knee injury limited him to 52 games. After the season, his rights were traded to the Edmonton Oilers
, where he was expected to be a top-two centre. However, Dopita had a terrible season, recording only six points in 21 games.
After only two years in the NHL, Dopita returned to the Czech Republic, this time with Pardubice HC. In his second year with Pardubice, at age 36, Dopita recorded less than a point per game in European competition for the first time since his time with Olomouc HC. For 2005–06, Dopita joined HC JME Znojemští Orli
and has remained with the team for 2006–07 season too.
On 5 May 2006 Dopita became the majority shareholder of Olomouc HC.
Dopita now plays for HC Kometa Brno.
Šumperk
Šumperk is a town and district in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It is called "The Gate to Jeseníky mountains."- History :Šumperk was founded by German colonists in 1269. The German name Schönberg means "beautiful hill", and the name Šumperk is a Czech garbling of the original German...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
) is Czech professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player who has played in the Czech Elite League
Czech Extraliga
The Czech Extraliga is the highest-level ice hockey league in the Czech Republic. As of 2009, it is ranked by the IIHF as the third strongest league in Europe....
most of his career. He briefly played in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
. Dopita has primarily played centre throughout his career.
Playing career
Early in his career, Dopita attracted little notice as a professional prospect. At age 23, Dopita was selected in the sixth round of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the Boston BruinsBoston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, but never came to North America while the Bruins owned his rights. However, starting in 1993, Dopita joined the German Bundesliga with the Berlin Polar Bears, averaging over a point per game in the Bundeliga and with Berlin's later entry in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.
Starting in the 1995–96 season, Dopita returned to his native Czech Republic and played with Vsetín HC of the Czech Extraliga
Czech Extraliga
The Czech Extraliga is the highest-level ice hockey league in the Czech Republic. As of 2009, it is ranked by the IIHF as the third strongest league in Europe....
. Dopita continued his scoring pace in the Czech Republic, averaging over a point per game every year in six seasons with Vsetín, compiling 315 career points, and being selected again in the NHL draft, this time in 1998
1998 NHL Entry Draft
The 1998 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 27 at the Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, New York. A total of 258 players were drafted.- Selections by round :Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.- Round one :- Round two :...
by the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. However, once again, Dopita would not play with the Islanders.
By the late 1990s, some considered Dopita the best player outside the NHL. He was a member of the gold medal-winning Czech team
Czech national ice hockey team
The Czech men's national ice hockey team is the national ice hockey team of the Czech Republic. It is one of the most successful national ice hockey teams in the world, currently ranked fifth by the IIHF, behind Finland. It is controlled by the Czech Ice Hockey Association...
at the 1998 Winter Olympics, and was named Czech player of the year in 2001, the first non-NHLer to win the award since Roman Turek
Roman Turek
Roman Turek is a retired Czech professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, and Calgary Flames in a 9-year National Hockey League career...
in 1994. When his NHL rights were moved to the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, the Flyers made a concerted effort to bring Dopita to the NHL. The Flyers had convinced Dopita's former Vsetin HC teammate Roman Cechmanek
Roman Cechmanek
Roman Čechmánek is a former Czech professional ice hockey goaltender. He played professionally in the United States, Czech Republic, and Germany. He was born in Gottwaldov, Czechoslovakia.-Playing career:...
to come to North America prior to the previous season and the 32-year old Dopita agreed to join him in Philadelphia for the 2001–02 NHL season.
However, Dopita's time in the NHL was to be disappointing. He recorded respectable totals getting limited ice time with Philadelphia, but a knee injury limited him to 52 games. After the season, his rights were traded to the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
, where he was expected to be a top-two centre. However, Dopita had a terrible season, recording only six points in 21 games.
After only two years in the NHL, Dopita returned to the Czech Republic, this time with Pardubice HC. In his second year with Pardubice, at age 36, Dopita recorded less than a point per game in European competition for the first time since his time with Olomouc HC. For 2005–06, Dopita joined HC JME Znojemští Orli
HC JME Znojemští Orli
Orli Znojmo is a Czech-based ice hockey team that currently plays in the Austrian Hockey League. The club is based in Znojmo and their home arena is Hostan Arena....
and has remained with the team for 2006–07 season too.
On 5 May 2006 Dopita became the majority shareholder of Olomouc HC.
Dopita now plays for HC Kometa Brno.
Awards and achievements
- Olympic gold medal winner for the Czech RepublicCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
in the 1998 Winter Olympics1998 Winter OlympicsThe 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
in Nagano - IIHF World ChampionIce Hockey World ChampionshipsThe Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...
: 1996, 2000, 20012001 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships-Championship:Final standings# # # # # # # # # # # # # # — relegated to Division I for 2002# — relegated to Division I for 2002# - Group A :Group A was played in Grenoble, France between April 16 and April 22, 2001... - Golden Stick Award: 2001 (the highest trophy an ice hockey player can get in the Czech Republic)
- Czech Extraliga - Champion: 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2005
- Czech Extraliga - Regular Season MVP: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
- Czech Extraliga - Play-Off MVP: 1994, 1996, 2001
- Czech Extraliga - Leading Goal Scorer: 1997, 2000
- German DEL - Leading Point Scorer: 1995
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1989–90 | Dukla Jihlava HC | CSSR Extraliga Czechoslovak Extraliga The Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League was the elite ice hockey league in Czechoslovakia from 1930 until 1993, when the country split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Slovak Extraliga and Czech Extraliga formed from the split.-See also:... |
5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1990–91 | Olomouc HC | CSSR Extraliga Czechoslovak Extraliga The Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League was the elite ice hockey league in Czechoslovakia from 1930 until 1993, when the country split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Slovak Extraliga and Czech Extraliga formed from the split.-See also:... |
42 | 11 | 13 | 24 | 26 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1991–92 | Olomouc HC | CSSR Extraliga Czechoslovak Extraliga The Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League was the elite ice hockey league in Czechoslovakia from 1930 until 1993, when the country split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Slovak Extraliga and Czech Extraliga formed from the split.-See also:... |
38 | 22 | 19 | 41 | 28 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 1992–93 | Olomouc HC | CSSR Extraliga | 28 | 12 | 17 | 29 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1992–93 | Berlin Polar Bears | Bundesliga | 11 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 49 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1993–94 | Berlin Polar Bears | Bundesliga | 42 | 23 | 21 | 44 | 52 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1993–94 | Olomouc HC | Czech Extraliga Czech Extraliga The Czech Extraliga is the highest-level ice hockey league in the Czech Republic. As of 2009, it is ranked by the IIHF as the third strongest league in Europe.... |
-- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 12 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 0 | ||
| 1994–95 | Berlin Polar Bears | DEL | 42 | 28 | 40 | 68 | 55 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1995–96 | Vsetín HC | Czech Extraliga | 38 | 19 | 20 | 39 | 20 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 10 | ||
| 1996–97 | Vsetín HC | Czech Extraliga | 52 | 30 | 31 | 61 | 55 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 22 | ||
| 1997–98 | Vsetín HC | Czech Extraliga | 50 | 21 | 34 | 55 | 64 | 10 | 12 | 6 | 18 | 4 | ||
| 1998–99 | Vsetín HC | Czech Extraliga | 50 | 19 | 32 | 51 | 43 | 12 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 1999–00 | Vsetín HC | Czech Extraliga | 49 | 30 | 29 | 59 | 83 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 2000–01 | Vsetín HC | Czech Extraliga | 46 | 19 | 31 | 50 | 53 | 14 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 18 | ||
| 2001–02 | Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
52 | 11 | 16 | 27 | 8 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2002–03 2002-03 NHL season The 2002–03 NHL season was the 86th regular season of the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup winners were the New Jersey Devils, who won the best of seven series 4–3 against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. This was the last season before the NHL switched home and away jerseys.-Regular season:As... |
Edmonton Oilers Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League .... |
NHL | 21 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 11 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2003–04 | Pardubice HC | Czech Extraliga | 47 | 20 | 28 | 48 | 44 | 7 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 4 | ||
| 2004–05 | Pardubice HC | Czech Extraliga | 44 | 4 | 23 | 27 | 12 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 18 | ||
| 2005–06 | HC JME Znojemští Orli HC JME Znojemští Orli Orli Znojmo is a Czech-based ice hockey team that currently plays in the Austrian Hockey League. The club is based in Znojmo and their home arena is Hostan Arena.... |
Czech Extraliga | 43 | 9 | 14 | 23 | 26 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 4 | ||
| 2006–07 | HC JME Znojemští Orli | Czech Extraliga | 48 | 14 | 14 | 28 | 62 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 26 | ||
| 2007–08 | HC Znojemští Orli | Czech Extraliga | 42 | 14 | 16 | 30 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2008–09 | HC Znojemští Orli | Czech Extraliga | 40 | 10 | 21 | 31 | 8 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2009–10 | HC Kometa Brno | Czech Extraliga | 51 | 20 | 21 | 41 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| NHL Totals | 73 | 12 | 21 | 33 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| CZE Totals | 713 | 275 | 365 | 640 | 542 | 130 | 51 | 74 | 125 | 114 | ||||
| Career Totals | 881 | 345 | 455 | 769 | 717 | 130 | 51 | 74 | 125 | 114 | ||||
International play
External links
- Jiří Dopita's profile at HC Znojemští Orli webpage