| David Krejčí | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Krejčí with theBoston Bruins in March 2014 | |||
| Born | (1986-04-28)28 April 1986 (age 39) | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 188 lb (85 kg; 13 st 6 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | Boston Bruins HC Pardubice HC Olomouc | ||
| National team |  Czech Republic | ||
| NHL draft | 63rd overall,2004 Boston Bruins | ||
| Playing career | 2006–2023 | ||
David Krejčí (Czech pronunciation:[ˈdavɪtˈkrɛjtʃiː], born 28 April 1986) is a Czech former professionalice hockeycentre who played 16 seasons in theNational Hockey League with theBoston Bruins. He was part of the Bruins'Stanley Cup win in2011 and led the NHL in points during the2011 and2013 Stanley Cup playoffs. Internationally he has played for theCzech national team at several tournaments, including the2010,2014, and2022 Winter Olympics and fourWorld Championships.
Krejčí was drafted by theBoston Bruins in the third round, 63rd overall, of the2004 NHL Entry Draft.[1] He was drafted out of Czech junior leagues, having played forHC Kladno. Following his selection, he moved to North America to playmajor junior hockey in theQuebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for theGatineau Olympiques for two seasons. In his two seasons with the Gatineau Olympiques, Krejčí played in 117 games recording 49 goals, recording 144 points.[2]
Krejčí turned professional in2006–07, playing for the Bruins'American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, theProvidence Bruins. He played in his first NHL game on 30 January 2007 in a 7–1 loss against theBuffalo Sabres but suffered aconcussion from Buffalo'sAdam Mair during his third shift. He recorded just 2:07 minutes of ice time. Krejčí played increasingly with Boston the following season, appearing in 56 NHL games to go with 25 games for Providence. On 19 February 2008, Krejčí was involved in a shootout tie-breaker round in a Bruins road game against theCarolina Hurricanes and scored to help the Bruins take the shootout 2–1.[3] Krejčí's shootout tally would not register as his first NHL goal, as shootout goals do not count towards a player's statistical totals. Krejčí scored his first official NHL goal one week later, on 26 February againstMartin Gerber of theOttawa Senators, the second Bruins' goal in a 4–0 home shutout. He finished his rookie NHL season with 6 goals and 27 points.
During the2008–09 season, Krejčí scored his first NHL hat-trick on 18 December 2008 against theToronto Maple Leafs. He registered his first two goals against starterVesa Toskala and his third againstCurtis Joseph in an 8–5 Bruins win. About the midpoint of that season,NESN's play-by-play TV announcerJack Edwards for televised Bruins games gave Krejčí the nickname"The Matrix" due to his ability to slow down the pace of a game through his skating style and abilities on the ice.[4] Before a game on 2 April 2009, Krejčí was named the winner of the Boston Bruins' 2009 Seventh Player Award. The award is given annually to the player who "goes beyond the call of duty and exceeds all expectations" throughout the course of the season. During the game, Krejčí assisted on a goal byMilan Lucic, the 2008 winner of the Seventh Player Award, in a 2–1 home ice victory over the Ottawa Senators. He completed his second NHL season with a then-career-high 73 points in 82 games to go with a league-high +37plus-minus rating.[1] On 2 June 2009, he signed a multi-year contract extension with the Bruins, reportedly a three-year contract paying an average of $3.75 million per year.[5]
At the beginning of November 2009, Krejčí was noticeably ill; on 5 November 2009, it was confirmed that Krejčí had been diagnosed with theH1N1 virus, which sidelined him for some time.[6]
On 5 May 2010, during the2010 Stanley Cup playoffs, Krejčí dislocated his wrist less than five minutes into a game when he was checked at the Bruins' blue line byPhiladelphia Flyers' centreMike Richards. Surgery was needed and was performed following the game atUnion Memorial Hospital inBaltimore, and Krejčí missed the remainder of the playoffs.
On 25 May 2011, in Game 6 of theEastern Conference Finals against theTampa Bay Lightning, Krejčí recorded his second NHL career hat-trick. He was the first Bruin to record a playoff hat-trick sinceCam Neely, two decades prior. On 15 June, Krejčí and the Bruins won the team's firstStanley Cup in 39 years after defeating theVancouver Canucks 4–0 in Game 7 of theFinals. Krejčí finished the 2011 playoffs with a playoff-leading 12 goals, 23 points and 4 game-winning goals.
On 1 March 2012, in a game against theNew Jersey Devils, Krejčí scored his third career hat-trick, scoring in the first, third and overtime periods in a 4–3 win. In Game 4 of the2013 opening round playoffs against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Krejčí scored a hat-trick, including the game-winning goal in overtime. Krejčí would also lead the league again in points in the playoffs with 26, but his team fell short to theChicago Blackhawks 4–2 in theFinals.
On 1 October 2013, Krejčí was named analternate captain of the Bruins. On 25 October 2013, he scored a game-winning goal with 0.8 seconds left against theSan Jose Sharks and goaltenderAntti Niemi.[7]
On 3 September 2014, Krejčí signed a six-year contract extension with the Bruins.[8] During a road game on 20 February 2015 against theSt. Louis Blues, Krejčí suffered a partial tear of hisMCL in his left knee, forcing him off the ice for 4–6 weeks for recovery.[9]
During the Bruins' home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on 8 December 2018, Krejčí became the tenth-highest scoring Bruins player of all-time (surpassing Cam Neely) when he recorded a goal and an assist in a 6–3 Bruins' win, bringing his points total to 592.[10] Three days later, on 11 December, Krejčí played his 800th NHL game, recording three assists in a Bruins' 4–3 home win over theArizona Coyotes.[11] Just one week later, on 20 December, Krejčí recorded his 600th career NHL point after scoring the Bruins' third goal in a 4–1home ice defeat of theAnaheim Ducks.[12]
As of the end of the2020–21 season, Krejčí's 42 playoff goals ranked him seventh on the Bruins' all-time list of postseason scorers. At that time, he was also ranked 16th in Boston history in regular-season goals scored (215), seventh in assists (515) and eighth in total points (730).
On 30 July 2021, Krejčí announced that he was leaving the NHL and intended to return to theCzech Republic to continue his career.[13] The Bruins' general manager,Don Sweeney, indicated that the team would "keep the door open" for a return in the future if Krejčí decided to return.[14]
In his return to his roots, Krejčí returned to his first club as a junior, agreeing to a one-year contract with Czech club,HC Olomouc of the Czech Extraliga (ELH), on 2 August 2021.[15] In the2021–22 season, as an alternate captain with Olomouc, Krejčí led the team in scoring, notching 20 goals and 46 points through 51 regular season games. He added 5 points through 5 post-season games in a qualifying round defeat toHC Vítkovice Ridera.
After concluding his one-year contract with Olomouc, Krejčí opted to return for a 16th season with the Bruins, agreeing to a bonus laden one-year, $1 million contract on 8 August 2022.[16] He played his1,000th NHL game on 16 January 2023 atTD Garden against thePhiladelphia Flyers, dishing out three assists in a 6–0 victory.[17]
On 14 August 2023, Krejčí retired from the NHL after 18 seasons.[18] However, he later clarified he had not retired from hockey overall, due to interest in playing for theCzech national team at the Czech-hosted2024 IIHF World Championship, as well as a potential short-term return to a European professional league.[19]
On 1 December 2023, Krejčí retired from hockey entirely due to persistent health problems.[20]
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Czech Republic | ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| World Championships | ||
 | 2012 Finland/Sweden | |
| 2022 Finland | |
| World Junior Championships | ||
| 2005 United States | |
| IIHF World U18 Championship | ||
| 2004 Belarus | |
After the Bruins'2007–08 season ended, Krejčí was named to theCzech national team on 26 April 2008, for the2008 IIHF World Championships.[21] He was named to theCzech national team for the2010 Winter Olympics, playing centre on a line with wingersTomáš Fleischmann andMartin Erat to open the Games.
Following the Bruins' defeat to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round of the2018 playoffs, Krejčí was invited to participate at the2018 IIHF World Championship.[22]
Krejci was named an assistant captain for the Czech national team for the2022 Winter Olympics. Unfortunately, the Olympics would bring the worst result ever for the Czechs, as they finished 9th. However, Krejci and the Czechs would get redemption at the international level later that year, capturing his second bronze at the2022 IIHF World Championships, once again serving as an assistant captain.
Bold indicates led league
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2002–03 | HC Vagnerplast Kladno | CZE U18 | 22 | 12 | 24 | 36 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | HC Vagnerplast Kladno | CZE U20 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 8 | ||
| 2003–04 | HC Rabat Kladno | CZE U20 | 50 | 23 | 37 | 60 | 37 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 4 | ||
| 2004–05 | Gatineau Olympiques | QMJHL | 62 | 22 | 41 | 63 | 31 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 10 | ||
| 2005–06 | Gatineau Olympiques | QMJHL | 55 | 27 | 54 | 81 | 54 | 17 | 10 | 22 | 32 | 24 | ||
| 2006–07 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 69 | 31 | 43 | 74 | 47 | 13 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 22 | ||
| 2006–07 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Providence Bruins | AHL | 25 | 7 | 21 | 28 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 56 | 6 | 21 | 27 | 20 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 2008–09 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 82 | 22 | 51 | 73 | 26 | 11 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 2 | ||
| 2009–10 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 79 | 17 | 35 | 52 | 26 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 2 | ||
| 2010–11 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 75 | 13 | 49 | 62 | 28 | 25 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 10 | ||
| 2011–12 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 79 | 23 | 39 | 62 | 36 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 2012–13 | HC ČSOB Pojišťovna Pardubice | ELH | 24 | 16 | 11 | 27 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 47 | 10 | 23 | 33 | 20 | 22 | 9 | 17 | 26 | 8 | ||
| 2013–14 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 80 | 19 | 50 | 69 | 28 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 2014–15 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 47 | 7 | 24 | 31 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 72 | 17 | 46 | 63 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 82 | 23 | 31 | 54 | 26 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 64 | 17 | 27 | 44 | 18 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 6 | ||
| 2018–19 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 81 | 20 | 53 | 73 | 16 | 24 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 8 | ||
| 2019–20 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 61 | 13 | 30 | 43 | 23 | 13 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 6 | ||
| 2020–21 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 51 | 8 | 36 | 44 | 16 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 2 | ||
| 2021–22 | HC Olomouc | ELH | 51 | 20 | 26 | 46 | 24 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 2022–23 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 70 | 16 | 40 | 56 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | ||
| NHL totals | 1,032 | 231 | 555 | 786 | 359 | 160 | 43 | 85 | 128 | 60 | ||||
| ELH totals | 75 | 36 | 37 | 73 | 46 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Czech Republic | U18 | 5 | — | — | — | — | |
| 2004 | Czech Republic | WJC18 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2005 | Czech Republic | WJC | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2006 | Czech Republic | WJC | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | |
| 2008 | Czech Republic | WC | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2010 | Czech Republic | OG | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | |
| 2012 | Czech Republic | WC | 10 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 4 | |
| 2014 | Czech Republic | OG | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2018 | Czech Republic | WC | 5 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2022 | Czech Republic | OG | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2022 | Czech Republic | WC | 10 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 4 | |
| Junior totals | 20 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 6 | |||
| Senior totals | 44 | 11 | 24 | 35 | 16 | |||
But it was David Krejci's evening that stood out. ... The pivot's two-point output - while centering Marchand and Pastrnak - pushed him past Cam Neely for 10th place on the Bruins' all-time scoring list with 592 points. Krejci leapfrogged Boston's president with an assist on Krug's second-period tally and later added his fourth goal of the season - and second in the last two games - to extend the Bruins' lead to 5-1 at 4:37 of the third.
But to Marchand and Pastrnak, it was Krejci - playing in his 800th career game - who made the line go. The 32-year-old pivot, twice the NHL's leading playoff scoring, picked up helpers on all three goals, with each play prettier than the next.
David Krejci extended the lead to 3-0 at 5:21 of the third period. After Marchand lost the puck, Pastrnak recovered it, skated back toward the top of the circle and fed Krejci for a one-timer from the top of the right circle..."Yeah, I was looking for a one-timer, I was coming late," saidKrejci, whose goal was his 600th NHL point.
For now, David Krejci is off to play in his native Czech Republic...But if he decides down the road he'd like to return to the Boston Bruins, general manager Don Sweeney is keeping that door ajar..."We're wondering whether or not he may return at some point in time, but that's open-ended," Sweeney said Friday over Zoom.