Devastating news revealed in the tragic passing of a former NHL player
Photo credit: NHL
It's with saddened hearts we announce the passing of 141 game NHL veteran Tomas Kloucek.
Kloucek was a former NHL player who played 141 games split between the New York Rangers, Nashville Predators, and Atlanta Thrasher.
He died at the young age of 45 after sustaining injuries during a skiing accident in his native Czechia on Sunday according to multiple Czech Media outlets.
The news was sadly confirmed by his wife on the social media platform Instagram and news outlet Hockej.cz.
«We were hit by sad news - Tomas Kloucek died following a tragic accident,» Oceláři Třinec, one of his former teams, tweeted on X. «The tough defenseman played a total of 90 games for us. We wish his family and loved ones a lot of strength. Our sincere condolences.»
According to reports Kloucek would ski into a power pole and would be pronounced dead on scene. The incident occurred at Ski Resort spindlerův Mlyn near the border with Poland.
The former NHL defenseman was born in Prague, Czechia, and would begin his career playing hockey for the club Slavia.
He'd later be drafted by the New York Rangers 151st overall in the 1998 NHL Draft and would head overseas to Canada and play for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in the QMJHL.
Kloucek was a large menacing presence on the ice, at a towering 6'4, and weighed 245 pounds.
He'd spend six years of his professional hockey career playing for the Nashville Predators, Atlanta Thrashers, and the New York Rangers.
In those 141 games played he'd score 10 points (2 goals, 8 assists) and 250 PIMs, as he wasn't afraid to throw the body, or stick up for his teammates if we gauge his play by that stat.
After playing in the NHL he'd head overseas to play in his homeland Czecha, the KHL, and Slovakia and would play two more seasons in France with HC Epinal.
He would end his professional hockey career in 2017.
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