ýubomÃÂr Vià ¡à Âovský (; born 11 August 1976) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey defenceman. He began and finished his professional career with HC Slovan Bratislava. He played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks, and New York Islanders.
Prior to joining the NHL, Vià ¡à Âovský played with HC Slovan Bratislava. He was drafted 118th overall in the 2000 NHL entry draft by the Los Angeles Kings as their fourth choice. He made the team for the 2000âÂÂ01 season and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team after a 39-point campaign, tops among rookie defencemen. Vià ¡à Âovský remained with the Kings for seven seasons, recording a career-high 67 points in 2005âÂÂ06 and being named to the 2007 NHL All-Star Game. He returned to play in his home country for the locked out 2004âÂÂ05 season.
On 29 June 2008, Vià ¡à Âovský was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for forward Jarret Stoll and defenceman Matt Greene, on the day before his no-trade clause would take effect. He was put on the injured reserve on 5 February 2009, after dislocating his shoulder in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks on 3 February. It was later revealed Vià ¡à Âovský required season-ending surgery to repair his labrum.
On 3 March 2010, Vià ¡à Âovský was traded to the Anaheim Ducks for Ryan Whitney and a sixth-round pick in the 2010 NHL entry draft. On 4 March 2011, Vià ¡à Âovský scored the first hat trick by a defenceman in Anaheim Ducks history, the third goal coming with four seconds left in overtime.
On 22 June 2012, Vià ¡à Âovský was traded to the New York Islanders for a second round pick in the 2013 NHL entry draft. Shortly thereafter, Vià ¡à Âovský filed a grievance through the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) seeking to void the trade, claiming that the no-trade clause in his original contract with Los Angeles was still valid, since he never revoked it when Edmonton traded him to Anaheim. An arbitrator ruled against Vià ¡à Âovský in this case and the trade was upheld.
The Islanders suspended Vià ¡à Âovský because he did not report to the team for the start of the NHL season. His agent, Neil Sheehy, said on 26 January 2013, that Vià ¡à Âovský will report to the team by 11 February. Vià ¡à Âovský later signed a two-year extension with the Islanders worth $4.75 million per year.
After parts of three seasons with the Islanders, Vià ¡à Âovský left as a free agent and was unsigned over the summer. On 16 September 2015, he was signed to a professional tryout (PTO) contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. Upon his release at the conclusion of training camp by the Blackhawks, Vià ¡à Âovský returned to HC Slovan Bratislava midway into the 2015âÂÂ16 season, signing a one-year deal on 27 October 2015. Vià ¡à Âovský announced his retirement in March 2016.