Patrik EliÃ¡à ¡ (; born 13 April 1976) is a Czech former professional hockey winger who played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the New Jersey Devils. EliÃ¡à ¡ is the franchise's all-time leader in points, goals and assists, and he holds the franchise record for most career game-winning goals (80). EliÃ¡à ¡ won the Stanley Cup twice with the Devils, in 2000 and 2003. He also ranks third in points by a Czech-born player in the NHL behind JaromÃÂr Jágr and David Pastrnak. Internationally EliÃ¡à ¡ represented the Czech national team in multiple tournaments, including four Winter Olympics and four World Championships, winning one Olympic bronze medal and two more at the World Championships. He is a member of the Czech Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.
EliÃ¡à ¡ was born on 13 April 1976 in Tà ÂebÃÂÃÂ, Czechoslovakia to Zdeà Âka EliÃ¡à ¡ová and ZdenÃÂk EliÃ¡à ¡. EliÃ¡à ¡ and his older brothers Zdenek and Radek played organized hockey in Czechoslovakia, although the latter was forced to retire due to an injury.
EliÃ¡à ¡ was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the second round, 51st overall, in the 1994 NHL entry draft. He had been surprised by the selection as he believed no Devils scout had ever seen him play. Due to mandatory conscription laws, EliÃ¡à ¡ had to show the police his contract in order to be excused from the army.
After being cut from training camp, the Devils coaching staff were set to assign him to a major junior ice hockey team for the 1995âÂÂ96 season. However, EliÃ¡à ¡ convinced them to assign him to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Albany River Rats. He scored his first two AHL goals in the team's 1995âÂÂ96 season opener on 7 October. He later received a two-game suspension for making an "obscene gesture" during a game against the Adirondack Red Wings. EliÃ¡à ¡ made his NHL debut on 7 December 1995 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Due to the sudden nature of the recall, team owner John McMullen flew him on a private jet from Providence, Rhode Island to New Jersey. Upon returning to Albany, EliÃ¡à ¡ tied a franchise record by recording two goals and three assists in a single game on 14 February 1996. He finished the regular season with 27 goals and 36 assists for 63 points.
While EliÃ¡à ¡ spent the majority of the 1996âÂÂ97 season in the AHL with the Albany River Rats, he was occasionally recalled to the Devils lineup. He scored his first NHL regular-season goal on 12 December 1996 against the Boston Bruins. EliÃ¡à ¡ recorded two goals and three assists through 17 games with the Devils, but found the most success playing alongside Petr Sýkora and Sergei Brylin while with the River Rats. As the Devils qualified for the 1997 Stanley Cup playoffs, EliÃ¡à ¡ recorded his first playoff goal on 22 April against the Montreal Canadiens.
EliÃ¡à ¡ scored one goal through three games with the Devils to start the 1997âÂÂ98 season before being sidelined for a week due to back spasms. He was reassigned to the River Rats by head coach Jacques Lemaire on 16 October for a conditioning stint. Lemaire said the reassignment was not because of EliÃ¡à ¡'s back problems but because he wanted him to work harder. Within his first two games with the River Rats, EliÃ¡à ¡ scored his first professional hat-trick. He was recalled to the NHL shortly thereafter as a temporary injury replacement for Dave Andreychuk, but impressed Lemaire enough to remain in the NHL. EliÃ¡à ¡ was recognized as the NHL's Player of the Week on 3 November after scoring five goals and one assist through three games. By the start of December, EliÃ¡à ¡ was tied with Václav Prospal for third place in rookie scoring with 10 goals and five assists. He surpassed Prospal by the end of the month and secured first place in rookie scoring in January. Despite continuing to lead all rookies in scoring, EliÃ¡à ¡ was limited to two goals over 15 games in February. He was scratched twice before being reassigned to the River Rats on 27 February 1998 to make room for Ken Daneyko. While team general manager Lou Lamoriello admitted that he "deserves to play in the NHL," EliÃ¡à ¡ was one of three players the Devils could reassign to the AHL without having to clear waivers. However, he was almost immediately recalled back to the NHL as an injury replacement for Scott Daniels. After scoring a goal on 9 March, EliÃ¡à ¡ went nearly a month without scoring a goal before breaking the streak on 5 April. Despite his scoring struggles, EliÃ¡à ¡ was promoted onto a line with Bobby HolÃÂk and Randy McKay midway through March. He finished the regular season ranked second among rookies with 18 goals and third with 37 points. He was subsequently named a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year.
EliÃ¡à ¡ struggled offensively at the start of his sophomore season and went through a lengthy scoring drought. After scoring a goal on 16 October against the New York Rangers, EliÃ¡à ¡ went through a 16-game scoring drought. In part due to his struggles, he was benched by head coach Robbie Ftorek on 19 November. EliÃ¡à ¡ eventually scored his third goal of the season on 29 November to break the lengthy drought. In December, EliÃ¡à ¡ found success while playing alongside Petr Sýkora and Jason Arnott. Over a five-game period, EliÃ¡à ¡ scored seven points while the line combined for 28 goals. Although they were called numerous names throughout their early years together, the "A-Line" became their de facto nickname. Hockey analyst Bill Clement agreed with the choice of "A-Line" because "it's the Devils' No. 1 line, and Jason Arnott is the center. It's simple and straight-forward." After missing five games with the flu, EliÃ¡à ¡ returned to the Devils lineup on 26 January. He played a few games on Bobby HolÃÂk's line before head coach Robbie Ftorek reunited him with Sýkora and Arnott. In their first game back together, they combined for two goals and three assists in a 4âÂÂ1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. However, EliÃ¡à ¡ continued to struggle offensively and collected one goal and one assist in the following nine games. Ftorek also scratched him twice in a four-game span due to a perceived lack of effort. After serving as a healthy scratch, EliÃ¡à ¡ recorded eight goals and 15 assists through the next 21 games while remaining with Sýkora and Arnott. By the conclusion of the regular season, the trio had combined for 49 goals over 43 games and all three ranked in the top-five in team scoring. EliÃ¡à ¡ finished fifth on the team in scoring with 17 goals and 33 assists for 50 points, which helped them qualify for the 1999 Stanley Cup playoffs. In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Pittsburgh Penguins, EliÃ¡à ¡ assisted on both of Sýkora's goals to help the Devils clinch a 3âÂÂ1 win. However, all three members of the "A-Line" struggled to score in the following games. He finished the playoffs with no goals and five assists as the Devils were eliminated by the Penguins.
Due to stagnant contract negotiations, EliÃ¡à ¡ missed the first few three weeks of the 1999âÂÂ00 season before agreeing to a three-year contract on 25 October. Despite signing the contract, EliÃ¡à ¡ shared his displeasure with the process, stating: "I signed because there was no other way, not because of what they offered me. I think you get screwed when you're a young guy." Upon joining the team, EliÃ¡à ¡ recorded one goal over 18 games before scoring five goals in five consecutive games in mid-December. While remaining on a line with Petr Sýkora and Jason Arnott, he scored seven game-winning goals between 14 December and 26 January and maintained a 15-game scoring streak in January. His lengthy streak set a new franchise record for most consecutive games with a goal. When the streak ended on 28 January, he had recorded 15 goals and nine assists for 24 points. Due to his success, EliÃ¡à ¡ was named to Team World at the 2000 National Hockey League All-Star Game. He continued to improve following the All-Star Game, and became the first Devils player to reach 30 goals in a season since 1994. He finished the regular season with a team-leading 35 goals and 37 assists, which helped them qualify for the 2000 Stanley Cup playoffs.
EliÃ¡à ¡ continued to lead the team in scoring through the playoffs and finished with seven goals and 13 assists for 20 points. In their first-round matchup against the Florida Panthers, EliÃ¡à ¡ recorded one goal and three assists. His three points in Game 4 helped clinch the series win for the Devils and advance them to the Eastern Conference semifinals. In their second-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, EliÃ¡à ¡ assisted on Sýkora's first-period goal in Game 6 to mark the second-fastest goal in franchise playoff history. By the end of the series, he ranked in the top-15 league-wide with six assists through nine games. After eliminating the Maple Leafs, EliÃ¡à ¡ and the Devils faced off against the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference final. Although the Devils won Game 1 against the Flyers, they lost the following three games and were on the brink of elimination. However, they then became the first team in NHL history to come back from a 3âÂÂ1 deficit in a conference final and pushed the series to a deciding Game 7. EliÃ¡à ¡ scored the Devils only two goals of the game to secure a 2âÂÂ1 win over the Flyers and advance them to the 2000 Stanley Cup Finals. The "A-Line" finished with a combined eight goals and nine assists for 17 points over the six-game series. Due to his two-goal game, EliÃ¡à ¡ held the team lead with seven goals. In Game 1 of the Finals against the Dallas Stars, the "A-Line" combined for four goals and seven assists to lift the Devils to a 7âÂÂ3 win. In the first period of Game 6, Sýkora collided with Stars defenceman Derian Hatcher and was transferred to Baylor University Medical Center. EliÃ¡à ¡ and Arnott remained linemates for the remainder of the game and combined on the Stanley Cup-clinching goal in double-overtime. Arnott later credited EliÃ¡à ¡ for making the goal happen, stating: "What a great pass...He made the whole play possible. I had the easy part." Upon winning the Stanley Cup, EliÃ¡à ¡, Arnott, Scott Stevens, and team trainer Bill Murray brought the trophy to Sýkora's hospital room.
As a result of Arnott's contract dispute and Sýkora's tonsillectomy, EliÃ¡à ¡ began the 2000âÂÂ01 season without his usual linemates. While missing both Arnott and defenseman Scott Niedermayer, the Devils endured a six-game losing streak that matched their franchise record set in 1991. Through their first six-games together, the trio combined for 16 points and EliÃ¡à ¡ recorded his first career hat-trick. By 20 December, he had recorded 14 goals and 20 assists for 34 points. While EliÃ¡à ¡ ranked second on the team in goals and points, all three members of the "A-Line" saw a dip in production levels through January. This eventually resulted in Larry Robinson splitting up the "A-Line" for a few games at the end of January. While their original split up was short-lived, injuries to Arnott and Sýkora in February resulted in EliÃ¡à ¡ played alongside Sergei Nemchinov and Alexander Mogilny. Head coach Robinson praised EliÃ¡à ¡'s growth without his usual linemates, stating: "He's using his speed, going to the net, he's finally using his shot more. He's working on his game, staying out for extra practice and shooting the puck. It's nice to see." His individual efforts were further recognized as he was named the NHL's Player of the Week after tallying four goals and seven assists through four games. Once Arnott and Sýkora recovered in early March, the three were reunited on the top line and combined for 11 points in their first game back. However, as the month progressed, Robinson was vocally critical of the "A-Line" and told the media that Arnott "has been carrying those other two kids." Following this comment, EliÃ¡à ¡ scored a hat-trick with 8.4 seconds remaining in overtime against the Edmonton Oilers on 18 March. His hat-trick made him the third Devils player to reach 30 goals that season and helped the Devils extend their winning streak to 10 games. On 23 March, EliÃ¡à ¡ scored two goals to help the Devils tie the NHL's fourth-longest winning streak in league history. When their streak ended in March, the "A-Line" had combined for 68 total points. EliÃ¡à ¡ recorded another hat-trick on 3 April to solidify the Devils' first-place position in the Eastern Conference. Two games later, EliÃ¡à ¡ and John Madden set a team record by scoring eight seconds apart in an eventual 5âÂÂ2 win over the Boston Bruins. His goal also helped him reach the 40-goal plateau for the first time in his career and broke Kirk Muller's franchise record for most points in a season. EliÃ¡à ¡ finished the regular season ranked third in the NHL with 96 points. This would stand as the Devils' single-season points record until 2023.
EliÃ¡à ¡'s nine goals and 14 assists through the 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs helped the Devils return to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second consecutive season. EliÃ¡à ¡ opened the Eastern Conference quarterfinals with a goal and two assists to lead the Devils to a 5âÂÂ1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. He scored another goal in Game 6 of the series games to help ensure the Devils advanced to the semifinals against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The "A-Line" finished the series with a combined five goals and six assists through six games. However, they struggled in their second-round series against the Maple Leafs and went goalless through their first two games. After a private meeting between the three linemates before Game 6, EliÃ¡à ¡ assisted on Arnott's third period goal to secure a 4âÂÂ2 win over the Maple Leafs. He then scored two goals in Game 7, including the game-winner, to ensure the Devils qualified for the Eastern Conference finals. Over the first four games of the Conference finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the "A-Line" combined for eight goals and six assists. EliÃ¡à ¡ also set a new franchise playoff record by maintaining a nine-game point streak. He extended his point streak to 10 games as the Devils defeated the Penguins and returned to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second consecutive year. He entered Game 1 tied for the team lead with 18 points and ranked first with 11 assists. Through the first four games of the Finals, the "A-Line" combined for three goals. After being shutout in Game 6, the "A-Line" combined for the sole Devils goal in Game 7 as they lost the Cup to the Colorado Avalanche.
The Devils started the 2001âÂÂ02 season with four consecutive losses before EliÃ¡à ¡ tallied a hat-trick and two assists in a 6âÂÂ1 win over the San Jose Sharks. He recorded another hat trick on 9 November to help the Devils overcome a two-goal deficit and beat the Maple Leafs 3âÂÂ2. By mid-November, EliÃ¡à ¡ led the "A-Line" with 13 goals and 12 assists. However, the "A-Line's" struggles, as well the Devils drop in the standings, led Robinson to split them up twice in November. While the first time was largely unsuccessful, the second time resulted in the Devils snapping a seven-game winless streak. While playing alongside Bobby Holik and Andreas Salomonsson, EliÃ¡à ¡ tallied one assist in the game while Arnott and Sýkora scored one goal each. When Robinson reunited the "A-Line," EliÃ¡à ¡'s endured a six-game scoring drought as the team struggled to win games through early December. His struggles crescendoed on 10 December when the "A-Line" was benched for the majority of the third period in their loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Following the game, Robinson split up the "A-Line" by placing EliÃ¡à ¡ with Scott Gomez and Turner Stevenson and promoting Salomonsson to the first line with Arnott and Sýkora. They remained apart until the start of January when EliÃ¡à ¡ and Arnott approached Robinson and asked him to reunite the "A-Line" for the first time since 15 December. However, on 4 January EliÃ¡à ¡ began feeling ill due to an infected finger and was eventually hospitalized. Due to his injury, the "A-Line" was once again split up. At the time, he ranked first on the Devils scoring leaderboard with 16 goals and 18 assists. Once he recovered, EliÃ¡à ¡ skated with Scott Gomez and Sergei Nemchinov while Christian Berglund remained as the left winger on the "A-Line." As a result of their poor start to the 2001âÂÂ02 season, the Devils fired Robinson at the end of January and replaced him with Kevin Constantine. Upon returning to the Devils after the 2002 Winter Olympics, EliÃ¡à ¡ was shifted into a centreman position while Arnott sat out due to a back injury. In his second game at centre, EliÃ¡à ¡ broke a five-game scoring drought with three assists against the New York Rangers. After Arnott was traded to the Dallas Stars, EliÃ¡à ¡ joined Joe Nieuwendyk and Jamie Langenbrunner's line. He scored four goals in his first four games with Nieuwendyk and Langenbrunner. The Devils rallied to qualify for the 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs, but were eliminated in the first round by the Carolina Hurricanes. In the offseason, Sýkora was traded to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
As a result of their early elimination in the playoffs, the Devils fired Constantine and replaced him with Pat Burns. Under Burns, the Devils returned to the Stanley Cup Finals and won their second Cup in three years. EliÃ¡à ¡ played a key role in New Jersey's Stanley Cup victory by recording seven points (three goals and four assists) in the finals series against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
During the 2004âÂÂ05 NHL lockout, EliÃ¡à ¡ played hockey in the Russian Superleague (RSL) for Metallurg Magnitogorsk. While playing in Russia, EliÃ¡à ¡ contracted Hepatitis A and spent nearly a month in a Czech Republic hospital. As a result of the illness, he dropped from 195 pounds to 168 and struggled to move around. He subsequently missed the first three months of the 2005âÂÂ06 season before making his season debut on 3 January 2006, against the Florida Panthers. EliÃ¡à ¡ scored two goals and six assists in his first four games back from his illness which helped the Devils maintain a four-game win streak. However, while representing his home country at the 2006 Winter Olympics, EliÃ¡à ¡ suffered a back and rib injury that bothered him for the remainder of the season. He was eventually placed on the teams' injured reserve list on 2 March retroactive to 15 February. EliÃ¡à ¡ recorded three assists in his first four games back from his injury and finished the regular season with 16 goals and 29 assists.
As the Devils qualified for the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs, EliÃ¡à ¡ played a significant role in the Devils' four-game sweep of the New York Rangers. In Game 1 of their first round series, EliÃ¡à ¡ recorded two goals and four assists. His six points were the second most ever scored in one playoff game in franchise history and secured his place as the Devils' leading playoff scorer. He scored twice in Game 4 to help the Devils advance to the second round and finished the playoffs with six goals and 10 assists in nine games. Before free agency began, EliÃ¡à ¡ fired his agent and made the decision to represent himself. However, after initiating discussions directly with general manager Lou Lamoriello, he chose to hire Allan Walsh to act as his representative while he was in the Czech Republic. As a free agent, EliÃ¡à ¡ received a $7.5 million offer from the Chicago Blackhawks but ultimately accepted a $7 million contract with the Rangers. However, the Rangers contract never came to fruition after the team's general manager refused to include a no-movement clause in the contract. Following this, EliÃ¡à ¡ reached out to Lamoriello, and the two sides came to terms on a seven-year, $42 million contract that included the requested no-movement clause.
EliÃ¡à ¡ was named the Devils' seventh captain in the team's history on 5 October 2006. However, he later admitted that being named captain hurt his play in the 2006âÂÂ07 season and contributed to his low goals total. Under new head coach Brent Sutter, EliÃ¡à ¡ was stripped of the captaincy at the start of the 2007âÂÂ08 season and replaced with Jamie Langenbrunner. EliÃ¡à ¡ stated that he was never informed of the reason behind Sutter's decision to strip him of his captaincy.
On 17 March 2009, EliÃ¡à ¡ became the Devils' all-time leading point scorer by recording his 702nd NHL regular season point, an assist on Brian Gionta's shorthanded goal. However, as teammate Martin Brodeur also set his own record that night with his 551st win, EliÃ¡à ¡ gave the game puck to him instead. EliÃ¡à ¡ was the winner of the 2009 Golden Hockey Stick as the best Czech hockey player, ending JaromÃÂr Jágr's four-year streak.
While EliÃ¡à ¡ missed the first 13 games of the 2009âÂÂ10 season with a groin injury, he scored three goals and seven assists over his first 10 games back. He scored his 300th career goal on 12 December 2009, against the Philadelphia Flyers.
EliÃ¡à ¡ was selected to be the Devils' sole representative at the 2011 NHL All-Star Game in Raleigh, North Carolina. This was his third All-Star appearance, and he was eventually selected by Team Staal in the first-ever NHL All-Star "fantasy draft". On 19 February 2011, EliÃ¡à ¡ recorded the 800th NHL point by tallying three assists in a 4âÂÂ1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. On 1 April 2011, EliÃ¡à ¡ scored his eighth career hat trick in a win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
On 17 December 2011, EliÃ¡à ¡ scored his 347th and 348th career goals to surpass John MacLean as the Devils' all-time leading goalscorer. EliÃ¡à ¡ played his 1,000th career NHL game on 6 January 2012, against the Florida Panthers. In the game, he scored a goal and recorded two assists in a 5âÂÂ2 victory. On 3 February 2012, EliÃ¡à ¡ was fined $2,500 by the NHL's Department of Player Safety for his hit on Michael Blunden during a game against the Montreal Canadiens.
On 27 January 2013, EliÃ¡à ¡ recorded his 900th career NHL point with one goal and two assists against the Montreal Canadiens. On 4 July 2013, EliÃ¡à ¡ signed a three-year $16.5 million contract to remain with the Devils.
EliÃ¡à ¡ set numerous personal and franchise records through the second half of the 2015âÂÂ16 season. On 6 January 2015, EliÃ¡à ¡ recorded one goal and two assists to become the 82nd player in NHL history to reach 1,000 career points. On 6 February, he became the 91st player in NHL history to record 400 career goals. His milestone goal also helped lift the Devils to a 4âÂÂ1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
On 31 March 2017, EliÃ¡à ¡ announced his retirement from professional ice hockey.
On 3 August 2017, the Devils announced that his no. 26 would be retired on 24 February 2018, prior to a game against the New York Islanders, the team against whom EliÃ¡à ¡ played the most games in his career (91) and scored the most points against (86) over his career. EliÃ¡à ¡ became the first forward to have his number retired by the Devils and the fifth Devil overall.
EliÃ¡à ¡ played his first game in the national squad in 1998, and has played 40 times for the national team, scoring 20 goals (as of end of season 2010/2011). He was selected as captain of the Czech squad for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
EliÃ¡à ¡ married Petra Volakova, also a native Czech, in the 2007 off-season. Together they have two daughters. On 10 January 2018, EliÃ¡à ¡ became a naturalized citizen of the United States. Due to his experience with Hepatitis A, EliÃ¡à ¡ became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2006. In his role as an ambassador, he volunteered in Belize with Czech UNICEF in 2008.