After 17 seasons spent with 7 different teams, veteran winger Radek Dvorak signed with the Carolina Hurricanes. Would his addition to the depth chart help the team make a push for the playoffs?
This is the fifth installment in an ongoing series focusing on players with short-lived stints with the Carolina Hurricanes. If you missed any of the previous articles, you can find them here:
What a first season Radek Dvorak had in the NHL. No, it wasn’t his most productive season, but it was a heck of a ride. The Florida Panthers’ first-round pick (10th overall) in the 1995 entry draft, Dvorak broke into the league immediately, putting up 27 points (13g, 14a) in 77 games during the 1995-96 season.
The Panthers finished 3rd in the Atlantic Division, earning themselves a first-round matchup against the Boston Bruins. The young team from South Florida made short work of their opponent, dispatching the Bruins in 5 games. They would go on to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins before running into a powerhouse Colorado Avalanche team in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Dvorak spent the following 3 1/2 seasons with the Panthers before being involved in back-to-back trades on December 30, 1999. In the end, he was a member of the New York Rangers, the team that he would have his best season with. Playing with fellow countrymen Petr Nedved and Jan Hlavac, Dvorak netted 31 goals and 67 points in the 2000-01 season.
This would be the first and only time that Dvorak hit the 20 or 30 goal mark, as his next best goal-scoring mark was 19. After 256 games on Broadway, he was shipped off to the Edmonton Oilers. While he did manage a 15 goal, 50 point campaign with the Oilers in 2003-04, Dvorak showed no indication that he was close to putting up another 30 goal season.
His stint in Edmonton also gave him the last taste of postseason hockey that he would experience in the NHL. In 2002-03, Dvorak picked up 1 goal in 4 games as the Oilers were eliminated in the first round by the Dallas Stars. In 2005-06, he saw action in 16 playoff games, picking up 2 assists as the Oilers made a surprise run to the Stanley Cup Finals.
I think we all know how that went:
ON THIS DAY IN 2005: @NHLCanes named Rod Brind'Amour captain. He led the club to a Stanley Cup championship in 2006. pic.twitter.com/Pq5k6rj40H
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) August 25, 2014
Over the next 7 seasons, Dvorak made stops in St. Louis, Florida (again), Atlanta, Dallas, and Anaheim. Of those locations, he only spent more than one season with the Panthers in his return stint.
As the summer of 2013 began ceding ground to fall, Dvorak, then 36, found himself without a home. That changed when Carolina Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford extended a training camp invitation to the veteran winger. Dvorak impressed enough in camp to earn a one-year contract with the Hurricanes.
"“His versatility and experience give our coaching staff a number of options with our lineup.”-Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford on the signing of RW Radek Dvorak"
Dvorak would appear in 60 games for the Hurricanes during the 2013-14 season. While his offensive output continued its downward trend, he did provide decent two-way play in a limited role. To be fair, he wasn’t signed to come in and put up 20+ goals and I’d say he delivered on what was expected of him.
Unfortunately, the Hurricanes finished 7th in the Metropolitan Division, missing the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season. On January 27, 2015, Dvorak announced his retirement from the NHL. Over 18 seasons he amassed 590 points (227g; 363a) in 1260 games.
What are your thoughts on Dvorak’s short stint with the Hurricanes?