Petr Sykora

Petr Sykora is a Czech winger on Dynamo Minsk.

Sykora was drafted in 1995 by the New Jersey Devils. In 2000, he recorded 72 points, helping lead New Jersey to the Stanley Cup. The following season, he scored 35 goals and 81 points, but the Devils lost in Game 7 to the Colorado Avalanche.

In 2002, he was traded to Anaheim. He helped the Ducks reach the Finals, but lost to the Devils. He requested a trade after the lockout and was dealt to the New York Rangers in 2006. He signed with the Edmonton Oilers, where he played with fellow Czech Ales Hemsky.

At the end of the season, Sykora signed with Pittsburgh. In his first season with Pittsburgh, he skated with both Crosby and Malkin, and finished with 63 points, the most he had scored since playing in New Jersey. In 2008, Sykora provided veteran leadership for the Penguins’ young team as they played to the Cup Finals. In Game 5, Sykora predicted that he would score the winner, and forced a Game 6 with his powerplay goal in the third overtime period. Sykora had a bit of an off year in 2008-09, scoring only 46 points in 76 games with the Pens, and was not re-signed for 2009. He signed with the Wild during the offseason. Injuries limited him to just 14 games in 2009-10, and he opted to return to the Czech Republic in 2010. He began the year with HC Plzen, but signed with Dynamo Minsk early in the year.

Sykora has played for the Czech Republic multiple times. He played at the 2002 Olympics, and the 2004 World Cup. In 2005, he led the Czechs to a gold medal at the World Hockey Championships over Team Canada.