Roman Cechmanek was one among these European gamers whose star risen as quick as declined. He was not a broadly recognized draft decide, burst onto the scene within the NHL later in his profession and had a number of stable to nice seasons within the NHL. Then all of a sudden he disappeared.

(Picture by Jeff Gross/Getty Pictures)

Roman Cechmanek and his Early Profession

Roman Cechmanek was born on March 2, 1971, in Gottwaldov, then Czechoslovakia, the town that immediately known as Zlin within the Czech Republic. Notable Zlin alumni are former first total decide Roman Hamrlik, defenseman Karel Rachunek, and ahead Michal Grosek. Cechmanek began his skilled profession along with his native group in Zlin, then altering a couple of groups earlier than lastly settling with Vsetin of the Czech Elite League. He would go on to play with Vsetin for 5 seasons, profitable championships in every season. He was named the perfect goaltender within the Czech Elite League in the course of the 1994-95 season and the next 4 years. He additionally gained the Olympic gold medal in 1998 in Nagano because the backup goalie for the Czech Republic. By no means declaring a lot curiosity to play in North America, Cechmanek was by no means drafted till the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, at 29 years outdated, by the Philadelphia Flyers within the sixth spherical, 171st total.

Rise and Fall

Cechmanek had instantaneous success as soon as he came visiting to the NHL, making his debut in the course of the 2000-01 season. Enjoying for a Flyers group that appeared to eat up goaltenders like Lay’s potato chips, Cechmanek gained the beginning job from Brian Boucher who in as current because the prior season merely carried the Flyers to recreation 7 of the Japanese Convention Finals. Cechmanek could be chosen to play within the NHL All-Star Recreation in his first season and completed second in voting for the Vezina Trophy. He completed the season with a 2.01 goals-against common (GAA), a .921 save share and a 35-15-5 report. He was additionally 2nd within the league in shutouts with 10. Sadly, he had a disappointing playoff, together with an embarrassing eight–zero loss within the last recreation of the collection in opposition to the Buffalo Sabres. Cechmanek wasn’t utterly accountable, nonetheless, as your entire group performed effectively below the expectations.

2004 Season: Los Angeles Kings at New Jersey Devils February 15, 2004 And Participant Roman Cechmanek. (Picture by Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Pictures)Cechmanek would return because the Flyers beginning goaltender the next season and had one other stable yr, ending with a 2.05 GAA, .921 save share and a report of 24-13-6. In his second playoff run, Cechmanek would play very effectively within the first spherical in opposition to the Ottawa Senators. Sadly, the remainder of the group didn’t assist him as they solely scored 2 targets in your entire 5-game collection, a report low for the league. Cechmanek was upset along with his group’s efficiency and confirmed it publicly with shows of anger and frustration on the ice.

Roman CechmanekPhiladelphia Flyers (2001-02)TPS Exhale setup pic.twitter.com/cY6hkwzY4r— Tendy Gear (@Tendy_Gear) June 1, 2017

The next yr, 2002-03, Cechmanek had one other good season, sharing the William M. Jennings Trophy with the Devils’ Martin Brodeur and teammate Robert Esche for lowest GAA within the NHL. Whereas have a great season total, ending with a 1.83 GAA, a .925 save share and a report of 33-15-10, he was not as constant because the group would have favored all year long. Regardless of some glorious video games, he had an equal variety of horrible ones. The playoffs would offer the identical story. Cechmanek pitched two shutouts in a second spherical loss to Ottawa however he let up many delicate targets within the collection as effectively, and in a metropolis that’s all the time fast accountable the goaltender, shouldered the vast majority of the blame for the loss. After the tip of the season, he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings for a second-round draft decide.

Though ending with first rate numbers, a 2.51 GAA and a .905 save share, he performed for a really mediocre Kings group and completed with a report of 18-21-6.

The next season could be canceled because of the lockout. Since he had performed for a mediocre Kings group in his final NHL season, and was thought of a disappointment, he was forgotten by time the gamers returned from the lock-out for the 2005-06 season. Nonetheless, like many NHL gamers, Cechmanek spent the season in Europe, returning to the Czech Republic to play along with his outdated group HC Vsetin.

Cechmanek was additionally given the chance to play for his residence nation in the course of the 1991 World Junior Championships in Saskatchewan (when he was nonetheless taking part in for Staff Czechoslovakia), six World Championship groups (1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, when he gained the Greatest Goalie award, 2004, and 2007), the World Cup in 1996 and the 1998 and 2002 Olympic Video games.

As a substitute of returning to the NHL after the lockout, Cechmanek would select to remain in Europe. The next season he would play for two groups, HC Karlovy Differ of the Czech Elite League and the Hamburg Freezers of the DEL. He would start the 2006-07 season with Linkopings HC of the Swedish Elite League however left the group in the course of the season to return to the Czech Republic and has been taking part in for HC Ocelari Trinec within the Czech Extraliga for the subsequent three seasons. Following the 2008-09 season, Roman Cechmanek retired from hockey on the age of 38.

Roman Cechmanek – Life After Hockey

Simply as most of different execs, Cechmanek tried to start out a training profession, however he’s but to teach a high-level group as he largely labored within the Czech minor and junior leagues. Nonetheless, because it occurs typically, his post-career has been fairly tumultuous due to monetary issues.

In keeping with the Czech web site blesk.cz, the state of affairs is as follows. Roman Cechmanek made roughly 240 million Czech crowns as a hockey participant (greater than 10 million at immediately’s trade). He then invested in actual property and in his enterprise. He began too many initiatives directly and, allegedly, none of them generated any revenue. Cechmanek’s money owed went as much as 100 million crowns (about four million ). His property was seized and later offered in a public public sale. Ivo Valenta of Synot Actual Property, Czech businessman and senator, was the client. Cechmanek even needed to promote his personal home. He nonetheless lives there, however as a tenant – not the proprietor. He’s been below fraud investigation as a result of he didn’t pay the businesses for work, in all probability regardless of realizing he wouldn’t have the ability to afford the fee.

Regardless of all these issues, Roman Cechmanek will all the time be remembered as a participant with flashes of brilliance, however who additionally didn’t stay as much as his full potential. He has the perfect shutout per recreation ratio within the fashionable period, however his playoff performances weren’t on the identical degree. Goaltending was positively wilder within the pre-lockout period!

This put up was initially written in 2009 by Michael DiFranco and has just lately been up to date.

roman